Destruction of monuments is a war crime without a statute of limitations. The enemy damages and destroys them, and what cannot be ruined is stolen. Russians spare not even those monuments that hold exceptional value for the entire world and are protected by international law and UNESCO. More than half a thousand — specifically 536 cultural sites in Ukraine — have been officially recognized by UNESCO as damaged as of May 2026. Each such crime is documented — according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, over 240 criminal proceedings have already been opened and 15 suspects identified. To record and preserve evidence of every crime — damaged church buildings, devastated cultural centers, destroyed theaters, burned collections — Ukrainian documentarians immediately arrive at the scene. Their work vividly demonstrates the destructive impact of war on Ukraine’s cultural heritage and the efforts of Ukrainians to protect every object and relic.

Semen Kuchvara’s project “Pre Mortem” — meaning “before death” — captures the moment where a joke ends and irreversibility begins. Built on the sharp contrast between ironic inscriptions on ammunition and the finality of their use, the project reflects the humor in soldiers’ lives and the outcome of their work for the enemy. “Pre Mortem” is an insider’s view of war, where dark humor becomes a tool of self‑preservation, and a joke on a shell is a way to hold on to humanity.

“Warmth of the Earth” is a poetic visual narrative by photographer Anton Cherniak about the universe of his grandfather. Through the warmth of his caring hands, life makes its way from a tiny seed to a ripe fruit. The surrounding nature provides strength and an inexhaustible thirst for life, filling with wisdom and spirituality. A special island of calm in a world that lives by its own laws can be seen in the images of the project.

Khrystyna Voitkiv’s project “Beneath the Armour” explores the inner world of Ukrainian soldiers through their passions. Before Russia’s full‑scale invasion, many of them were artists, athletes, or civic activists. Now, despite the immense pressure of war, they preserve their former interests and practices. This is not just a hobby — it is a manifesto of maintaining one’s identity beyond the military context.

On the night of June 15, Russian forces carried out a massive attack on Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv, using missiles and drones against residential buildings and historic landmarks. As a result of a targeted Russian strike, a large fire broke out on the roof of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. In Kharkiv, during the aftermath response, a repeated shelling claimed the lives of five rescuers and a civil protection specialist from the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration. The cities of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk remain under daily enemy fire, while this week Russian aviation also terrorized Kharkiv and Sumy. Animals suffered from Russian aggression as well — the enemy shelled a zoo in Kharkiv and an equestrian school in Sumy region.

Taras Fedorenko’s “Carrying the Light” is an observation of how Christmas celebrations adapt to the reality of war. Through caroling emerges a simple yet fundamental feeling: life goes on even where everything around tries to break it.