The first exhibition from the largest collection of panoramic photos of the war project will be shown in Lviv for the first time 360war.in.ua.
Once filled with life and now empty streets, ruined cities, destroyed apartments, abandoned villages, the team of the immersive exhibition project “Here Was My Home” demonstrates the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in VR format and 360-degree panoramic photography.
Before the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, photographer Dmitry Malyshev filmed Ukraine for Google Street View and Virtual Ukraine services. In March 2024, when the waves of the Russian offensive reached Kiev, Dmitry was invited to the project by its author and director Taras Volyanyuk, who realized that it was necessary to record the horrors brought by the enemy. Taras took over the management of the project and its presentation and design. Dmitry began to create photo content. During the liberation of Kyiv region, they worked in Gostomel, Irpen, Bucha, Borodyanka. Then there were Chernihiv region, Kharkiv region, Kherson region, Mykolaiv region, Donetsk region. Recorded consequences of rocket attacks in Uman and Lviv.
“In the morning I go to the shooting, in the evening I return home. I was haunted by the smell of burnt, spilled grease and fuel. Before his eyes — burnt cars and houses, personal belongings, toys, strollers,” recalls Dmitry Malyshev. “I am 46 years old, and before that I constantly collaborated with the armed forces, helped with filming the military television of Ukraine. I thought that I was morally ready to see a real war, but when I came home I sat in the corridor without undressing, I was nauseous from what I saw.”
Project”360war.in.ua“, on the basis of which the exhibition “Here Was My Home” was formed, is the first and largest project in Ukraine to digitally capture the consequences of Russian aggression in the format of panoramic photography and virtual reality. Taras and Dmitry also plan to create panoramic videos.
“This is not a blockbuster, not an action movie, not a report from the scene. These are photographs that must be considered due to the infinity of details. Therefore, the text accompaniment of the photo, which was made by our editor-in-chief Irina Klachek, is so important — it should be emotionless, factological, and it is very difficult to do when you see these photos,” says Taras Volyanjuk.
Panoramic photography is fundamentally different from reportage or documentary photography, the organizers warn - the format assumes that the author can neither reinforce anything nor hide something.
“When a classic reportage photographer makes a picture, he can choose the angle, lighting, focus, decide what will be in the frame and what will remain unseen, he can emotionally build the frame,” explains photographer Dmitry Malyshev. - Panoramic photos have no boundaries, they cover everything around, the way it is. Therefore, the photos of the destroyed were truly unique aircraft AN-225 “Dream”— precisely because of the opportunity to show the magnitude of what happened.”
The initial idea of the team was to use panoramas in diplomacy, to show them to foreigners, to influence aid to Ukraine. “But now we understand that we need to show this to Ukrainians, who can also be diplomats and show people abroad what their Motherland looks like today,” says Taras Volyanjuk.
For the first time, they decided to demonstrate the project visually in the “Powder Tower”. Angelina Yefymenko, the director of the center and curator of the exhibition, says that the demonstration of photographs that are created in the “360” format is a unique challenge. Therefore, the exposition will be organized very unusually. QR codes near the photos, from which you can see a digital panorama on the site, and the ability to view photos in VR glasses are expected from this format of the exhibition. But, in addition to this, the spectators are waiting for three very different floors of the exposition, on each of which there is a separate stage. The first resembles the general chronology of the invasion, its global consequences — loss of homes, emigration, impact on the world. The second floor tells about the destruction of life — important places for every person: favorite parks, kindergartens, schools, houses of culture, public spaces. A separate part of the exhibition will be devoted to “Dreams” — the engineering and cultural heritage of Ukrainians. The third floor tells perhaps the most emotional story — the lost house, apartment, housing. Panoramas made from the middle of destroyed homes immerse the viewer in this tragic experience for millions of Ukrainians.
“The immersiveness of the project is that you can interact with every element of the exhibition, even with photographs that are fragments of panoramas. This is in every sense a way for the viewer, - warns the curator of the exhibition Angelina Yefymenko. - We say in advance that it can be emotionally difficult. But this is our goal — to cause emotion, to allow us to live and understand what has been happening for more than 740 days in Ukraine.”
Opening: March 19 at 17:00, admission is free.
Exhibition period:from March 19 to April 17.
Timetable: from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 20:00.
