NOVEMBER 3, 1963 — SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
59 YEARS, PHOTOGRAPHER
Volodymyr died with a camera in his hands. His final report survived on his camera, capturing the Ukrainian infantry's stand amidst a fierce, hours-long barrage from the enemy. This took place at the frontline near Kurdiumivka, in the Donetsk region.
He photographed the unbreakable, undefeated, and relentless defenders of Ukraine. "In their eyes, you can see everything they've been through," he would say.
Comrades recount how Volodymyr, known by the call sign 'John,' fearlessly lay before the trenches, photographing them as they crowded into the dugout, hastily filling their magazines with bullets.
That fatal night, Russian forces struck with precision drone drops, hitting Volodymyr and other soldiers. First, five were wounded, then more. John's injuries were believed to be the most severe. He didn’t survive to see the evening evacuation; his body lay on the battlefield for three days, unreachable under heavy fire.
Volodymyr was born in Reklynets, a village in the Lviv region, but was a U.S. citizen. In 2013, he returned to Ukraine to join the Revolution of Dignity. From 2014, he photographed heroes in the line of fire. On the frontlines, he became a kind of talisman, gifting every soldier he met with his photographs.
He made his way to the front without official permits because he loved the warriors and easily earned their trust. When necessary, he would pick up a weapon or take the wheel. Volodymyr joined combat as a volunteer more than once. He traveled across the entire front, never knowing fear or fatigue.
Shortly before his death, Volodymyr spoke of how families of the fallen would often reach out to him, seeking their loved ones' last photographs: "A few times, the only picture left to place on someone's grave was mine. I feel useful being there among them, and I’m proud of it."
