An exhibition by Oleksandr Korniakov, a photo reporter for the Vgoru Media Platform, travels the country once again as a part of the Travelling Docudays UA. The author presents 50 works, including 25 photos of rallies and protests, and another 25 photos of the everyday life of Khersonians during the occupation. Oleksandr shot his photos between 1 March and 10 August.

The rallies and resistance of Khersonians were seen by the whole world through the eyes of Oleksandr Korniakov, a photo reporter for the Vgoru Media Platform. His photos from peaceful rallies of resistance against the Russian occupation in Kherson were featured on the pages of the most prominent global media: Reuters, The Times, The Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera and many others.

The photo exhibition Kherson Undefeated in Cherkasy

Kherson Undefeated is a photo story about brave and fearless Khersonians longing for freedom, about their resistance against the Russian occupation which still continues.

“I could take photos openly only during rallies,” says the photographer Oleksandr Korniakov. “I could not dare to do it in the city. Because people were stopped even in the streets, had their papers checked. If they saw something they didn’t like, they detained you for interrogation, tortured you. The rest of the photos I took with my phone, covertly. I had to tell the world that Kherson is Ukraine, and Khersonians resist the occupiers.”

The photo exhibition Kherson Undefeated in Lutsk

The photo exhibition Kherson Undefeated in Ternopil

Oleksandr Korniakov started his career as a photo reporter in 2012. He came to work as a systems administrator for the Kherson news website pik.ua. There wasn’t that much work for the website administrator, and there were two photo cameras at the editorial office which nobody was using. So Oleksandr started going to events and taking photos for the website. Eventually photography became his interest, and he started taking photos professionally.

The exhibition Kherson Undefeated demonstrates historic moments of the resistance of peaceful city residents against armed Russian troops. These photos were taken in Kherson between 1 March and 10 August, the photographer says.

During the Travelling Docudays UA, the exhibition has already visited Cherkasy, Dnipro, Lutsk, Ternopil, and Lviv. It has been presented in a bomb shelter, lit by flashlights due to a blackout, and even bombings could not disrupt the organisers’ plans.

The photo exhibition Kherson Undefeated in Dnipro

The next cities where the exhibition will open:

6 December, Lviv, at 4:00 p.m., Science and Technology Library of the Lviv Polytechnic National University

8 December, Chornomorsk, at 4:00 p.m., Peace Avenue, 30.

9 December, Khmilnyk, at 4:00 p.m., Victory Square, 3.

10 December, Chortkiv, at 3:00 p.m., Green Street, 1.

12 December, Zaporizhia, at 4:00 p.m., Patriotic Street, 49.

The exhibition is organised in partnership by the Vgoru Media Platform and the Travelling Docudays UA.