Sloviansk. The story of Ukrainian crisis in one city.


  • Photographer
    Anastasia Vlasova
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Company/Studios
    Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
  • Date of Photograph
    April 13 - August 14

I am a photojournalist at English language newspaper based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Also I'm on my fifth year of studying at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv at journalism department. I'm interested in documenting social issues, conflict photography and human stories. My greatest obsession is people: that's the most deep, diverse and inspiring source for me to work with. In my photos I try to convey the feelings and emotions that affect me at the moment. I face difficulties in selecting my pictures that is why I struggle for the master's advice a lot.

Story

The East Ukrainian crisis began in early April with a separatist takeover of the small city of Sloviansk. Pro-Russian insurgents occupied the local police office and city council on April 12. For almost three months the city remained under the control of these armed rebels. Most Sloviansk residents supported the pro-Russian insurgents and many joined the so-called self-defense groups to patrol the city and its suburbs. Men built barricades all over Sloviansk, women rushed to nearby strongholds to make sandwiches and tea for the insurgents, local priests blessed the protesters. Soon, however, the Ukrainian army surrounded the Sloviansk area. As a result of pro-Russian propaganda, local inhabitants saw the Ukrainian troops as punitive forces and were aggressive towards the new Ukrainian government. Trust in the insurgents started to fall after they put a truck with a rocket launcher, used to shell the Ukrainian army, right in between people's homes. For almost two months Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian insurgents exchanged heavy fire, and local residents had to choose between hiding in their basements or leaving their home town. On July 5 the insurgents left Sloviansk and the Ukrainian army moved in. These days the city is slowly recovering from the consequences of the war and life is slowly returning to normal. I was in occupied Sloviansk in April, during the city's humanitarian crisis in July, and in a recovering Sloviansk in August. Children are playing on the main square, people are sitting in cafes and Ukrainian flags are flying, but there's still a feeling of war in the air.

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