Editorial: Photo Essay / Story (PROFESSIONAL) - HONORABLE MENTION
Maidan, More Than Life and Death

Photo © Joe O'Brien
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The Euromaidan protests first came to my attention on 22nd January 2014, after seeing the news coverage of clashes between protesters and police on Hrushevskoho Street and reports of the deaths of Serhiy Nigoyan and Mikhail Zhiznevsky.
I wanted to follow the coverage of the protests at length, to understand why people were taking to the streets and being killed.
However, I struggled to find extensive coverage on national and international news networks.
After arriving in kyiv at the beginning of February 2014 I attempted to understand why people were protesting, their motivations were different, but they crossed at a perfect moment in time, creating a common force. The main square, 'Maidan' became a symbol, a point of focus for the collective of disgruntled individuals from all areas of the Ukrainian societal spectrum; empowering them to fight for their beliefs. Was it about whether not to give a bribe in a kindergarten or hospital, or about their freedom of speech?
People risked their lives, often losing them for an idea; and as it was said on Maidan, 'nothing will stop an idea, the time of which has arrived.'
In 2017 I had a solo exhibition of my project 'Maidan, More Than Life and Death' at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine and released a book of the same name.
My current project 'Divided Lines, Catalonia' is ongoing.
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The Euromaidan protests first came to my attention on 22nd January 2014, after seeing the news coverage of clashes between protesters and police on Hrushevskoho Street and reports of the deaths of Serhiy Nigoyan and Mikhail Zhiznevsky.
I wanted to follow the coverage of the protests at length, to understand why people were taking to the streets and being killed.
However, I struggled to find extensive coverage on national and international news networks.
After arriving in kyiv at the beginning of February 2014 I attempted to understand why people were protesting, their motivations were different, but they crossed at a perfect moment in time, creating a common force. The main square, 'Maidan' became a symbol, a point of focus for the collective of disgruntled individuals from all areas of the Ukrainian societal spectrum; empowering them to fight for their beliefs. Was it about whether not to give a bribe in a kindergarten or hospital, or about their freedom of speech?
People risked their lives, often losing them for an idea; and as it was said on Maidan, 'nothing will stop an idea, the time of which has arrived.'
About author:
I am a photographer based in the UK. I worked as a freelance photojournalist from 2010, mainly covering protests, riots and demonstrations in London, the south east of England and Spain. At the beginning of February 2014 I travelled to Kyiv in Ukraine to photograph the Euromaidan protests. I photographed life on the barricades and in the protest camp, Maidan. I witnessed and photographed the events of 18th, 19th and 20th of February, from when the government of President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown, continuing through the fragile days of coalition, post revolution, leading up to the Presidential and Mayoral elections in May 2014. In addition, the dismantling of Maidan and the Independence Day celebrations in August 2014 were extensively recorded.Living through a revolution and documenting the changes and struggles of a city still coming to terms with the events of February 2014, the annexation of Crimea, whilst living through conflict in the east of the country is an ongoing project, to be revisited over the coming years.I am currently working on a long term project, documenting the reach of the Soviet Union around the world. I visited 'Piramiden' in the Norwegian Arctic, a Soviet mining settlement, abandoned at the break-up of the Soviet Union, now being maintained as if a memorial to the past.In 2016 I photographed in Ireland during its centenary commemorations of the 'Easter Uprising' against British rule and documented life in Armenia and the 25 year Independence commemorations.In 2017 I had a solo exhibition of my project 'Maidan, More Than Life and Death' at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine and released a book of the same name.
My current project 'Divided Lines, Catalonia' is ongoing.
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