After so many wars, you’d think there’s little else a photographer could do to create thought-provoking images. Ones which prompt your thoughts to look beyond the subject matter. With over 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers and militia volunteers killed since 2014, there are many varied and tragic stories to tell about those who’ve died.
Wanting to create a project dedicated to families who lost their loved ones in war, photographer Igor Efimov created the project “Faces of Memory.” “This project and exhibition is The pictures show their wives, parents, children. All of them are photographed in a military uniform. It is one for everyone as a symbol of the common loss for the country, because the tragedy touched both relatives, friends, and neighbors; it is a trauma that unites the entire Ukrainian people. The military uniform also serves as a reminder that the war is still going on.” Link to The Bird in Flight website for more photos and details about the project.
For me, I’m struck by the moving simplicity of the photos. Mothers, wives and children, united by the wearing of the same military jacket. Usually, the first thing you notice about a soldier is his or her uniform. Here the first thing we notice about the photos is people wearing a uniform. A uniform with stories to tell.
