Documentary photographer Alexander Glyadyelov captures chaos and destruction in Ukraine
Alexander Glyadyelov: Gathering Darkness at the Polygon features images taken largely in March and April of 2022, as Russia’s war rages
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Alexander Glyadyelov.
Ever since the very first sound of bombings in Ukraine following Russia’s February 24 declaration of war against the peaceful nation, esteemed Ukranian documentary photographer Alexander Glyadyelov has been capturing the constant tensions that suddenly and brutally began to define everyday life for citizens and residents.
Quietude and chaos, life and death, home and hell: Glyadyelov has shot hundreds of images on film, processed at night in Kyiv.
Alexander Glyadyelov: Gathering Darkness, now on at the Polygon Gallery, consists of images taken largely in March and April of 2022.
Early photos capture the destruction of familiar infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and the ensuing erasure of stability and daily routines. Citizens are seen evacuating the city of Irpin, trying to protect their most vulnerable as soldiers and civilians alike arm themselves for battle. As the war rages on, walls are sheared off buildings, exposing private spaces to open air. Homes are abandoned. Pets are left behind or carried in lieu of other essentials.
On April 1, Russian forces withdrew from the cities around Kyiv: Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel, and Borodyanka. In the wake of their occupation, they left horrors: destroyed homes; ruined cities; hundreds of dead Ukrainians shot, raped, starved, or burned. Glyadyelov records these atrocities unsparingly, conveying them with an immediacy and familiarity not seen in media coverage.
Alexander Glyadyelov.
Born in Legnitz, Poland, Glyadyelov has a career spanning more than three decades. Collaborating regularly with numerous international humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, he highlights acute social problems and military conflicts. He is the laureate of the highest state prize of Ukraine for works of culture and arts, the Shevchenko National Prize (for the project Carousel) and has earned numerous other honours, including the Hasselblad Prize (1998).
His powerful documentation bears witness to what is unfolding and to the resolve of the Ukrainian people, who are holding onto hope despite the atrocities inflicted on them.
Gladyelov has been documenting Russia’s military aggression toward Ukraine since 2014.
Alexander Glyadyelov: Gathering Darkness runs at the Polygon Gallery (101 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver) until July 3.
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More information about Alexander Glyadyelov: Gathering Darkness is at The Polygon.
Alexander Glyadyelov.
Post sponsored by The Polygon Gallery.