News Stories

FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative

5.8.2024
2
min read

FotoEvidence, in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), is developing a three-year program, FotoEvidence Ukraine, to support the community of Ukrainian photographers and help preserve and revive Ukrainian history and culture through the publication of photo books documenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014.

FotoEvidence Ukraine підтримується Фондами Відкритого Суспільства та Фондом «Відродження».

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 1,582 cultural sites, including 598 libraries, have been destroyed or damaged. It's no secret that Putin's goal is not only territorial, but also cultural: to eliminate Ukraine as an independent nation and subjugate its culture to Russian domination.

Why books?
Books are a familiar and accepted object at all levels of society around the world. The stories told in books go beyond the front pages of the news media and reveal the roots of conflicts and human rights violations. Books remain as evidence on home and library shelves, preserving the stories that have shaped the world. Books are often perceived as a threat and burned. FotoEvidence was created to preserve memories and inspire social change through the projects we publish and promote.

“The Russian-Ukrainian war is more than a war between two armies - it is a war between societies. Russia's intention is not only to defeat the Ukrainian military, but also to turn Ukraine into a gray zone, destroying it as a nation. Among the key objects affected by the war and targeted by Russian terrorists are cultural institutions, especially those where ideas are stored or exchanged, such as libraries.”

“The Russian-Ukrainian war is more than a war between two armies - it is a war between societies. Russia's intention is not only to defeat the Ukrainian military, but also to turn Ukraine into a gray zone, destroying it as a nation. Among the key objects affected by the war and targeted by Russian terrorists are cultural institutions, especially those where ideas are stored or exchanged, such as libraries.”

(Julia Gosart, Professor, School of Information, San Jose State University).

Mission

Photojournalists from Ukraine and around the world have documented the visual narrative of this tumultuous chapter in Ukraine's history. Their dedication sheds light on the complex realities of life during the ongoing Russian invasion, terror against civilians, and efforts to eradicate culture. FotoEvidence Ukraine will collect and publish visual stories documenting this period, with the goal of filling libraries and schools with books that preserve the history of this time for future generations.

By collecting and disseminating a large number of documentary materials, FotoEvidence Ukraine aims to support global awareness of the Russian invasion, as well as support for Ukrainian culture, offering valuable resources for media, public discourse and education for future generations.

By offering a platform for Ukrainian photographers to share their work documenting the Russian invasion with an international audience, the project will foster cultural entrepreneurship, promote the growth of Ukraine's creative industries, and provide important historical documentation.

The destroyed regional library for youth in Chernihiv, Ukraine: Viktor Kovalchuk / UNIAN

 

Book

FotoEvidence is the publisher of the acclaimed historical book Ukraine: A War Crime. It is a collection of more than 360 photographs and 35 eyewitness accounts from more than ninety photojournalists from 29 countries who have come together to present their first-hand accounts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of those tasked with documenting it. The book was recognized as the “Photo Book of the Year” by the International Photography Awards in New York, shortlisted for the Arles Historical Book Award 2023, and received a silver medal in the Human Rights and Media category at the Anthem Awards.

Events

To bring the reality of the war to the public, FotoEvidence Ukraine will organize traveling exhibitions based on the books we have published. The book “Ukraine: A War Crime” has already been presented at 19 different venues in Europe, including Ukraine and the United States. With the support of the Open Society Foundations, an exhibition based on this book traveled to the Western Balkans, starting in Tirana, then to Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia. We plan to establish cooperation with the National Library of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education of Ukraine to distribute the books in schools, libraries and cultural institutions.

Team

Working with the Ukrainian team, FotoEvidence will support Ukrainian visual storytellers with more than a decade of experience in developing and publishing powerful human rights photo books. The FotoEvidence Ukraine team consists of 16 well-known Ukrainian and international photojournalists and photo editors with experience in creating storytelling and photo books. FotoEvidence has worked with most of them on previous publications about the war in Ukraine. Their task will be to tell the stories that deserve to be preserved in the books and to guide the authors in the creative process.

Ultimately, each new contributor will become part of the team - a growing community of photojournalists working to document current history for the benefit of future generations.

