Kupiansk, once known as an important trade hub, has today become a symbol of resistance and destruction. Historically, the city was closely linked to trade, a connection reflected even in its name—according to one version, it comes from the word "kupyets" (merchant). Another version links the name to "kupy" (peat bogs), which once covered the area.
Located just 50 kilometers from the Russian border, the city was one of the first targets of Russia's invasion. Kupiansk, once home to over 25,000 people and a strategic railway junction, has now become a symbol of resilience and yet another significant loss in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Today, it stands as a destroyed city, fading under the blows of war.
At the start of the invasion, the then-mayor, Hennadiy Matsehora, who was elected from a pro-Russian party, surrendered the city without resistance. The Russians promised that life in Kupiansk would remain normal, but these promises quickly dissipated. The occupiers took control of the city, turning it into a logistics hub for transporting military equipment and weapons. They seized the facilities of municipal enterprises and the district's heating network for their own use. Schools were switched to the Russian curriculum, with Ukrainian textbooks replaced by Russian ones. The Russians imposed harsh rules: Ukrainian television was cut off, communication was constantly blocked, and those who disagreed with the occupiers' policies were tortured in local prisons. According to Slidstvo.Info, there were at least four torture chambers in Kupiansk: at the sugar factory, the heating network, the water utility, and the police station.
Despite all the hardships, the residents showed remarkable solidarity: they organized self-defense groups and helped each other with medicines, food, and other essentials.
On September 9, 2022, Ukrainian forces liberated Kupiansk during a large-scale counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. The city returned to Ukrainian control, but the Russians did not cease shelling. The central city hospital, residential buildings, educational institutions, and the railway station were all damaged.
Today, the Russians continue to attack the city using artillery, multiple rocket launchers (MRLS), guided bombs, and FPV drones. According to recent reports, Russian troops are stationed just 2.5–3 kilometers from Kupiansk, turning it into an active combat zone.
The Kharkiv regional military administration has announced a mandatory evacuation of the population from Kupiansk, Kivsharivka, Kurylivka, and other settlements. The evacuation is being conducted using armored vehicles, with special attention given to the elderly and disabled individuals. Despite the danger, approximately 2,500 people remain in the city. Volunteers and rescue workers are assisting those who choose to evacuate and those who decide to stay, despite the risks.
Photojournalist Ivan Samoylov visited Kupiansk twice — in September 2023 and October 2024. His lens captured the transformation of the city, which is literally disappearing.
“In September 2023, we traveled to Kupiansk several times, including to Kivsharivka, where the evacuation was taking place,” Samoilov recalls. ”Back then, we could move freely across the crossing in the city center. But then, after our trip, volunteers were killed there, and the crossing stopped functioning.”
Despite the shelling, the mood of local residents in 2023 remained optimistic. The Russians were then about eight kilometers from the town. “Shops and a post office were open in Kivsharivka, and minibuses to Kharkiv were running, although the roads and crossings were in a terrible state,” says the photographer: “We will stay and live here.”
However, even then, the danger was palpable. "We could afford to shoot in the center for a few hours, but there was always a feeling that at any moment something could hit," adds Ivan.
In October 2024, the situation drastically changed. "Now the center of Kupiansk is dead; there is no one there. If anyone drives through, it’s only at high speed because Russian FPV drones track movement and target vehicles," Samoylov explains.
The documentary photographer came under Russian fire at the market. "We were talking to locals, taking photos, and just two minutes after we left, a one-and-a-half-ton guided bomb landed 200–300 meters away. It killed a woman and injured many others, including an elderly lady with whom we had just spoken. It was horrific. She was hospitalized in a Kharkiv hospital. Later, she called us from the hospital, asking for help," the photographer recalls.
Now, the city is filled with anxiety and despair. "People understand that sooner or later, they’ll have to leave," Samoylov says. "The left bank of Kupiansk is completely empty: no electricity, no power. And the right bank is slowly disappearing as well. Shops and pharmacies are closing. The market where we were is destroyed."
Samoylov notes a shift in the locals' attitudes. "I felt that people were starting to view journalists and outsiders with distrust. After the shelling at the market, they hinted that the attacks were because of us. Of course, that’s absurd, but their fear is understandable," he says.
According to him, even in the most difficult conditions in 2023, people still held onto some optimism, but now the situation is much gloomier. "Kupiansk is gradually dissolving under the strikes of cluster bombs. Life here has almost disappeared," he sums up.
The photographs of Ivan Samoylov capture not only the physical destruction of Kupiansk but also the gradual disappearance of the city as a living entity, as well as the pain of its residents who are losing their homes.
Ivan Samoilov is a photojournalist and videographer from Kharkiv who actively documents the Russian-Ukrainian war. Instagram of the photographer.
