The publication "13 Stories of War" features 13 visual essays by Ukrainian photographers and artists. The team positions the presented works as the authors' reaction to the full-scale invasion and an alternative to the traditional narratives propagated in the media.
"'13 Stories of War' is a thoughtful exploration of the complexity of war, contributing to a deeper understanding of the shared human experience in times of trials," the authors describe. The projects presented in the publication are described by the authors as "dedicated to themes of resistance, loss, and hope, which allow for a better understanding of the challenges and experiences faced by individuals living through war."
Among the authors are Yevhen Malolyetka, Dmytro Kozatskyi, Sasha Kurmaz, Yulia Kochetova, Yana Kononova, Yelizaveta Bukreieva, Roman Pashkovskyi, Olena Hrom, Serhiy Polezhaka, Oleksandr Hliadelov, Olya Koval, Viacheslav Ratynskyi, and Roman Bordun.
"To emphasize the immediacy and authenticity of the stories," the images are combined with texts by the photographers.
The author of the preface to the publication is the Swedish photojournalist Paul Hansen.
"The stories and narratives in this book are not just photos. They are beautiful, brutal, contemporary, and personal - photographic definitions filled with meaning," says Hansen. "Most news photographs cannot even hope to become like this. But perhaps most importantly, they are historical documents, visual testimonies that will represent in the future, when the fog of war dissipates and justice prevails again."
The project was supported by the Austrian Institute for Humanities Research as part of the Documenting Ukraine program, the Hasselblad Foundation, and the Swedish Institute.
The book can be purchased at the Zbirka bookstore for 2200 UAH.