Entrance: on the opening day the entrance is free, on other days - for a fee of 200 UAH. for further development of the project.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
The first exhibition from the largest collection of panoramic photos of the war project will be shown in Lviv for the first time 360war.in.ua.
Once filled with life and now empty streets, ruined cities, destroyed apartments, abandoned villages, the team of the immersive exhibition project “Here Was My Home” demonstrates the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in VR format and 360-degree panoramic photography.
Before the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, photographer Dmitry Malyshev filmed Ukraine for Google Street View and Virtual Ukraine services. In March 2024, when the waves of the Russian offensive reached Kiev, Dmitry was invited to the project by its author and director Taras Volyanyuk, who realized that it was necessary to record the horrors brought by the enemy. Taras took over the management of the project and its presentation and design. Dmitry began to create photo content. During the liberation of Kyiv region, they worked in Gostomel, Irpen, Bucha, Borodyanka. Then there were Chernihiv region, Kharkiv region, Kherson region, Mykolaiv region, Donetsk region. Recorded consequences of rocket attacks in Uman and Lviv.
“In the morning I go to the shooting, in the evening I return home. I was haunted by the smell of burnt, spilled grease and fuel. Before his eyes — burnt cars and houses, personal belongings, toys, strollers,” recalls Dmitry Malyshev. “I am 46 years old, and before that I constantly collaborated with the armed forces, helped with filming the military television of Ukraine. I thought that I was morally ready to see a real war, but when I came home I sat in the corridor without undressing, I was nauseous from what I saw.”
Project”360war.in.ua“, on the basis of which the exhibition “Here Was My Home” was formed, is the first and largest project in Ukraine to digitally capture the consequences of Russian aggression in the format of panoramic photography and virtual reality. Taras and Dmitry also plan to create panoramic videos.
“This is not a blockbuster, not an action movie, not a report from the scene. These are photographs that must be considered due to the infinity of details. Therefore, the text accompaniment of the photo, which was made by our editor-in-chief Irina Klachek, is so important — it should be emotionless, factological, and it is very difficult to do when you see these photos,” says Taras Volyanjuk.
Panoramic photography is fundamentally different from reportage or documentary photography, the organizers warn - the format assumes that the author can neither reinforce anything nor hide something.
“When a classic reportage photographer makes a picture, he can choose the angle, lighting, focus, decide what will be in the frame and what will remain unseen, he can emotionally build the frame,” explains photographer Dmitry Malyshev. - Panoramic photos have no boundaries, they cover everything around, the way it is. Therefore, the photos of the destroyed were truly unique aircraft AN-225 “Dream”— precisely because of the opportunity to show the magnitude of what happened.”
The initial idea of the team was to use panoramas in diplomacy, to show them to foreigners, to influence aid to Ukraine. “But now we understand that we need to show this to Ukrainians, who can also be diplomats and show people abroad what their Motherland looks like today,” says Taras Volyanjuk.
For the first time, they decided to demonstrate the project visually in the “Powder Tower”. Angelina Yefymenko, the director of the center and curator of the exhibition, says that the demonstration of photographs that are created in the “360” format is a unique challenge. Therefore, the exposition will be organized very unusually. QR codes near the photos, from which you can see a digital panorama on the site, and the ability to view photos in VR glasses are expected from this format of the exhibition. But, in addition to this, the spectators are waiting for three very different floors of the exposition, on each of which there is a separate stage. The first resembles the general chronology of the invasion, its global consequences — loss of homes, emigration, impact on the world. The second floor tells about the destruction of life — important places for every person: favorite parks, kindergartens, schools, houses of culture, public spaces. A separate part of the exhibition will be devoted to “Dreams” — the engineering and cultural heritage of Ukrainians. The third floor tells perhaps the most emotional story — the lost house, apartment, housing. Panoramas made from the middle of destroyed homes immerse the viewer in this tragic experience for millions of Ukrainians.
“The immersiveness of the project is that you can interact with every element of the exhibition, even with photographs that are fragments of panoramas. This is in every sense a way for the viewer, - warns the curator of the exhibition Angelina Yefymenko. - We say in advance that it can be emotionally difficult. But this is our goal — to cause emotion, to allow us to live and understand what has been happening for more than 740 days in Ukraine.”
Opening: March 19 at 17:00, admission is free.
Exhibition period:from March 19 to April 17.
Timetable: from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 20:00.
Entrance: on the opening day the entrance is free, on other days - for a fee of 200 UAH. for further development of the project.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
