Defenders

The first week of March in Kyiv was shaking. Russians were coming, all reports and intelligence services all over the world were shouting: "Circle, circle, they are coming to circle the city, to bomb it from the air, surround on the ground and push the whole nation to capitulate".

It has never happened. But I've met another circle. People who stayed. People who served. People who joined territorial defense and took arms for the first time. People who were terrified but not defeated. People who volunteered. People who were scattered but never divided. We were all in a circle – a circle of our people. People from the capital of freedom.

"This city has a backbone. That is what was proved by Kyiv. He knows how to deal with circumstances. He knows how to defend his point of view. His people have a backbone. The city becomes not a besieged fortress. The city takes off the pixel uniform and changes into civilian clothes."

I'm using old prism lenses to visualize how our reality was fragmented, reflected, and damaged. But even if your home window is broken cause of shelling, a light goes through a prism.

On the way, light either refract or reflect. But light is always present, it's so important to peer into life, to notice it. And to keep your circle.

These portraits are a part of a project made together with Fine Acts.

“MUSIC STOPPED BY AN AIR RAID ALARM”, Daria posted on Instagram today. 

5 am on 24 February changed everything in my life. Changed irreversibly. First, I experienced death so closely for the first time. And secondly, I saw so deeply the value of my life, the most important moments, what I really love and what I really don't.

It changed my profession. Everything fell in one day. On February 26, I was supposed to have a performance in Lviv, I was supposed to fly there to celebrate a party with «the red» dress code. Special playlist, guests bought special red outfits... I have no idea when we gonna wear it…

But we will. We will definitely celebrate it. It will be a day of victory.

I’ve lost my work, lost everything that was planned. But achieved the one and only strongest goal - to talk about Ukraine. To share Ukrainian music with the world. Loudly show how cool, different, and unique we are. How different we are. Spread it to the world. And also - to talk about the war. What is it like to live in a full-scale war?

People motivate me to make the War Diary podcast. When I edit each story, I experience it together with the person. I listen to the intonations or pauses - and these people are already so close to me. It hurts excruciatingly when I’m listening to these stories. But at the same moment – I am simply amazed at how cool Ukrainians are. How grateful I am to every person who recorded his/her diary.

Each person tells how he/she wants to return and live in the hometown – whether it's Kharkiv [now heavily shelled], Mariupol [ruined and occupied], or Kherson [occupied]. And every person believes in Ukraine as much as I have never seen anyone in the world believe in their country.

My biggest dream after our victory over rashism is that Ukrainians will forever remember how strong they are, and how unique they are. And remember that victory will be associated with a huge sacrifice.

And also – that no Ukrainian ever associates himself with these Russian invaders. I dream for the world to see how independent we are. How we respect language, culture, music. How we want to create and gift it to the whole world. And that it will remain forever.