As the summer is coming to an end, Kyiv residents are trying to enjoy glimpses of normalcy amid the never-ending threats of Russian missile and drone attacks and the blackouts, which often follow large-scale strikes that target critical infrastructure across Ukraine.
On Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day, celebrated on Aug. 24, mass gatherings were banned in Kyiv as a precaution against Russian attacks. Despite this, Kyiv's downtown was filled with local residents determined to celebrate over the weekend.
Many wore traditional embroidered shirts, vyshyvankas, or wrapped themselves in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag as they gathered near the burned remains of Russian vehicles on display downtown. People commemorated the fallen soldiers, with many gathering near the makeshift memorial on Independence Square, where thousands of small flags represent the ultimate sacrifice of each soldier who defended Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
Photographer Lisa Bukreyeva captured these moments in summer Kyiv against the backdrop of the Russian invasion.
A child explores the charred remains of a Russian vehicle (L) and blue and yellow weights on the scaffolding (R) on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent) A person looks through the charred remains of a Russian vehicle on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)
(L) People join an open-air exhibition and the close-up of one of the exhibits (R) from it on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)A person commemorates soldiers who lost their lives defending Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)
A woman hugs the child as she looks at the portraits of soldiers who lost their lives defending Ukraine during the Russian Invasion (L), people holding hands (R) on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)A boy who sells Ukrainian flags during an Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)
A girl shoots from a gun (L), a person presses a button on a Ukrainian military vehicle (R) on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)Eva celebrating Independence Day with her family in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)
A kid in an embroidered dress (L), a man dealing with chords (R) on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)A group of women in light-colored clothes on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)
Kids in the embroidered shirts (L) and a person wrapped in a Ukrainian flag (R) on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)The makeshift memorial with thousands of flags for the fallen soldiers who lost their lives defending Ukraine during the Russian invasion in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent)
Lisa Bukreyeva (born in 1993) photographer based in Kyiv, Ukraine. She started taking photographs in 2019, during which time her works were presented at various venues in the USA, Europe and Asia. Published in Spiegel, Zeit, Financial Times, Le Monde, Liberation, Camera Austria, The New York Magazine and others. Nominee for the Foam Paul Huf Award in 2023, In 2026 participated in the Joop Swart Workshop by World Press Photo.
Originally focused on Ukrainian youth and identity, her focus shifted after the full-scale Russian invasion to the emotional and psychological realities of daily life during warfare. Her photos capture the lived experiences of civilians and devastated landscapes. Rather than immediate violence, she often highlights quiet, melancholic moments emphasizing the dignity and humanity of those at and behind the front lines.
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