Mstyslav Chernov is a Ukrainian filmmaker, journalist, photographer, war correspondent, and writer. He is the founder and president of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP). Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, he comes from a family of mixed Ukrainian and German heritage.
Throughout his career, Chernov has covered the Revolution of Dignity, the war in eastern Ukraine, the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, the Syrian Civil War, the Battle of Mosul in Iraq, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He gained international recognition for documenting the siege of Mariupol in 2022, producing some of the most significant journalistic evidence of Russian war crimes during the full-scale war.
He is the writer and director of the documentary films 20 Days in Mariupol and 2000 Meters to Andriivka, both of which have become important records of contemporary Ukrainian history. 20 Days in Mariupol received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the BAFTA Award, the Directors Guild of America Award, and numerous other international honors.
Chernov is the recipient of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine (2024), the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as part of the Associated Press team, the Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award, the CJFE International Press Freedom Award, the Free Media Awards, the Knight International Journalism Awards, the Georgiy Gongadze Prize, and many other international distinctions in journalism and documentary filmmaking.
His work has been published by leading international media outlets, including Associated Press, CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and TIME. His reporting and visual storytelling have become an essential part of the global documentation of the war in Ukraine and have contributed significantly to international understanding of its consequences.
In addition to his work as a journalist and filmmaker, Chernov is actively involved in developing Ukraine’s photographic community, supporting documentary photographers, and promoting Ukrainian visual culture internationally through the activities of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers.
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.
