#StandWithUkraine photo exhibition by journalists from North Macedonia on display in Pristina

Kristina Atovska

For three months, from April to June 2022, Kristina Atovska non-stop documented the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She is the only journalist from North Macedonia who came to our country to cover the full-scale war. The reporter filmed terrible crimes against the civilian population, and after returning to Skopje, she organized a photo exhibition called #StandWithUkraine.

Initially, the pictures were exhibited in North Macedonia and Albania. Last week, they moved to the capital of Kosovo, Pristina, with the help of the KultPlus company and the representative of the diplomatic corps of the World Jewish Congress, Florian Zevi. The exhibition opened at the Gallery Cafe next to the newsroom. Several photos were presented to the audience, and the trailer of the documentary Lullaby Sirens by Kristina Atovska, shot in Ukraine, was shown.

Kristina Atovska admitted that she decided to go to Ukraine immediately as soon as she learned about the beginning of the bombing of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

“I understand that what is happening now in Ukraine is very important for Ukrainians and all of us. Therefore, she decided to go to Ukraine and make reports from there. Of course, there were many obstacles in my way. But I overcame them and did what I had to do, the journalist said.

Many distinguished guests attended the presentation, including the Ambassador of North Macedonia to Kosovo, Shpresa Jusufi. After viewing the photos, she admitted that what she saw touched her for life. After all, almost a quarter of a century ago, her homeland also survived the armed conflict that arose in the Balkans as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Ukrainian journalists in Pristina, as part of the professional protection Journalists-in-Residence Programme in Kosovo, were also invited to the exhibition’s opening. They stood for a long time next to each picture, looking at the destroyed buildings and people’s faces. Oksana Chykanchi, a resident of Kropyvnytskyi, could not contain her emotions after seeing a photo of the Barabashovo Market in Kharkiv after the bombing.

“My son’s family lives in Kharkiv, and we often went shopping in this area. Now there are ruins here, she comments.”

Maryna Zhyvotkova, the editor of Silski Novyny from the Luhansk Region, spent two months in the occupation. She says that during the search of her home, Russian special services found and seized evidence of a “terrible crime” “an embroidered shirt, a gift from her grandmother.

“No matter how I persuaded them, they did not leave my grandmother’s embroidered shirt,” says the journalist. She came to the opening in a different embroidered dress that her Ukrainian compatriots gave to Pristina….”

Ten-year-old schoolgirl Iora Yashichi surprised the audience: she handed Kristina Atovska a portrait of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, drawn by herself with a pencil. The author of these lines presented a souvenir with a Petrikyvskyi painting to a colleague from North Macedonia. They agreed to meet in Ukraine after the victory.

It is symbolic that the exposition was opened on the day Jews celebrate Passover in memory of how Moses led the Jews out of Egyptian captivity. Visitors were treated to matzah and wine, and toasts were raised to the victory of Ukraine.

“In these dark times of war, which are raging in Europe, unity becomes necessary. This exhibition and film are our way of showing support for the Ukrainian people. We want to inspire everyone to support Ukrainians in every possible way,” Florian Zevi, one of the exhibition’s organizers, said at the end.

Liudmyla Makei, Pristina

Photo: KultPlus.com’s Facebook page