Aleksandr Chekmenev

Documenting Ukraine Grants

Unbroken

This project features portraits and stories of servicemen and civilians who have lost limbs since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and have been receiving care at the National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv. Over 15,000 people have been treated there since February 2022, with estimates of 30,000 to 50,000 amputees.  

The aim of Unbroken is to document and communicate the profound human resilience observed in these individuals. Every movement they make is a conscious decision, demanding immense physical and spiritual strength. Each portrait is accompanied by the subject’s reflections on their future, offering a deeply personal perspective on their experiences. Through these portraits and stories, the project narrates a crucial part of Ukrainian history—one of struggle, resilience, victories of life over death, and inevitable losses.