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
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
Tea time
Self-portrait of fear
Self-portrait of fear
Herbal tea
Herbal tea
Self-portrait
Self-portrait
Сoat hanger installation
Сoat hanger installation
Self-portrait with coat hangers
Self-portrait with coat hangers
Diary 16 April 2023
Diary 16 April 2023
Self-portrait in the mirrors
Self-portrait in the mirrors
Water bottles
Water bottles
Diary 25 April 2023
Diary 25 April 2023
Self-portrait in door mirror
Self-portrait in door mirror
Train corridor
Train corridor
Water boiler
Water boiler
Self-portrait in motion
Self-portrait in motion
Symmetry
Symmetry
Diary 19 November 2023
Diary 19 November 2023
Covering mirrors
Covering mirrors
Travel passport
Travel passport
Sister
Sister
Self portrait in baggage storage under the seat
Self portrait in baggage storage under the seat
Awards received: Neutral Density Photography Awards 2023 - Honorable mention, Fine Art: 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 Official Selection 2024, photo "Sister". State of the world 2024 (PX3, Paris), shortlisted project.  Fotografiska World Photography Day contest 2024, curator's choice, photo "Sister". 
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