Kyiv'05

A series of street photographs about life in Kyiv in summer 2005 - a nostalgic look back but also a reminder that the name of the city must not always be synonymous with war.

These images are part of a series of street photographs I took during a visit to Kyiv in summer 2005. I simply called the series Kyiv'05. At a time when the first anniversary of the dreadful war in Ukraine is coming up, with the threat of a new assault from Russia looming and no end in sight, it feels awkward to show photographs from Kyiv as it was 18 years ago, but they are in stark contrast to what photojournalism produces currently from Kyiv at the moment. I think this serves not only the need for people to see for themselves the horrors of war, but it also dehumanizes the people of Kyiv, and of Ukraine at large. When I took the photographs, the city was brimming with optimism and people were out and about, attending weddings or church, or simply had fun. There was an extraordinary feeling in the city, which I wanted to catch. Now, I hope Kyiv’05 can serve as a counter narrative to that of war and destruction, showing a few glimpses into a society that had a life that was as normal as ours, even though already then it was no stranger to violent confrontation.