"A Picnic in the Shadow of War"

While the war in Eastern Ukraine is old news by 2019, it is relevant to note the effect of the war on the individual members in society. To focus on such a granular level of the individual in society is imperative to maintain one’s empathy and support for those going through struggle across the globe. It is easy to shut off one’s emotions to turmoil happening thousands of miles away, but somehow through the image taken by the author, I find it pertinent to highlight the sweet and comforting relationships that existed before any turmoil started. The author notes that these “quiet” moments captured before the war are the most impactful as images of the frontline in Donetsk dominate the news. The author/photographer note that the effect war has on a region is polarizing in terms of political ideologies as well as friendships and familial relationships. The once mundane daily life is interrupted by the peppering of artillery in the distance, and towns that were previously noted as communities become uninhabitable. The picture emphasizes that “conflict is often presented with the most dramatic imagery, condensed into a story that's part of a news cycle. But as you experience it, it's much more spread out, over long periods in which there is nothing happening - and in which Life goes on”. The peace exemplified in the picture between the two ladies indicates a simpler time to be alive in Eastern Ukraine and the author ends the article wondering if their lives had been directly affected by Russian-occupation. Sometimes beauty exists in the granularity of life and this picture exemplifies the beauty available in those unacknowledged fleeting moments of peace.
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