Ukraine’s Children In Russia

• Photographer
  Polina Soyref
• Technical Info
  Camera: Mamiya 6, Film: Kodak Portra 400, Fujifilm Pro 400h
• Photo Date
  August 2023

With the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine, more than 3.5 million refugees arrived in Russia in 2022. More than 500 thousand of them were children. On the territory of Russia, there are, according to various estimates, from 600 to 800 temporary accommodation points where evacuees live. Usually, these are soviet-era sanatoriums. Families that cannot move to permanent housing live in TAPs for a year or more. Small organizations of volunteers organize summer camps for the children living there. As they say, because children should have a childhood. Because they are children, not refugees.

Polina Soyref is a photographer, born in Russia and currently living and working there. In her pictures, she explores the relationship between people and their experiences, the environment, time, and memory. She works mostly with film and combines documentary and fine art photography. She also works in the field of social journalism.