The FotoEvidence Ukraine team will be headed by Director Svitlana Bachevanova. In Ukraine, the project manager is Olga Kovaleva/UAPP, and the editor-in-chief is Iryna Gromotska.

The editorial board includes: Paula Bronstein (USA), Maksym Dondyuk (Ukraine), Brendan Hoffman (USA), Oleksandr Glyadelov (Ukraine), Natalie Keysar (USA), Serhiy Korovainy (Ukraine), Olga Kovaleva (Ukraine), Sarah Lin (USA), Yevhen Malolietka (Ukraine), Sasha Maslov (Ukraine), Mykhailo Palinchak (Ukraine), Oksana Parafeniuk (Ukraine), Danylo Pavlov (Ukraine), Kateryna Radchenko (Ukraine).

Applications for participation in the photo project 2024

To celebrate FotoEvidence's partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, we are launching our first publication: “Photo Chronicles of War”. The photo book has been developed by members of the UAPP in response to the challenges of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014. The project systematically documents and preserves the chronicle of key events related to the Russian invasion, as well as events that have had a profound impact on society. Its goal is to preserve the history of Ukrainian resistance for future generations.

Starting from August 5, 2024, FotoEvidence Ukraine will be accepting book proposals from Ukrainian photographers who have been working to document the Russian invasion since 2014.

Proposals should be in low-resolution PDF format, containing a summary of the work in English and Ukrainian, images, and a brief explanation of your vision for the book. E-mail: fotoevidence.ukraine@gmail.com

Deadline: November 30, 2024

Proposals will be reviewed in December 2024, and selected authors will be invited to discuss possible publication.

Process

Creating a book is a learning process, and one of FotoEvidence's main activities is to nurture photographers who want to create long, humanistic stories.

During the book production process, FotoEvidence gives the photographer the opportunity to work with a creative team that includes a publisher, photo editor, and book designer. The goal of this creative collaboration is to both support the photographer in creating a book that embodies their vision and to create a powerful book with emotional impact.

Made in Ukraine

Pre-press and printing of FotoEvidence Ukraine books will take place in Ukraine.

FotoEvidence, in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), is developing a three-year program, FotoEvidence Ukraine, to support the community of Ukrainian photographers and help preserve and revive Ukrainian history and culture through the publication of photo books documenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014.

FotoEvidence Ukraine підтримується Фондами Відкритого Суспільства та Фондом «Відродження».

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 1,582 cultural sites, including 598 libraries, have been destroyed or damaged. It's no secret that Putin's goal is not only territorial, but also cultural: to eliminate Ukraine as an independent nation and subjugate its culture to Russian domination.

Why books?
Books are a familiar and accepted object at all levels of society around the world. The stories told in books go beyond the front pages of the news media and reveal the roots of conflicts and human rights violations. Books remain as evidence on home and library shelves, preserving the stories that have shaped the world. Books are often perceived as a threat and burned. FotoEvidence was created to preserve memories and inspire social change through the projects we publish and promote.

“The Russian-Ukrainian war is more than a war between two armies - it is a war between societies. Russia's intention is not only to defeat the Ukrainian military, but also to turn Ukraine into a gray zone, destroying it as a nation. Among the key objects affected by the war and targeted by Russian terrorists are cultural institutions, especially those where ideas are stored or exchanged, such as libraries.”

“The Russian-Ukrainian war is more than a war between two armies - it is a war between societies. Russia's intention is not only to defeat the Ukrainian military, but also to turn Ukraine into a gray zone, destroying it as a nation. Among the key objects affected by the war and targeted by Russian terrorists are cultural institutions, especially those where ideas are stored or exchanged, such as libraries.”

(Julia Gosart, Professor, School of Information, San Jose State University).

Mission

Photojournalists from Ukraine and around the world have documented the visual narrative of this tumultuous chapter in Ukraine's history. Their dedication sheds light on the complex realities of life during the ongoing Russian invasion, terror against civilians, and efforts to eradicate culture. FotoEvidence Ukraine will collect and publish visual stories documenting this period, with the goal of filling libraries and schools with books that preserve the history of this time for future generations.

