2023
"Midnight Express" is an image/text documentary project chronicling my nocturnal voyages on trains number 023/024 between Kyiv and Chelm (Poland) in 2023.
Having never experienced evacuation from Ukraine, my journey began in April 2023 when I purchased my inaugural ticket for a train crossing borders. This narrative revolves around my individual encounters, phobias, and emotions amidst the backdrop of wartime travels. Despite initial trepidation, including fear of confined spaces and other anxieties, I ventured into photography during my travels and maintained a travel journal.
Over subsequent journeys, my anxiety waned, leading me to contemplate ways to enhance the process of documenting the train's environment. Thus, I started to bring my own source of light and diligently worked each night during my train sojourns. I captured scenes of empty cars while fellow passengers slumbered, took self-portraits, and penned down my feelings in my diary.
Totally I took 8 trains between Ukraine and Poland in 2023. The archive of my project contains over 100 photographs in 8 different trains of the same destination. Every journey has a written diary where I describe my feelings, thoughts, my dialogs and dialogs of other passengers.
From the travel diaries:
"16th April 2023.
023K Train, 4 Car, 35 Place
023K Train, 4 Car, 35 Place
Who am I? It has been 3 years since last time I traveled abroad. Covid-19. Then the war. I was afraid to leave my city, my country. What happened to me? I take the train 023K to Poland for the first time. Now I have a feeling that I am learning to travel like for the first time in my life..."
Tea time
Self-portrait of fear
Herbal tea
Self-portrait
Сoat hanger installation
Self-portrait with coat hangers
Diary 16 April 2023
Self-portrait in the mirrors
Water bottles
Diary 25 April 2023
Self-portrait in door mirror
Train corridor
Water boiler
Self-portrait in motion
Symmetry
Diary 19 November 2023
Covering mirrors
Travel passport
Sister
Self portrait in baggage storage under the seat
Awards received: Neutral Density Photography Awards 2024 - 2nd Place (Silver Star) in Professional category: Editorial, Other. 22nd Julia Margaret Cameron Award 2024- Winner, Documentary and Reportage Pro Series category. IWPA & TAF Photography Challenge 2024 for Women Photographers, Preselected project. IPA One Shot - Searching for Peace Curator Selection 2024, photo "Sister". State of the world 2024 (PX3, Paris), shortlisted project. Fotografiska World Photography Day contest 2024, curator's choice, photo "Sister".