Lonely are all the Bridges

The project captures a country amidst conflict, offering a nuanced perspective amidst partisan images. Through quiet compositions it navigates the complexities of war and memory, evoking Tarkovsky's aesthetic to reflect on the enduring impact of violence.

The work was photographed between 2010 and 2024 in Ukraine, which in recent history and the present has been marked by border shifts and associated wars like no other country in Europe. Ukraine lies in an area that is interwoven with "phantom borders", "former, mostly political borders or territorial divisions that, after being institutionally abolished, continue to structure the space". Today, these are politically instrumentalised by the Russian side as a narrative of a slumbering Russian identity to legitimise the brutal war, which pursues military and power-strategic goals. The changes in the Central and Eastern European states are one of the keys to understand the current historical situation and will influence the future for a long time to come.

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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The Iron Curtain was a metaphorical and physical boundary that divided Europe during the Cold War, separating Western NATO countries from Eastern Warsaw Pact nations dominated by the Soviet Union. Coined by Winston Churchill in 1946, it symbolized the Ea

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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Malanka is a Ukrainian folk holiday celebrated on January 13, which corresponds to the Julian calendar's December 31 (Old New Year's Eve).It highlights cultural identity and marks a fresh start in the old Julian calendar. The celebration also symbolizes

© Robin Hinsch - Destroyed Bridge near Izum, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 2023
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Destroyed Bridge near Izum, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 2023

© Robin Hinsch - Protestor I, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2014, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2014
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Protestor I, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2014, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2014

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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PUNISHER - is a high-precision ukraine made alternative to long-range artillery or missile weapons for the destruction of enemy targets.

© Robin Hinsch - Airport, Luhansk, Ukraine, 2015.
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Airport, Luhansk, Ukraine, 2015.

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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the Retroville, a shopping centre located in Kyiv, was bombed in a Russian airstrike. Part of the mall along with its 12-storey business center were destroyed. At least eight people were killed.

© Robin Hinsch - „The stoned one cannot be turned into the stone.“ Combat and reconnaissance Battailion since 2014.
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„The stoned one cannot be turned into the stone.“ Combat and reconnaissance Battailion since 2014.

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, a bomb hit the Mykolaiv Zoo between the polar bear and tiger enclosures on the third day of the attack. People and animals were unharmed. After the first one, more cluster bombs hit near the admin

© Robin Hinsch - Contact Line, Prom Zone,Awdijiwka, Ukraine, 2018
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Contact Line, Prom Zone,Awdijiwka, Ukraine, 2018

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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It is a decorative piece created by the Vasylkiv maiolica factory in Ukraine. It became a symbol of resilience during the Russian invasion when a photo went viral. Despite a house being heavily damaged, a maiolica rooster on a kitchen cabinet survived ato

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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The slogan "Save Donbass from Ukrainian Army" is part of the russian propaganda in the ongoing war, portraying the Ukrainian army as a threat and aiming to gain support for pro-Russian Ideas. Such messages are part of the information warfare.

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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The "Mriya" (Dream) is the nickname for the Antonov An-225 Mriya, an enormous cargo aircraft developed and built by the Ukrainian company Antonov Corporation. The An-225 is the world's largest airplane, designed specifically for transporting heavy and ove

© Robin Hinsch - Football Field, Irpin, Ukraine, 2022
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Football Field, Irpin, Ukraine, 2022

© Robin Hinsch - Vitali, Mykolajiw, Ukraine, 2022
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Vitali, Mykolajiw, Ukraine, 2022

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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During the siege of the city, according to Ukrainian reports, at least 20,000 civilians died. By the end of August 2022, the pro-Ukrainian broadcaster "Mariupol TV" reported a figure of 87,000 documented deaths in Mariupol's morgues. Among them, 26,750 in

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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The Azov Brigade, initially formed as the Azov Battalion and later upgraded to the Azov Regiment, is a front-line brigade in Ukraine. It has been engaged in the conflict against Russian forces and pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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The Isjum Mass Graves are mass burial sites located in the forests near the Ukrainian city of Isjum. They were discovered in September 2022, following the city's recapture by Ukrainian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One of the discovery si

© Robin Hinsch - Image from the Lonely are all the Bridges photography project
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Shrapnel is dangerous to humans because the sharp metal fragments it releases upon explosion have high velocity and kinetic energy, easily penetrating human tissue and bones, causing severe injuries. Furthermore, shrapnel spreads in all directions, puttin

© Robin Hinsch - Shyrokine, Mariupol, Ukraine, 2018
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Shyrokine, Mariupol, Ukraine, 2018

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