Mine shrapnel pieces found on the Putilovsky viaduct in Donetsk. Heavy fightings took place here in winter 2014 - 2015. All these pieces were picked up from 1 square meter (10 sq.ft.) and a vast of them are still spread along the roadside. July, 2019

Children jumping and playing on Pushkin Boulevard in the center of Donetsk at sunset. This area always used to be the main area of recreational and social activity especially in summer. June, 2019

Street fashion in Donetsk: two young ladies on Pushkin Boulevard at sunset. June, 2019

Vladimir is holding his son standing in the kitchen while his wife Helen is cooking a meal for the baby. They are the members a typical family of 5 living in a typical apartment in the district of Donetsk that lays within 15-minute car ride from the DPR Militia positions. Artillery shells explosions could have been heard here at least almost every night and almost every early morning since 2014. The print on Helen's T-shirt reproduces the inscription on the doors of the Moscow metro: "Don't lean in". June, 2019

Helen is bathing her younger son while a black cat came to socialize. They are the members a typical family of 5 living in a typical apartment in the district of Donetsk that lays within 15-minute car ride from the DPR Militia positions. Artillery shells explosions could have been heard here at least almost every night and almost every early morning since 2014. June, 2019

A 17-year-old teenager Anton is sitting down in a lower combat stance near the locker room door of a sports facility in a suburb of Donetsk as he warms up and sets up for the fight in a martial arts competition. Suburbs of Donetsk. June, 2019

Two teenagers of 13 and 17 years old looking over the city panorama from the roof of an abandoned construction site in Donetsk while devastated Donetsk airport terminal can be seen in the haze. June, 2019

Anton's stepmother Helen has to have a talk on the subject of his visiting an abandoned construction site. June, 2019

Women are celebrating 1-year birthday of Helen's (right) son. Her husband could not come to the party due to his service in the DPR Militia on the front. Other grown-up women are either divorced or widows. June, 2019

Vladimir, Anton's father, is posing at home next to the photo of the platoon of DPR Militia that he serves in. February, 2020

An abandoned construction site partly wrecked by the shellings lead by armed formations of the Ukraine in 2014-2016. Kievskiy Prospect, Donetsk (DPR). June, 2019

A metal sign at a former TNT Express terminal with multiple piercings from shrapnel. This district of the city is one of the closest to the front line and it had been shelled heavily on regular basis within 2014 - 2015. June, 2019

Valentina stands in her kitchen-garden with her house behind her back. The plaster had partly fallen off the wall of the house as a result of two missiles blasts here during the events of the Battle of Ilovaisk in August – September, 2014. Donetsk suburbs. June, 2019

A middle aged man Roman is laying underneath his commercial minibus with a ratchet wrench in one hand while making body repairs. Suburbs of Donetsk. May, 2019

Portrait of Roman, a middle aged self-employed owner of a commercial minibus in the evening after an entire day of working over renovating it. Suburbs of Donetsk. May, 2019

Roman, a middle aged self-employed owner of a commercial minibus that he is finishing to renovate, is talking on a mobile phone receiving bookings for next week journey to the seaside while his mother came to call him for a lunch. June. 2019

Valentina gives lunch to her sons as they traditionally mostly run the budget together. Although each of her two sons did marry at a proper age and have children they got divorced a couple of years ago. Donetsk suburbs. June, 2019

Roman and his passengers discuss everyday life as they have two hours more to travel to the seaside. June, 2019

Roman stands leaning his hand upon his commercial minibus at the destination point on Azov sea after a three hour journey. Roman started to make one day transfer services to Azov sea and back two summer seasons before when his father switched from driving this minibus on a city route on regular basis to driving a taxi. DPR June, 2019

Valentina's hands empty a bucket of coal into a stove in her house kitchen. Coal mined here in the Donbass region is the main fuel for heating the vast majority of private homes in the region. February, 2020