Kupiansk, once known as an important trade hub, has today become a symbol of resistance and destruction. Historically, the city was closely linked to trade, a connection reflected even in its name—according to one version, it comes from the word "kupyets" (merchant). Another version links the name to "kupy" (peat bogs), which once covered the area.
Located just 50 kilometers from the Russian border, the city was one of the first targets of Russia's invasion. Kupiansk, once home to over 25,000 people and a strategic railway junction, has now become a symbol of resilience and yet another significant loss in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Today, it stands as a destroyed city, fading under the blows of war.
At the start of the invasion, the then-mayor, Hennadiy Matsehora, who was elected from a pro-Russian party, surrendered the city without resistance. The Russians promised that life in Kupiansk would remain normal, but these promises quickly dissipated. The occupiers took control of the city, turning it into a logistics hub for transporting military equipment and weapons. They seized the facilities of municipal enterprises and the district's heating network for their own use. Schools were switched to the Russian curriculum, with Ukrainian textbooks replaced by Russian ones. The Russians imposed harsh rules: Ukrainian television was cut off, communication was constantly blocked, and those who disagreed with the occupiers' policies were tortured in local prisons. According to Slidstvo.Info, there were at least four torture chambers in Kupiansk: at the sugar factory, the heating network, the water utility, and the police station.
Despite all the hardships, the residents showed remarkable solidarity: they organized self-defense groups and helped each other with medicines, food, and other essentials.
On September 9, 2022, Ukrainian forces liberated Kupiansk during a large-scale counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. The city returned to Ukrainian control, but the Russians did not cease shelling. The central city hospital, residential buildings, educational institutions, and the railway station were all damaged.
Today, the Russians continue to attack the city using artillery, multiple rocket launchers (MRLS), guided bombs, and FPV drones. According to recent reports, Russian troops are stationed just 2.5–3 kilometers from Kupiansk, turning it into an active combat zone.
The Kharkiv regional military administration has announced a mandatory evacuation of the population from Kupiansk, Kivsharivka, Kurylivka, and other settlements. The evacuation is being conducted using armored vehicles, with special attention given to the elderly and disabled individuals. Despite the danger, approximately 2,500 people remain in the city. Volunteers and rescue workers are assisting those who choose to evacuate and those who decide to stay, despite the risks.
Photojournalist Ivan Samoylov visited Kupiansk twice — in September 2023 and October 2024. His lens captured the transformation of the city, which is literally disappearing.
“In September 2023, we traveled to Kupiansk several times, including to Kivsharivka, where the evacuation was taking place,” Samoilov recalls. ”Back then, we could move freely across the crossing in the city center. But then, after our trip, volunteers were killed there, and the crossing stopped functioning.”
Despite the shelling, the mood of local residents in 2023 remained optimistic. The Russians were then about eight kilometers from the town. “Shops and a post office were open in Kivsharivka, and minibuses to Kharkiv were running, although the roads and crossings were in a terrible state,” says the photographer: “We will stay and live here.”
However, even then, the danger was palpable. "We could afford to shoot in the center for a few hours, but there was always a feeling that at any moment something could hit," adds Ivan.
In October 2024, the situation drastically changed. "Now the center of Kupiansk is dead; there is no one there. If anyone drives through, it’s only at high speed because Russian FPV drones track movement and target vehicles," Samoylov explains.
The documentary photographer came under Russian fire at the market. "We were talking to locals, taking photos, and just two minutes after we left, a one-and-a-half-ton guided bomb landed 200–300 meters away. It killed a woman and injured many others, including an elderly lady with whom we had just spoken. It was horrific. She was hospitalized in a Kharkiv hospital. Later, she called us from the hospital, asking for help," the photographer recalls.
Now, the city is filled with anxiety and despair. "People understand that sooner or later, they’ll have to leave," Samoylov says. "The left bank of Kupiansk is completely empty: no electricity, no power. And the right bank is slowly disappearing as well. Shops and pharmacies are closing. The market where we were is destroyed."
Samoylov notes a shift in the locals' attitudes. "I felt that people were starting to view journalists and outsiders with distrust. After the shelling at the market, they hinted that the attacks were because of us. Of course, that’s absurd, but their fear is understandable," he says.
According to him, even in the most difficult conditions in 2023, people still held onto some optimism, but now the situation is much gloomier. "Kupiansk is gradually dissolving under the strikes of cluster bombs. Life here has almost disappeared," he sums up.
The photographs of Ivan Samoylov capture not only the physical destruction of Kupiansk but also the gradual disappearance of the city as a living entity, as well as the pain of its residents who are losing their homes.
Ivan Samoilov is a photojournalist and videographer from Kharkiv who actively documents the Russian-Ukrainian war. Instagram of the photographer.
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