You know, sometimes it's funny.

For instance, someone tells me: these are non-typical war photos. They don't reflect war at all. At the start, I'll admit openly, I used to be slightly taken aback. Now I know, there is no chance of proving anything to a “sofa expert”. So I quietly say nothing. I never argue with “experts”, especially those sofa ones.

War is not a TikTok reel.

In principle, war is a rather boring thing, consisting of a big part of everyday routine and endless waiting. When a soldier returns from the positions, routine, everyday tasks, take up a very large portion of time there. When time is left from all of those things, the soldier rests. Well, as much as conditions allow. I won't speak today about the fighting at the front, you understand it all yourselves.

War is terrible, brutal, dirty, and merciless. At the same time, war is full of love and warmth. Incompatible? Oh no, they go together just fine. In war, without love and warmth, and in the end, care, you would barely survive.

By the way, more about non-war photos. This soldier in the photo drove his brothers-in-arms into the night, to the positions, for months on end. What that means, I experienced for myself, riding with him. When you mouth prayers and pray that not tonight, not at you. He has, by the way, been recognised with a high decoration for his courage and irreproachable service to his homeland.

Interestingly, when the decoration was brought to the combat zone and presented to him by the deputy commander, I was nearby, in the next room, and yet, I didn't even notice. The whole thing lasted not even a few minutes, probably even less. No pomp, bare wartime routine. I learned, he had been decorated from others; I never saw the decoration itself. A real soldier, that's what he's like. 

Quiet and modest.

NOT WAR PHOTOS, you say?

I thank the Media Support Fund (MRF) for supporting the post series “War in Ukraine: The Gap Between the Military and Society”