INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
For the past year and a half, Russian journalist and photographer Victoria Ivleva has been documenting the impacts of the war in Ukraine on
said.Victoria Ivleva.Courtesy of the photographerFor Ivleva, who devoted her life to covering conflicts in the former Soviet republics,
said.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.MT: You have been staying in Ukraine since March 2022
Is it possible to get used to living under war?VI: There's this constant feeling within you that's different from ordinary life
In our day-to-day activities, we understand that life is finite, but we don't dwell on it much because everyone knows that one day, one
However, here, from time to time, you recall that this could happen to you at any moment
Even if you are young and full of energy
border and find yourself in another country that is not under shelling attacks
You cannot think about it constantly, but you always keep in mind that something could happen to you.Bakhmut
February 2023Victoria IvlevaWhat motivated you to move?The main motivation was not to leave Russia, but to be in Ukraine
I was not thinking about redemption, I was thinking about helping people somehow.Do you think you could return to Russia someday?Everything
in the world is possible, however, it would be unlikely [for me] to return while [Russian President Vladimir] Putin remains in power
I also have the thought that that wonderful Russian culture ultimately failed to protect anyone and did not shield people from the
atrocities committed by the invaders who entered Ukrainian territory
Of course, there are people against the war
Some people are still fearless
But we see how people are all being destroyed and expelled from the country
personally?Is it challenging for me to work? There's something that truly restrains me
If someone tells me I can't be somewhere, I tend to step back and not insist, contrary to what most journalists would do
I am prepared for the possibility that any Ukrainian might approach me and express disdain, no matter all the efforts I've made
It has never happened, but I'm mentally prepared for it, and so I act without pressuring anyone, more often than not
Sometimes, it's hard for me to assert my rights as a journalist and demand what I'm entitled to
This empathy I have always helps me to remain connected and engaged
It's crucial to be open and warm towards people.You were one of the few photographers who documented the lives of Russian prisoners who are
being held in camps in Ukraine
own, then they will go for a ride on a tank
in need of assistance.I perhaps could have done more
There's always something [to do] every day
It's either fundraising, transferring funds for various charities, aiding families wishing to depart from the occupied territories via
It's about assisting someone in finding medical care, helping secure housing, or even finding a lost pet
All this has become a part of my everyday life.