Valentina is awaiting for her husband to come to a dinner as he returns from work. The windows covered with criss-cross paper strips are well known from WWII documentaries. This trick might help to save the glass when blast waves hit. February, 2020

Three shadows of children and one shadow of an adult are dropped onto the wall with a sign that reads “Bomb shelter”. A number of shelters in basements of 5-floor residential buildings in this suburb of Donetsk (DPR) were set during random shelling from the side of Ukrainian troops during the events of the Battle of Ilovaisk in August – September, 2014. June, 2019

Two boys playing with their toy styrofoam gliders in the suburbs of Donetsk. June, 2019

Two WWII Soviet tanks T-34 and an artillery piece that took part in the battles for the liberation of the city of Stalino (now Donetsk) from Nazi invaders in 1943, installed as a memorial in front of the Donbass Arena stadium in 2012. July, 2019

A young DPR militia man inspects the engine of a Wolksvagen T4 commercial van painted camouflage. June, 2019

A fighter of the People's militia of the DPR stands in a dugout, holding a pet dog of the unit under his arm June, 2019

Most of the militia asked not to photograph them, but agreed to be pictured so that their faces could not be seen. This is not always military secrecy, but rather a common sense routine, because the relatives of many of them travel to Ukraine on personal business, and if the photo gets into the open database of the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets ('Peacemaker'), then their entry into Ukraine will be blocked. Human ties between "this” and "that" side are never broken even during a civil war. June, 2019

A 55-year-old militia fighter is standing backgrounded by a USSR flag, which is flying over one of the checkpoints in the surroundings of Donetsk. The theme of the Soviet Union permeates the local way of life and people's views almost as deeply as the theme of the Christian religion. June, 2019

A 35-year-old militia fighter is having a meal in a canteen of a DPR militia division. June, 2019

Vyacheslav feeds street dogs near his house. He began to look after them after he realized that among the looters in 2014-2015, it became normal practice to shoot a barking dog in a yard of an abandoned house in order to calmly engage in robbery. The dogs began to live nearby and raise the whole pack barking at every stranger, this way the remaining homeless dogs and Vyacheslav helped each other survive and even to retain some of the neighbouring houses. June, 2019

Vyacheslav, a 50-year-old man, a resident of the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk, shares his memories of the period of the "hot phase" of hostilities and life under regular shellings lead by Ukrainian military formations in his district. June, 2019

One of hundreds of houses damaged by the shellings lead by Ukrainian military formations and abandoned by the residents in 2014-2015 in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk. June, 2019

One of dozens of holes made by fragments of artillery shells in the iron gates of a private residential building. This is a typical scene on Stratonautov Street and in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk as a whole. The area was shelled regularly and intensively by the armed formations of the Ukraine in 2014-2015, despite the fact that a significant part of the residents of the area were still in their homes. (Coin diameter is 25 mm) June, 2019

Inside a damaged house in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk. June, 2019

One of few habitants of Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk is standing inside his dovecote. June, 2019

Alexander, a 60-years-old man, standing on the threshold of his destroyed workshop behind his house on Stratonavtov Street, tells how in 2015, during the period of active fightings, he made his way to and from his house many times under shellings from Ukrainian armed formations. June, 2019

Alexander, a 60-years-old man, one of few habitants of Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk, in a minus 20-degree Celcius temperature is pouring a bucket of ice cold water on himself to strengthen his health as a daily procedure. The scene is backgrounded with Alexander's house that was extensively damaged by the shellings lead by the Ukrainian armed formations artillery during 2015. February, 2020

Alexander, a 60-years-old man, one of few habitants of Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk, after a daily procedure of pouring a bucket of ice cold water on himself that he makes to strengthen his health. His house was extensively damaged by the shellings lead by the Ukrainian armed formations artillery during 2015 but Alexander strugles to fix the house since then. February, 2020

