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One year ago, in the early hours of the morning, Ukraine saw the end of a peaceful existence, and threat to end their existence as a sovereign nation entirely. Lone border guards were among the first casualties, as the tanks rolled in and the missiles were launched in what Putin had wagered to be a three-day conquest. I am so glad that Russia had quietly become a kleptocracy, and their delusions of success could not be realized against the impassioned and skilled Ukrainian people.
As I sit here contemplating the past year, I am reminded of the kindness of friends, family, and strangers alike who helped our early efforts to support the influx if refugees here in Bulgaria. And I thank those who continue to support our efforts in sending aid to Ukraine. My thankfulness extended to many of the world’s governments, who are stepping up send tanks and long-range weapons to Ukraine. Without this help, Russia would have quickly expanded it’s borders and would not have stopped.
With the bravery of the Ukrainian people, and also the International Legion of foreign soldiers, and all the humanitarian aid workers within the country, Ukraine is on a path to recovery everything. The vast majority of the population say that there should be no territory lost, and I agree. The world is at war with Russia via Ukraine, and Russia will lose.
A few days ago, Putin made a long-winded speech. A few days before that, Russia failed in test-launching a RS-28 Sarmat ICBM. I believe Putin had intended to highlight a successful launch in his speech. Instead, his words echoed the frustration of failures in the military in Ukraine. Those failures continue, with the most modest territorial gains costing many thousands of lives and countless military assets.
As Russia runs short of military resources, Iran and now China are allegedly providing aid. I wouldn’t be surprised if North Korea is doing the same. Allegiances are being made across the world, and Russian natural resources are no longer required by Europe. Just today, the US, Australia and New Zealand announced new sanctions against Russia. The world continues to isolate the once-powerful tyrant who now must rely on the few strong allies it has – all of them non-democratic despotic nations.
I am confident that Ukraine will never give up this fight, and it will end with the destabilization of the Russian Federation. Poland is willing to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, and the first Leopard 2 tanks have arrived on Ukrainian soil. Ukraine will win, that much is a certainty. There’s still a lot of unknowns, however. How long and how many lives will it take? What happens when Russia loses? Remember that China and Russia share a very large border… in a destabilized Russia, would a country like China simply respect all previous international borders? The world is at the largest potential turning point in my generation.
And maybe the world needs a turning point for the better - with the climate crisis and geopolitics, a whole and sovereign Ukraine is the keystone of the next phase of international cooperation. It’s proof that much of the world can come together for a common goal. Beyond borders, continents, language and religion, the world can become aligned with democracy. That’s a scary thought for the despots of the world, and as it should be.
This image is taken with a snowdrop flower, turned upside down (as the flower usually droops downward – in this image it’s facing up). This isn’t a water droplet, but rather a gel-based “water pearl” that absorbs water and maintains a spherical shape. Like a mini crystal ball, it refracts what is behind it – and also stays spherical at much larger sizes than a water droplet. I made a print of the Ukrainian Coat of Arms to place in behind. I dedicate this image to the Public Domain – use it for any purpose you wish, no constraints or obligations.
Слава україні. The only way to peace is through victory. Victory will only be possible because of the heroes fighting for it. Героям слава! May this year of fighting and sacrifice be seen by the world as a beacon of hope.
Warszawa, Poland
Spring
Large crowds gathered to protest the war at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw last night ahead of President Bidens arrival. Its not very often that I am so moved to tears, but last night definitely did. 🇺🇦
Links to all of my work. Instagram. Website. Behance. linktr.ee/ewitsoe
Shallow Depth Of Field Shot 😊 with the Minolta Rokkor F1:1.2 lens. 1964 Kiev 4 all in working condition and I hazard a guess with the original 1964 lens.
The Never-Ready case inscription reads Tretjak, I wonder if it used to belong to Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, the former goaltender for the (CCCP) Soviet Union national ice hockey team. They played games in Edmonton in 1984.
camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Kiev_4
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Today, at 5 am, Russia declared war on Ukraine. Russia has launched missile strikes throughout Ukraine. And continues to advance. We remain strong and will defend our country and our freedom. Be strong and all of you, because Russia has attacked not only Ukraine, but the entire civilized world. #war #russiakills #saveukraine
If you want to help Ukraine:
Ukrainian Warriors by Daniel Arrhakis (2022)
With the music : Audiomachine - Guardians at the Gate (GRV Extended RMX)
My tribute to the heroes who are fighting at this moment with all their strength and soul to defend their country against the barbaric invasion of Russia... they are the true Ukrainian Warriors!
Work made with photos of mine and stock images. Monastery Of Odivelas and background from Sintra. Warrior from sculptures, heraldic elements recreated for this work.
God Save Ukraine !
The news is a constant stream of atrocities and war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. There is no other war in history where so many criminal, murderous, reckless and senseless acts have been so well documented and immediately shared with the world. I often feel like we all have a front-row seat to the most terrifying events in our lives and yet are powerless to do anything to help. This message is a further reminder that we are all not powerless.
We can all work together to help. We can create artwork, attend rallies, write to politicians, donate our time or money, and some truly heroic individuals head straight for the war to take up arms or deliver humanitarian aid while risking their own life. I am not that brave, but we are doing everything we can here to help.
This week we delivered four car-loads of groceries, supplies, toys, medicine, and general aid to the refugee effort here in Varna, Bulgaria. There are two centres open now, partly due to the main sports complex requiring a scaled back operation as they resume their normal activities. We’ll continue bringing supplies, and we are incredibly grateful to all those that have donated for this effort.
This image took a few missteps but finally was completed today. The concept was to get blue and yellow fluorescing ink in the center of a gerbera daisy, which has a very similar resemblance to a small sunflower (and we have some novelty sunflower seeds on order for more images). The first attempt was using highlighter ink, but the blue ink did not fluoresce. The second attempt was using fluorescent tempera paint, but still the blue did not fluoresce. Today we visited a specialty art store and they had what I needed, though it felt odd walking around shining a UV flashlight on their product offerings. The daisy is illuminated with a Convoy S2 UV flashlight after carefully painting the center of the flower with the two colours. Yellow fluorescence tends to be a bit yellow-green, so this needed to be adjusted in editing to properly emulate the Ukrainian colours.
“Peace” talks may continue, but Putin has showcased his complete disregard for any agreements, treaties, humanitarian corridors, international law, and more. The longer this war continues, the more I realize that there really is no negotiating with the devil. NATO and other allied nations need to find a way to remove Putin from power without creating an existential threat for Russia, and threading such a needle is damn near impossible. I’m certain that the most brilliant military minds in the world are working on this, but here we still sit, watching in horror of the daily crimes against humanity. I fear we will become numb to this in time, but should not simply be complacent regarding our own safety or the lives of other human beings just like us. Please, write to your politicians about your thoughts. Tell them to take action, whether it be increasingly harsh sanctions or military involvement. We all must do more to stop this brutal genocide.
This daisy was bedraggled and bruised, but shining brightly. Just like the heroes in Ukraine. Their hearts are filled with their freedom, and they will fight to their last breath. And like all images in this series, I deliberately enter it into the Public Domain so anyone can use it for any purpose without crediting me or any license required. Just another way to support the cause – and there is always more to do.
In 2023 Ukraine passed legislation moving its official Christmas holiday to December 25, further distancing itself from the traditions of the Putin-aligned Russian Orthodox Church, which celebrates the holiday on January 7.
I wish you a merry and joyous Christmas! Bazhayu vam veseloho ta radisnoho Rizdva!