At the entrance to the library there is a symbol of war – a car, dotted with shrapnel marks, in which the volunteers transport humanitarian aid to the frontline. This symbol starts the exhibition at Dnipropetrovsk Central City Library called “On the Line of Fire.” It is a charity event, hosted here at the initiative of the volunteers.
On display there are photographs and artifacts from the ATO zone, telling about the dramatic events in the eastern Ukraine. “We want to make people aware that the war still continues in their home country and that there, in Donbas, the guys sacrifice their lives so that here, in Dnepropetrovsk, we can live peacefully,” said Oleh Bykov, a volunteer of the “Army SOS” NGO at the press conference. The organization operates in several Ukrainian cities, and has its supporters among the Ukrainian diaspora abroad. Since January this year its branch has been operating in Dnipropetrovsk. “Army SOS” activists are mostly students who collect humanitarian aid and transfer it to the ATO zone. The geography of their travels is reflected in the sections of the photo exhibition – from Pisky and Avdiivka to Volnovakha and Shyrokyne.
The exhibition presents about 250 photographs, filmed by volunteers using mobile phone cameras. The photos are posted on a masking grid – on them there are dilapidated buildings and businesses, woes of civilians and the army routine of Ukrainian fighters. Plasma screens show video clips from the ATO zone. Additionally, the exhibition includes many “artifacts” of war. They are laid out over empty shell boxes, reinforcing the immersion effect and leaving a powerful impression – an explosion-wrecked road sign, a shot-through reproduction of a famous painting, charred children’s books and photographs found in the destroyed homes. Nearby are a splintered soldier’s helmet, shells of various calibers, including those of “Grad” and “Uragan” artillery systems, and even tubes of hand grenade launchers, embellished with Petrykivka painting – the Ukrainian fighters decorate them on their spare time. This is the war through the eyes of the “Army SOS” volunteers.
AMONG THE EXHIBITS ARE THE DOCUMENTS OF RUSSIAN SOLDIERS WHO WERE KILLED AT DONETSK AIRPORT THIS WINTER. VOLUNTEERS SAY THAT IN RETREAT, THE ENEMY TOOK AWAY ONLY THE BODIES OF THEIR COMMANDOS, AND LEFT BEHIND ON THE BATTLEFIELD EVERYTHING ELSE. FOLLOWING THE INFORMATION IN THESE DOCUMENTS, THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THE RELATIVES OF THE KILLED RUSSIANS
“All these things have been brought from the ATO zone by us. The ‘war metal’ was often given by the soldiers as souvenirs, in return for the food and clothing. For a long time these artifacts were in our stock, until we came up with the idea to organize this exhibition,” says Ihor Andriienko, volunteer.
“All these things have been brought from the ATO zone by us. The ‘war metal’ was often given by the soldiers as souvenirs, in return for the food and clothing. For a long time these artifacts were in our stock, until we came up with the idea to organize this exhibition,” says Ihor Andriienko, volunteer.
Among the most interesting exhibits are the documents of Russian soldiers who were killed at Donetsk airport this winter. Volunteers say that in retreat, the enemy took away only the bodies of their commandos, and left behind on the battlefield everything else. Following the information in these documents, the volunteers have tried to contact the relatives of the killed Russians through the Internet, offered them to take and bury the bodies. Some relatives responded to the offer, but none of them have arrived. “Through this exhibition we want to show people how painful and scary are the things that are going on in Donbas,” says Alina Mykhailova, volunteer.
The organizers estimate that in three days about 500 people have visited “On the Line of Fire” exhibition. “It is never empty here, people are coming in great numbers. The most visitors came here during the weekend. Schoolchildren are coming too. And there have even been some people who travelled by bicycles from another city,” says Tetiana Sahaidak, the guide. Tetiana is studying philology at Dnipropetrovsk National University. She had tried her hand at volunteering in the hospital and in “Dnipro Help” resettlement center, but ended up in the “Army SOS.” Together with her friends she collects the humanitarian aid for Ukrainian soldiers. She cuts and dries vegetables for preparing “dry borsch” – the product especially popular among ATO soldiers who are longing for the homemade food. “The parents would like to see us at home more often, but they treat our work with understanding,” says Tetiana.
Volunteers are proud to have rescued Ukrainian fighters more than once. “In Mariinka, the boys from 28th Brigade had their generator damaged by artillery. In just three hours we collected 20,000 hryvnias, bought a new generator and transported it to the front. We had to set it up under fire, but everything went well,” the volunteers say. Their four-wheeled friends – the cars that got their bullet and splinter marks on Donbas military roads – are called affectionately and humorously: “The Cheesecake,” “The Green Dragon,” “The Darling.” One of them stands at the entrance to the library. It happens that sometimes they need to transport uniforms for the killed soldiers to the frontline, in order to conduct a decent funeral – such is a grim reality of war. According to the volunteers, “On the Line of Fire” exhibition often draws powerful emotions among common people. Sometimes, elderly women and children cry. ATO soldiers come and thank the volunteers for showing the truth about the war.
Many visitors are reading the famous “Letter from the Front” by Ivan Sotnyk, soldier of “Donbas” battalion who was killed on May 2 during the shelling in Shyrokyne. In the hall, next to the sight inspection poster with the big “PTN PNH” letters, a present from Ukrainian fighters to the volunteers, there are transparent donation boxes, already filled with banknotes. The organizers say that the exhibition will carry on for a whole month. “Most likely, after that the display will travel to other Ukrainian cities, Kyiv in particular,” say the volunteers.
