Ukrainian Photographer Marta Syrko Portrays War Veterans Confronting Death

Berfin Ceren Meray
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In a quest to reshape perceptions around disability in Ukraine, 28-year-old photographer Marta Syrko from Lviv focuses her lens on war veterans facing the harsh realities of life after conflict. Through her compelling 'Heykel series,' she sheds new light on soldiers, presenting them in a unique and artistic perspective that challenges societal perspectives on disability and war.

Ukrainian photographer Marta Syrko vividly remembers the day she first set foot in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

As she walked through the gallery of ancient artifacts, she was captivated by the classical sculptures from ancient Greece and Rome. In an interview with Euronews Culture, she remarked on the missing parts of some sculptures, emphasizing their priceless nature, drawing parallels to the fragility of human beings.

Syrko explores this philosophy in her latest project titled the "Heykel series."

This intimate photo set portrays soldiers and civilians injured in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Posed almost naked, vulnerably draped in delicately crumpled white sheets, these individuals reveal their war wounds, reminiscent of the sculptures Syrko admired at the Louvre.

Using light and shadows to create an ambiance akin to a dream or another era, Syrko's portrayal is far from fantasy.

The harsh reality is that an increasing number of young Ukrainians return from the warfront shattered, prompting Ukraine as a nation to consider radical changes for them to lead dignified lives.

Inspired to initiate this series after witnessing a growing number of disabled youths on the streets since Russia's extensive occupation last year, Syrko, hailing from Lviv in western Ukraine, began the project.

Accessibility for disabled individuals was already a nationwide issue even before the war.

Ukrainian officials have refrained from disclosing official figures to keep morale high.

This taboo added to Syrko's concerns about creating a photo series on injured soldiers while the war continues.

Spending significant time talking to her subjects, whom she refers to as "my heroes," Syrko aimed to make them comfortable standing before the camera, especially during moments when they felt embarrassed about posing partially nude.

Sharing her photos on her Instagram account, Syrko was astonished by the overwhelming support she received.

She didn't expect such support, especially for her last subject, whose skin was 70% burned, nearly facing death. People sent messages and supportive gifts.

Syrko conveys two messages through her Heykel Series—one for Europeans, reminding them that the war persists, and another for Ukrainians, emphasizing unity and inclusivity, especially concerning war-affected individuals' diversity.

For Ukraine, this series delivers a message about unity and inclusivity.

Syrko believes that almost everyone in her country has relatives or friends connected to the war. Recognizing it as a collective issue, she envisions getting accustomed to it and finding ways to integrate disabled individuals into a more normalized social life.