Ukraine by Train
There are only a few countries I travel to without flying. Since 2022, Ukraine is one of them. I move by train, from the Polish border to Kyiv and further east, often to the last stop before the warzone. What began as routine has changed. The railway, a lifeline, is now increasingly under attack.
THE BACKSTORY
Since 2022, I have entered and left Ukraine by train over 20 times.
ISSUE 17
We had just arrived in Losowa in eastern Ukraine as it was getting dark. I saw the dog and waited until it moved into the frame as birds crossed above. Since November, trains no longer run to Kramatorsk. Losowa is now one of the last stops before the front, marked by the war.
I was lucky that we had Artem and his family on the train. They were travelling from Dnipro to the Polish border, a 16-hour journey, on their way further west.
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Dominic, having made this journey by train twenty times, you have offered us twenty distinct discoveries.
From the haunting atmosphere of Losowa town before the front to the intimate story of the woman and her pets, every frame resonates with depth. The image of the boy from Dnipro is particularly powerful; it reminds us that war cannot steal a child's dream of becoming a footballer.
You have captured the train cabin as a world on its own, a sentiment reinforced by seeing your colleague Volker, which underscores just how long and arduous this trip truly is.
The night photograph of soldiers and civilians outside is an absolute masterpiece: while everyone appears to be heading down different paths, they are all converging toward the same train.
Ultimately, these photographs reveal the prolonged, profound suffering of a people who never wanted to undergo this trauma. Thank you for sharing such a visceral experience and for having the talent to bring it to the world.
BTW, my good friend Dr Eric just offered me the photo book « I Am Alive » . A stunning piece of most compelling work. Could not recommend it enough.
Beautiful personal reportage with a focus on railways and there importance in a country under siege and attack. The images show the degree of interaction of you Dominic with the social environment, an intimacy made possible by your longlasting interaction with the Ukrainian society, after so many trips. Your professionalism - the way you approach photographing in a challenging situation - is embedding your knowledge of the context. That shows in the way you also portray members of the armed forces, like soldiers waiting in a train station. It shows that soldiers are part of the society. You know that, so you can approach and photograph them. In a repressive environment - like Egypt, or the USA (ICE-types!), that might be different…Congratulations.