Ukrainian photographer turns her soldiers’ mutilated bodies into beauty and respect

The society ukrainian faces the need to integrate thousands of seriously wounded combatants and, in turn, to receive contributions such as that of the photographer Martha Syrkowhich tries to underline the beauty of the soldiers despite their severed limbs or massive burns.

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A post shared by Marta Syrko (@martasyrko)

It was last year, in the Louvre Museum Parisian, when syrko he first had the idea to create a series of body portraits of wounded Ukrainian soldiers.

“I was impressed by classical sculptureswhich remain invaluable despite the fact that they are missing limbs or other body parts”explains to EFE in his study of an old industrial plant of Lviv.

The photographer28, considered the persistent courage of these soldiers, deserving of enormous respect, despite their life-changing injuries, worth noting.

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At first, I doubted whether it was appropriate to show the physical havoc of the war so heartbreakingly. He feared that it could be demoralizing and harm the mobilization of society. But the military friends he consulted approved of his initiative.

Martha SyrkoFascinated by the beauty of the human body, she photographs her models almost naked. It was not easy to find heroes willing to lend themselves to participate in this series.

“Our society is quite conservative regarding the nakedness. The military is especially secretive about it, especially in the middle of a war.”Explain.

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A post shared by Marta Syrko (@martasyrko)

He contributed to his task a first model, Oleksandr Teren, who enlisted in the army in the wake of the start of the Russian invasion. He returned with both legs amputated below the knees, after a shelling in the Kharkov region last August.

They met in December, in the midst of power cuts resulting from Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, he recalls. syrko. They had to work very quickly in their frigid studio.

Indeed, Oleksandr looks like a classical god statue in the photo, “powerful and fragile at the same time”as recognized by many of the 118,000 followers of the account of syrko On Instagram.

Reactions to the initiative have been more positive with each photo shoot, Syrko says.

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A post shared by Marta Syrko (@martasyrko)

Today, wounded soldiers are much more visible in the public eye and on the streets, where he encounters people who have had their limbs amputated on a daily basis. His reinstatementboth physical and psychologicallyIt’s still a challenge.

When syrko met its first soldiers with amputated limbs or disfigured facesshe felt so sorrowful that she could hardly speak to them.

This is the reaction she wants to help change, both in herself and in others.

“They don’t need our pity and pain. They need our support and encouragement to continue their lives. We have to help them carry a normal, active and social lifehe”, Explain.

syrko believes that this is possible if everyone contributes their grain of sand. The photo sessions have already made some feel more comfortable and have motivated them to lead a more active life.

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A post shared by Marta Syrko (@martasyrko)

The photographer they have also wanted to show that their bodies can be aesthetically pleasing.

As you scroll through photos of his latest and seventh model, Dmytro23 years old, who suffered fatal burns to 70% of his body in combatstops to comment on small details with tenderness.

Judging by the comments on Instagram, he manages to convey his vision to the public.

“Dmytro, you were a handsome man, and now you are just beautiful. Your body is a story of courage and indomitability”prays one of them.

Martha Syrko He has been working for the acceptance of the diversity of the human body for a long time. Be with portraits of elderly, overweight or disabled people.

It is dedicated to Photography since he was 15 years old, when his blind grandfather gave him a camera. The photographer allocates her income as a professional to finance her own artistic projects.

The war has had a great impact on her and her creative work, she says, showing the salt she has sprinkled on the wounds in the printouts of the portraits. “It is a way of remembering that, even if they heal well, the wounds never disappear.”

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.