By collecting and disseminating a large number of documentary materials, FotoEvidence Ukraine aims to support global awareness of the Russian invasion, as well as support for Ukrainian culture, offering valuable resources for media, public discourse and education for future generations.

By offering a platform for Ukrainian photographers to share their work documenting the Russian invasion with an international audience, the project will foster cultural entrepreneurship, promote the growth of Ukraine's creative industries, and provide important historical documentation.

The destroyed regional library for youth in Chernihiv, Ukraine: Viktor Kovalchuk / UNIAN

 

Book

FotoEvidence is the publisher of the acclaimed historical book Ukraine: A War Crime. It is a collection of more than 360 photographs and 35 eyewitness accounts from more than ninety photojournalists from 29 countries who have come together to present their first-hand accounts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of those tasked with documenting it. The book was recognized as the “Photo Book of the Year” by the International Photography Awards in New York, shortlisted for the Arles Historical Book Award 2023, and received a silver medal in the Human Rights and Media category at the Anthem Awards.

Events

To bring the reality of the war to the public, FotoEvidence Ukraine will organize traveling exhibitions based on the books we have published. The book “Ukraine: A War Crime” has already been presented at 19 different venues in Europe, including Ukraine and the United States. With the support of the Open Society Foundations, an exhibition based on this book traveled to the Western Balkans, starting in Tirana, then to Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia. We plan to establish cooperation with the National Library of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education of Ukraine to distribute the books in schools, libraries and cultural institutions.

Team

Working with the Ukrainian team, FotoEvidence will support Ukrainian visual storytellers with more than a decade of experience in developing and publishing powerful human rights photo books. The FotoEvidence Ukraine team consists of 16 well-known Ukrainian and international photojournalists and photo editors with experience in creating storytelling and photo books. FotoEvidence has worked with most of them on previous publications about the war in Ukraine. Their task will be to tell the stories that deserve to be preserved in the books and to guide the authors in the creative process.

Ultimately, each new contributor will become part of the team - a growing community of photojournalists working to document current history for the benefit of future generations.

The FotoEvidence Ukraine team will be headed by Director Svitlana Bachevanova. In Ukraine, the project manager is Olga Kovaleva/UAPP, and the editor-in-chief is Iryna Gromotska.

The editorial board includes: Paula Bronstein (USA), Maksym Dondyuk (Ukraine), Brendan Hoffman (USA), Oleksandr Glyadelov (Ukraine), Natalie Keysar (USA), Serhiy Korovainy (Ukraine), Olga Kovaleva (Ukraine), Sarah Lin (USA), Yevhen Malolietka (Ukraine), Sasha Maslov (Ukraine), Mykhailo Palinchak (Ukraine), Oksana Parafeniuk (Ukraine), Danylo Pavlov (Ukraine), Kateryna Radchenko (Ukraine).

Applications for participation in the photo project 2024

To celebrate FotoEvidence's partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, we are launching our first publication: “Photo Chronicles of War”. The photo book has been developed by members of the UAPP in response to the challenges of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014. The project systematically documents and preserves the chronicle of key events related to the Russian invasion, as well as events that have had a profound impact on society. Its goal is to preserve the history of Ukrainian resistance for future generations.

Starting from August 5, 2024, FotoEvidence Ukraine will be accepting book proposals from Ukrainian photographers who have been working to document the Russian invasion since 2014.

Proposals should be in low-resolution PDF format, containing a summary of the work in English and Ukrainian, images, and a brief explanation of your vision for the book. E-mail: fotoevidence.ukraine@gmail.com

Deadline: November 30, 2024

Proposals will be reviewed in December 2024, and selected authors will be invited to discuss possible publication.

Process

Creating a book is a learning process, and one of FotoEvidence's main activities is to nurture photographers who want to create long, humanistic stories.

During the book production process, FotoEvidence gives the photographer the opportunity to work with a creative team that includes a publisher, photo editor, and book designer. The goal of this creative collaboration is to both support the photographer in creating a book that embodies their vision and to create a powerful book with emotional impact.

Made in Ukraine

Pre-press and printing of FotoEvidence Ukraine books will take place in Ukraine.

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