They Were Not Soldiers

This curated project shares photographs and personal perspectives from the Ukrainian front lines, focusing on the lived experiences of those often reduced to a single label. Through their own images, it explores how fathers, daughters, and ordinary people cope, survive, and hold onto humanity in extraordinary circumstances.

Commander Serhii Kashyrin, 117 Heavy Mechanized Brigade: Gimli Division

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Before the war, I worked as a truck driver across Europe for five years. When the full-scale invasion began, I was in France. I returned through Poland, left my job, and drove my own car from Kraków to Chernihiv — passing through Kyiv as the assault was already underway. Thank God, I made it to my family. I first volunteered, then joined the army. — Serhii “Gimli” Kashyrin