Valery Melnikov

Photographer/Videographer/Visual Storyteller

Black Days of Ukraine

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Location: Moscow, Russia

Nationality: Russian

Biography: Freelance photographer Valery Melnikov studied journalism in Stavropol, Russia. His photographic career began at North Caucasus. He has dedicated himself to documenting the political and social life of societies in conflict. ... MORE

Civilians escape from a fire at...ttack in the Luhanskaya village

1 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Civilians escape from a fire at a house destroyed by the air attack in the Luhanskaya village

Refugee family and their child ...oint Izvarino in Luhansk region

2 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Refugee family and their child in the bus at the border crossing point Izvarino in Luhansk region

A house destroyed during an air...ck in the village of Luhanskaya

3 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A house destroyed during an air attack in the village of Luhanskaya

A citizens in the village of Luhanskaya after the air attack

4 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A citizens in the village of Luhanskaya after the air attack

Relatives mourn Vladimir Yermil...o were killed in the air strike

5 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Relatives mourn Vladimir Yermilov and his son Vanya who were killed in the air strike

A funeral of Vladimir Tcymbalist in the Chernukhino village

6 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A funeral of Vladimir Tcymbalist in the Chernukhino village

A woman escapes from a fire dur...o kilometers from the frontline

7 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A woman escapes from a fire during an artillery attack in Krasnodon highway. Two kilometers from the frontline

The member of the "Russian...club during training in Donetsk

8 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

The member of the "Russian Bear" patriotic-military club during training in Donetsk

Local resident Catherine Chernu...rian aid in village of Veseloe

9 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Local resident Catherine Chernukhina (75) while distributing humanitarian aid in village of Veseloe

The consequences of the shellin...illage near the Donetsk airport

10 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

The consequences of the shelling of the Veseloe village near the Donetsk airport

Raisa Shipulya (85) one of the ...e kilometers from the frontline

11 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Raisa Shipulya (85) one of the last residents of the destroyed village of Zhelobok . One kilometers from the frontline

The boy in the basement of the ...ound to survive until morning.

12 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

The boy in the basement of the destroyed school in village of Shahty 6/7, Donetsk region, Ukraine Despite the ongoing cease-fire regime, both sides blame each other for breaking it. Every night thousands of people living at the front line in Donbass go underground to survive until morning.

Two sisters in a bomb shelter o...inning of the war in the Donbas

13 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Two sisters in a bomb shelter on the outskirts of Donetsk. They spent more than two years in the basement of an abandoned bomb shelter since the beginning of the war in the Donbas

A funeral of a boy Vanya Ermilov in the Luhanskaya village

14 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A funeral of a boy Vanya Ermilov in the Luhanskaya village

A smoke in the city of Luhansk during an artillery attack

15 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A smoke in the city of Luhansk during an artillery attack

Cars burned by gunfire in villa...e kilometers from the frontline

16 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Cars burned by gunfire in village of Lozovoe in Donetsk region. Three kilometers from the frontline

A local resident killed during ...tack in the Luhanskaya village.

17 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A local resident killed during an air attack in the Luhanskaya village.

Destroyed plane after shelling near the city of Luhansk

18 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Destroyed plane after shelling near the city of Luhansk

Member of the Prizrak ("Gh...ine near the city of Lesichansk

19 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Member of the Prizrak ("Ghost") brigade on the fighting frolntline near the city of Lesichansk

Man watering flowers on a stree...e kilometers from the frontline

20 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Man watering flowers on a street in the destroyed village of Spartak. One kilometers from the frontline

The boy in the blood transfusio...tment at a hospital in Gorlovka

21 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

The boy in the blood transfusion department at a hospital in Gorlovka

A man inspects damaged building in the Mirny district of Luhansk

22 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A man inspects damaged building in the Mirny district of Luhansk

Destroyed car in the village of...ter the outbreak of hostilities

23 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

Destroyed car in the village of Veseloe in Donetsk region. Less than thirty residents left in the village after the outbreak of hostilities

A funeral of a boy Vanya Ermilo... shelling village of Luhanskaya

24 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A funeral of a boy Vanya Ermilov (7) who was killed during the shelling village of Luhanskaya

A citizen outside her house destroyed during the shelling Luhansk

25 of 25 © 2024 Valery Melnikov

A citizen outside her house destroyed during the shelling Luhansk

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Thumbnail of Civilians escape from a fire at _attack in the Luhanskaya village

Thumbnail of Refugee family and their child i_point Izvarino in Luhansk region

Thumbnail of A house destroyed during an air _ack in the village of Luhanskaya

Thumbnail of A citizens in the village of Luhanskaya after the air attack

Thumbnail of Relatives mourn Vladimir Yermilo_ho were killed in the air strike

Thumbnail of A funeral of Vladimir Tcymbalist in the Chernukhino village

Thumbnail of A woman escapes from a fire duri_wo kilometers from the frontline

Thumbnail of The member of the "Russian _ club during training in Donetsk

Thumbnail of Local resident Catherine Chernuk_arian aid in village of Veseloe

Thumbnail of The consequences of the shelling_village near the Donetsk airport

Thumbnail of Raisa Shipulya (85) one of the l_ne kilometers from the frontline

Thumbnail of The boy in the basement of the d_round to survive until morning.

Thumbnail of Two sisters in a bomb shelter on_ginning of the war in the Donbas

Thumbnail of A funeral of a boy Vanya Ermilov in the Luhanskaya village

Thumbnail of A smoke in the city of Luhansk during an artillery attack

Thumbnail of Cars burned by gunfire in villag_ee kilometers from the frontline

Thumbnail of A local resident killed during a_ttack in the Luhanskaya village.

Thumbnail of Destroyed plane after shelling near the city of Luhansk

Thumbnail of Member of the Prizrak ("Gho_line near the city of Lesichansk

Thumbnail of Man watering flowers on a street_ne kilometers from the frontline

Thumbnail of The boy in the blood transfusion_rtment at a hospital in Gorlovka

Thumbnail of A man inspects damaged building in the Mirny district of Luhansk

Thumbnail of Destroyed car in the village of _fter the outbreak of hostilities

Thumbnail of A funeral of a boy Vanya Ermilov_e shelling village of Luhanskaya

Thumbnail of A citizen outside her house destroyed during the shelling Luhansk

Public Story

Black Days of Ukraine

Copyright Valery Melnikov 2024

Updated Jan 2022

Topics Conflict, Documentary, Donbass, Editorial, Essays, Human rights, Journalism, Personal Projects, Photography, Photojournalism, Ukraine, War

I arrived to the Ukrainian city of Luhansk in the early summer of 2014 and then it was still a peaceful town, but the feeling of an impending disaster was already in the air and and every following day it was getting stronger. The conflict between the separatists and the official Ukrainian authorities was gradually escalating into war. Full-scale hostilities were undertaken in the south-east of Ukraine. That summer became the bloodiest time for the strategically important Luhansk. The locals had to survive with no water and electricity under daily shelling. And each new day could become their last. In any war there are always at least two armed fighting sides. For me as a journalist and a human being, in that case the most important side was the third – that of the ordinary people, civilians, innocent victims of these conflicts. They never expected the disaster to enter their lives. The locals turned into military confrontation participants against their will. They experienced the most terrible things: their friends and relatives’ deaths, destroyed houses and ruined lives of thousands.

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