Sarah Ashton-Cirillo's Ukraine Photo Collection : Volume 2

This is the second installment of hand selected photos that were chosen for the Liberty Ukraine Fundraiser sponsored by Sarah Ashton-Cirillo

A quick note.

The photos that are being used to support the fundraising drive for Liberty Ukraine were initially going to be released as part of a photo book project, separate from any written works. The publication of that project eventually fell apart over stylistic differences. Once that happened I decided to hold onto them for publication at some point after victory.

However, what’s clear is that resistance groups such as Liberty Ukraine are a significant reason why we will achieve that victory, and I decided to release the pictures now in an effort to help with their Armed Forces of Ukraine drone fundraiser among other projects.

Liberty Ukraine is a 501 c 3 (tax-deductible) charity based in the US but comprised of Ukrainians. I have personally worked with members of their group on the ground in Kharkiv since March and had the honor to address their New York and Austin chapters on my recent trip to the United States.

(The photos below are displayed in the way my heart and eyes saw them at the moment. Some are edited, some are not, but all are now part of both Ukraine’s story and yours.)

Photo 7 - “An eternal hero.”

Sponsor : @sakarisainio

I had already moved to Kharkiv and found myself returning to western Ukraine in mid-March to go on a supply run for the ZSU. Preparing to return to Kharkiv I looked up and noticed this billboard overlooking the gas station that we were fueling up at. Despite being petrified of photographing the anti-tank blockades, I felt it was necessary to capture this young hero’s image.

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Photo 8 - “Decision”

Sponsor : Leah J. Callen

It was late March and the situation around the nation was still incredibly fluid. I was on the second of two supply runs I’d made on behalf of ZSU and met these truckers at a small truck stop on their way across country. They were plotting the best route around Kyiv.

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Photo 9 - “Tennis Shoes”

Sponsor : BN880

In Kharkiv in April I was present as a ZSU unit listened to their commander as they picked up supplies from a warehouse. What was striking to me in that moment was the footwear that was still being used by active duty units on the frontlines.

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Photo 10 - “Again”

Sponsor : Jamieelisefoto3

These two women personfied the early days of the war. On the left a volunteer from Finland who drove in with supplies, on right a woman who lived through World War 2, the break up of the USSR, and now the full scale invasion.

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Photo 11 - “Unmoveable”

Sponsor : Linda

Taken in north Saltivka during the intense attacks of the spring, I was bringing food to the grandparent of a ZSU soldier when I saw this woman outside during a round of mortar attacks in the neighborhood. We didn’t exchange words but on the bench she remained as I quickly entered and then exited the building.

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Photo 12 - “Always armed”

Sponsor : Carolyn

In the beginning, when traveling through Kharkiv, I traveled armed. This is how my first rifle was presented to me.

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Photo 13 - “Stuck”

Sponsor : Scott Klatt

In Kharkiv, the spring attacks never let up. Walking through a neighborhood near the river, I was struck about how this small SUV looked stuck in time, climbing over rubble. It reminded me of images unearthed from Vesuvius.