Cold as Weapon

In the regions of Ukraine that are close to the battle front, the destruction is enormous and the situation continues to look hopeless. The power supply is almost paralysed as a result of the shelling. The icy cold, captured by Emile Ducke in his pictures, is almost tangible; and yet it is unimaginable. It runs like a common thread through his series, which depicts how people improvise on a daily basis, trying to adapt in what was once their home and is now a hostile environment.

Even before the war, Ducke spent time travelling in Ukraine, documenting daily life there: "My work is always about telling stories about the realities of life in Eastern Europe," he explains. Against the backdrop of the war, his images represent important contemporary testimonials. Since the start of the war, the photographer has travelled to the country regularly, mastering the balancing act of telling the stories of the inhabitants, while living with the risk of working so close to the battle front.