At the end of February 2022 two young Brand Managers from Kyiv - Dmytro Zubkov and Artem Skorokhodko, found themselves sheltering from Russian bombs in the basement of their newly opened pizzeria. Surrounded by strangers, also looking for refuge, two dogs and some friends, they decided to turn their restaurant into a charity kitchen for those in need. Their premises quickly turned into a full-blown volunteer centre and the reach of their help has spread to the nearby villages.
Having befriended local children from recently liberated villages, the idea for a photo project, later called Behind Blue Eyes, came naturally - alongside toys and colouring books local kids were offered disposable cameras, which they were free to use, as they please, to capture their everyday lives and show the rest of the world what growing up during wartime is like - the portraits of friends and pictures of flowers and pets comfortably coexist with images of destroyed houses, burnt military equipment and rocket shells. Each of the shots, at times illuminated or defocused, tells a story. Artem explains:
“It seems that when you look at these photos, you understand that children perceive everything differently. There is no tragedy there, they cope with it. It forces me to rethink my vision and attitude toward some things. It is what I would exactly like to transmit.”
This exhibition includes the works by nine children from Lukashivka, a village near the city of Chernihiv, which survived World War II, but was all but destroyed in 2022 as a result of Russian occupation. The photos present children’s untouched candid accounts of life after liberation.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Unwind and get creative at Dovecot's Sip and Stitched evening! Plus, you'll have the opportunity to explore our inspiring exhibition, Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art.
READ MORENational Galleries of Scotland is kicking off the 250th birthday of much-loved artist, Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), with a once-in-a-lifetime, free exhibition!
READ MORECelebrated historian, Dr Alistair Moffat MBE presents an enlightening overview of The Great Tapestry of Scotland along with a special book signing and entry to the exhibition Stitched!
READ MOREThe Way of the Cross is an exhibition of photographs by Stephen Deazley, charting graffitied crosses in Scottish cities. Catch it at Upright Gallery from 22nd to 26th January!
READ MOREJoin us at the Institut français d'Ecosse on 25th & 26th January for this video installation by Donald Sinclair, featuring two films focussing on creative life in contemporary cities!
READ MOREAre you planning your wedding in Scotland and looking for the best Edinburgh wedding suppliers? Then come along to The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition, one of the largest wedding shows in Scotland!
READ MOREPostcards for Perec - Two Hundred and Forty-Three Postcards in Real Colour is a travelling exhibition curated by alum Linda Parr and you can see it at the Institut français d'Ecosse in February!
READ MOREDiscover this groundbreaking exhibition in partnership with the Fleming Collection, which for the first time showcases the Scottish Colourists in the context of their European contemporaries.
READ MOREJerwood Survey, a major biennial touring exhibition that presents new commissions by 10 early-career artists from across the UK, is showing at Collective Edinburgh from 28th February!
READ MORE