Sofia learns to make origami birds in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on Nov. 27, 2023. (Kostiantyn Huzenko / The Kyiv Independent)
Since the summer of 2023, local Ukrainian authorities announced the mandatory evacuation of families with children from multiple front-line areas due to the intensification of hostilities.
The orders apply to several districts in Kharkiv Oblast, which borders Russia and has been heavily bombarded throughout the full-scale invasion, and the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, which has been the theater of some of the heaviest battles of the Russian war.
Despite that, some parents continue to refuse to evacuate, whether out of fear of leaving their property or the familiar surroundings, due to having elderly relatives who need care and refuse to move, or other reasons.
Dependent on the parents, some children are forced to grow up on the front line, amid endless air raid alerts and sounds of bombardment.
In November 2023, photographer and now a member of Ukraine's Armed Forces Kostiantyn Huzenko spent time with volunteer organizations supporting children who remain near the front line in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts to document what it's like to grow up on the front line.
Once vibrant cities like Kupiansk and Kramatorsk have come to a standstill due to the full-scale Russian invasion. Children in cities like these face a monotonous existence: They attend online classes, play near their homes where their parents can see them, and have few friends, as many have fled.
This project was created with the support of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers and the International Press Institute.
Irynka Hromotska is a photo editor at The Kyiv Independent. She received her MA in photojournalism from the Missouri School of Journalism as a Fulbright student. Irynka previously curated the “Fighting for Dignity” exhibition, highlighting the resilience of Ukrainians, interned at the Magnum Foundation, worked with Magnum Photos, and was an assistant photo editor for the FotoEvidence photo book “Ukraine: A War Crime.” Her photography has been featured in outlets like Radio Free Europe, Reuters, The New York Times, and The Guardian.
In her role at Kyiv Independent, Irynka actively fosters relationships with photojournalists covering Ukraine, with a particular focus on promoting long-form visual storytelling.
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