Ukrainian documentary filmmaker Serhiy Korovaynyi won second placein the Italian photo contest Siena Awards, drawing the attention of the world to the war in the Donbas. His series of photographs, Ground Zero Of Ukrainian War, has been awarded in the Storyboard category, specializing in documentary photo stories.
Donbass as the heart of war
Serhiy's project tells the story of life and death in Eastern Ukraine, where the war has been going on for more than nine years. “Donbas is the epicenter of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Civilians here suffered long before the full-scale invasion in 2022,” he says. The main part of the photos for this story was taken in February 2023 in the cities that became symbols of resistance: Avdiyivka, Ugledari and Maryinka.
“This country has endured the pain of war longer than anyone imagines. Then they talked less about Ukraine, but for people here suffering has long been the norm,” the photographer notes.
Korovaynyi does not hide that this project is not just a job for him — it is a personal story. He comes from Eastern Ukraine, and every trip to the region is a return to where he feels a personal painful connection to his native place.
“I can't imagine this story without the military. They are part of what is happening here. In the summer, I spent most of my time in Donbas collecting new materials, and I do not stop shooting,” Serhiy shares.
Photo Festival in Siena
Siena Awards is an annual photography festival that gathers the world's best documentary filmmakers and artists in the Italian city of Siena. Although the city is small, the festival has a huge impact on the world of photography and culture. This year, on the stage of the ancient Teatro dei Rinnovati, respected cultural figures presented crystal statuettes to the winners in various categories, from fine art to photojournalism.
Sergey Korovayny won second place in his category, giving way to photo history from Palestine. “Unfortunately, in competitions, relevance often becomes the determining factor. Palestine is now in focus, and unfortunately I understand that choice,” the photographer comments. However, Sergey is not disappointed: “It is important for me that my work sounded. This is a chance to remind the world that the war in Ukraine continues.”
Also at the competition, Korovayny showed photos from recent tragic events in Ukraine: footage of the evacuation of civilians from Pokrovsk and images of the Bazilevych family, who died during Russian shelling in Lviv. “It's emotionally difficult, but stories like this need to be told. This is the reality in which we live,” says Serhiy.
The photographer emphasizes that he will continue to film this war: “It is only part of a larger story. And I continue to collect it.”
Participation in international photo competitions enables Ukrainian documentary filmmakers to convey the reality of the war in Ukraine to the world community. In addition to Korovaini, photographer Elena Grom also excelled at the competition. Her photo from the photo series “Stolen Spring” took first place in the category “Fine art”.
Recall, photo series of Konstantin and Vlada Liberov wonin the Bayeux Calvados-Normandy Award. Their story, dedicated to the war in Ukraine, received several high honors at once.
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Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vera Labych
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