Alena Grom says, ""I live in Bucha and work in Irpin. After the Russian occupation, these cities were destroyed. The military landscape has become my reality and routine. Every day I see people who are restoring their cities, their personal lives from the ruins and looking into the future. I created a series of photographs ('Stolen Spring') in a historical dialogue with images by Polish photographer Michael Nash, who captured how the photographer used a decorative backdrop to mask the ruins of Warsaw during World War II in 1945-1946. The heroes of my photographs are women who became victims of Russian aggression.

The occupation continued in the spring, people who survived this tragic period did not notice how spring passed, how chestnuts and lilies of the valley bloomed, birds flew in. They were deprived not only of their homes, loved ones, work, health, but also part of their lives. IDPs from Donbass and Crimea have a second tragic spring. A stolen spring is a stolen life. Each photo is a personal tragedy, but it is also a life-affirming story of a survivor, a hope that Ukraine will rise from the ruins." 

Ukrainian artist and documentary photographer Alena Grom was born in Donetsk. In April 2014, she was compelled to leave her hometown due to the military conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Since 2017, she has resided in Bucha, a town near Kyiv. Following the full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022, Grom and her family became refugees for a second time but returned after Bucha was
These experiences have profoundly influenced her artistic practice.

Photography has served as a lifeline for her, allowing her to confront the traumatic realities of war. Since 2016, Alena Grom has centered her work on locations affected by military aggression, capturing the lives of war victims, migrants, refugees, and
Grom operates at the confluence of social reporting and conceptual photography, often working on her themes from the front lines. She perceives her “mission” as documenting the lives of individuals caught in the “gray zones” or near military conflicts. Through her photographs, she aims to inform the global community about the complexities of wartime life.
Importantly, her images do not exist merely as illustrations of sorrow or grief. One of her primary themes is the persistence of life amidst adversity.

Grom says, "The heroines of my photographs are women who have become victims of Russian aggression. They have lost not only their homes, loved ones, jobs, and health but also parts of their lives. One of them, Alena, a resident of Irpin, spent the first weeks in her city. She witnessed how the Russian troops attacked Irpin, and she saw neighbors and loved ones get injured. Under bombardment, she left the city on foot with her son and her mother in a wheelchair. After the de-occupation, Alena returned home with her family and saw that their city was destroyed. By the time of liberation, 1,000 buildings had been damaged in Irpin, which accounts for 71% of the city's buildings. Alena's house was also damaged during the fighting.
The woman stands amidst the ruins of a house in her hometown, symbolizing not only physical destruction but also the profound loss that she and other residents of Irpin will have to confront. These ruins embody shattered destinies and irreparable losses, and despite the horrors of war, Alena becomes a symbol of resilience and courage. This image serves as a reminder of the importance of memory, restoration, and the necessity of preserving human dignity and hope for a better future.

www.alenagrom.com
www.instagram.com/grom_alena/


L.A. Photo Curator Top Images/2024
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