Back in the war

At the end of April, Yuri Kosin set off back home from Poland. He didn’t know what to expect in Irpin but knew it wouldn’t be the same. The region around Kyiv had been declared safe again — Russian troops had withdrawn from northern Ukraine, leaving horrific scenes behind. Just by Irpin is Bucha, where evidence of suspected war crimes has been found. Friends, neighbors and other artists tell Yuri Kosin what they’ve experienced. With his camera, the photographer documents the horrors of war in his home country. His pictures are a testimony to the brutal destruction, the interminable suffering, and people’s endeavors to live some kind of life within a nightmare. Photography of this nature is also open to interpretation. Images of war events, in particular war crimes, have directly impacted political action. The pictures form a basis for war strategies. Yuri Kosin considers both the opportunities and the risks posed by the power of images and discusses it with other artists. Filmmaker Andrzej Klamt accompanies photographer Yuri Kosin on his difficult homecoming back to Ukraine.