A statue of Vladimir Lenin (Russian revolutionary and the first leader of the Soviet Union) in the main square of Donetsk during a strong snowfall. February, 2020

Winter sledding from a slide near the Donbass Arena stadium in Donetsk (DPR). February, 2020

Three farmers who grow wheat in the surroundings of Donetsk. June, 2019

A typical food store at a bus stop of a residential area of Donetsk, it is situated just 10 minutes away by a trolleybus from almost uninhabited Oktyabrsky district and Stratonavtov Street that had been almost devastated as a result of heavy artillery shellings lead by Ukranian armed formations. July, 2019

Donetsk Philharmonic conductor Vladimir Zavodilenko shakes hands with the first violin before the start of the rehearsal. June, 2019

The conductor of the Donetsk Philharmonic, Vladimir Zavodilenko, is standing in the corridor of his artistic room dressed for a concert. June, 2019

The prima donna of the Donetsk Philharmonic, soprano Anna Bratus, is feeling anxious and prays behind the scenes before her appearance on stage. June, 2019

The prima donna of the Donetsk Philharmonic, soprano Anna Bratus, is heading off the stage smiling among the orchestrants after her perfomance during one of regular concerts. June, 2019

The conductor of the Donetsk Philharmonic, Vladimir Zavodilenko, taking off a tailcoat in his artistic room feeling exhausted after a concert. June, 2019

Orthodox priest Father Alexander talks to a local female resident (in the middle) after he gave an interview to a religious video blogger (left). The scene is backgrounded by the iconostasis of the temple. June, 2019

Orthodox priest Father Alexander goes to the head of the table before the Sunday meal with the parishioners of his church, all make the sign of the cross. June, 2019

A number of elderly women are having a Sunday meal at the refectory of the Orthodox church situated in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk. June, 2019

Orthodox priest Father Alexander at the end of the Sunday meal with the parishioners of his church and two other priests who came to visit him as it is his birthday. June, 2019

Orthodox priest Father Alexander drives through snowy surroundings to his church in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk. February, 2020

Orthodox priest Father Alexander makes ritual kneeling at a cross as he arrived to his church. February, 2020

Orthodox priest Father Alexander and the the head of one of the departments of the hospital near Donetsk are smiling after a talk while Father Alexander is heading to a meeting with patiensts of the hospital. February, 2020

Orthodox priest Father Alexander speaks at a meeting with patiensts of the hospital near Donetsk. February, 2020

A group of young people from Donetsk (DPR) arrives in Moscow (Russia) for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. July, 2019

A 16-years-old girl from Donetsk (DPR) is excited as she steps for the first time in her life on a escalator while she and a group of young people from Donetsk has a trip on the Moscow metro. The group had arrived in Moscow for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. July, 2019

A 10-years-old girl from Donetsk (DPR) gives a gift to a woman from a group of greeters. The group of young people from Donetsk (DPR) had arrived in Moscow for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. July, 2019

A 16-years-old girl from Donetsk (DPR) is taking photos in the Red Square. The group of young people from Donetsk (DPR) had arrived in Moscow for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. July, 2019

The staff of the restaurant in the business quarter of Moscow City takes out dessert during lunch of a group of children from the DPR (Donetsk People's Republic). The group of young people from DPR had arrived in Moscow for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. August, 2019

Young people from DPR (Donetsk Peoples Republic) are observing the panorama of Moscow. The group had arrived in Moscow for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. August, 2019

A boy is making a gesture with a serious face, calling for silence, during an excursion on the observation deck of one of the skyscrapers of the Moscow City quarter. The group had arrived in Moscow for a 3-day visit that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. August, 2019

Young people from DPR (Donetsk Peoples Republic) are visiting the State Darwin Museum during their 3-day visit in Moscow that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. July, 2019

A group parents of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) young people is meeting their children as they return from a 3-day visit to Moscow (Russia) that had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. August, 2019

