WOUNDS from a Nation in Transition
Revolution, occupation, war and acts of terrorism over the past three years have changed Ukraine forever. WOUNDS from a Nation in Transition is a documentation of young and middle aged Ukrainian soldiers and Maidan activists who have been severely wounded and maimed while defending their nation, their homes and their families.
Some of these men suffer from severe burns covering much of their bodies, many endure excruciating pain due to nerve damage, others lost their ability to walk while some are double, triple or quadruple amputees. Many are battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and others are addicted to painkillers. Each of these men has several things in common: Pain -- severe physical and emotional pain and the daunting task of adapting to a new post-injury life. Oftentimes next to the men in the most dire condition are their worried wives, mothers and girlfriends who are left to pick up the pieces of war.
The international community takes notice of Ukraine at times, but even then, geopolitics and squabbling between EU leaders on how to react to Russian aggression is given prominence in the media. Ukrainians and their loved ones who are most affected by acts of war and terrorism are not even on the radar.
Officially, at least 10,000 people have been killed in the war and approximately 2 million people have been displaced. A central goal of this project is to create a better understanding of the human consequences behind these numbers, and more specifically, how families will be affected by the revolution and war for generations.
This war will not end quickly. It will continue in various waves of intensity for many years.