Parents and children are happy to see each other as a group Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) young people return from a 3-day visit to Moscow (Russia). The visit had been sponsored by businessmen from DPR and Russia. August, 2019

Two teenager girls, Masha and Sasha, are playing fools with a neighbour teenager boy who had come to see them after the girls returned from a 3-day visit to Moscow (Russia) the day before. August, 2019

Masha, teenager girl who had been on a 3-day visit to Moscow (Russia) with a group of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) young people in July-August 2019 participates in a dancing class. February, 2020

Masha, teenager girl who had been on a 3-day visit to Moscow (Russia) in July-August 2019 runs a Tik-Tok account with her sister, their mother supports their creativity. February, 2020

Svetlana (left) is a big fan of horses, she comes to Pushkin Boulevard in Donetsk to earn some money to feed her animals by riding children on her heavy horse Grand. June, 2019

Svetlana (right) and her daughter Polina (left) are having a horse ride near Donbass Arena Stadium. June, 2019

Svetlana (right) and her daughter Polina (left) are holding a photo of the equestrian arena, the construction of which their family finished less than a month before the start of hostilities in 2014. They lost the arena, the stable, their business and the house in which their family lived as a result of the actions of the armed formations of the Ukraine during the "hot phase" of the war in 2014-2015. They spent more than 7 months in the "grey zone" having no capabilities to evacuate the family, the horses and a number other Svetlana's animals, in that period Svetlana had been tortured a number of times by the fighters of the Ukrainian batallion Azov. June, 2019

Yuri, a 30-year-old man, during an art performance on the streets of Donetsk (DPR). The sign and the inscription on the wall reads "Bomb shelter", throughout the city and suburbs there are such inscriptions in almost every city yard. June, 2019

Yuri, a 30-year-old man, and his girlfriend Elsa during a photo shoot on a landfill in the surroundings of Donetsk (DPR). The angel wings are made by a local craftswoman. May, 2019

Nona, a 27-year-old woman, is crafting elements for making angel wings while her son is trying to be helpful. This is her second startup in this field, the first one she had launched 2 years before in Kazakhstan, but due to personal reasons she had to leave Kazakhstan and to move to Donetsk despite the war in this region. August, 2019

Nona, a 27-year-old craftswoman, directs her models before a photoshoot at her shop. Donetsk (DPR) August, 2019

Nona, a 27-year-old craftswoman, having a break late in the evening at her shop dreaming and making plans to make a set of wings for a real horse. August, 2019

Rodion, a 15-year-old boy, one of a group of youth that had been on a 3-day visit to Moscow (Russia) in July-August 2019 is talking on the mobile phone while sitting with his younger sister and brother. All the the applicants for that journey to Moscow were suggested to write an essay answering the question why they want to go for that journey. Rodion wrote a few lines saying that he wanted "to see a city without war". Rodion's 7-years-old-sister is playing with a sniper scope, both she and her younger brother are wearing body crosses. February, 2020

Rodion (left) is playing football on a mini-football ground next to a building of a swimming pool in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk. The building has entire window glassing blown away due to the shellings lead by the armed formations of the Ukraine in 2015-2016. August, 2019

Rodion is spending time with his friends not far from his home in the Oktyabrsky district of Donetsk. The building of a supermarket partially destroyed by the shellings lead by the armed formations of the Ukraine and almost completely gutted by the local looters back in 2015 is a favorite place for children and teenagers to play and socialize. This place has no other odor except for a slight smell of construction materials got partly wet due to a leaking roof. From time to time adults come here to teach young people to be smart. In such situations, the noise stops, the girls fall silent completely, and the boys listen to the lectures, trying not to conflict. August, 2019

A teenager girl is blowing a kiss while a teenager boy's hand is saluting raised fist among a group of teenagers who are spending time socializing in a building of a supermarket partially destroyed by the shellings lead by the armed formations of the Ukraine and almost completely gutted by the local looters back in 2015. A August, 2019