Series description
The heroines of this project are women, residents of the Ukrainian village of Horenka in Buchansky District. In March 2022, the village of Horenka was on the front line of the Russia–Ukraine war, and constant shelling destroyed more than three quarters of its buildings. The women of Horenka, of various ages, professions and backgrounds, organised the ‘Horenski Mavky’ volunteer group, which produces camouflage clothing for snipers and scouts, making the soldiers ‘invisible’ and saving lives. The volunteers are convinced that camouflage products – woven with love and faith – have the power of protection. This series is based on Mavky, a forest spirit from Ukrainian folklore, sung in legends and appearing in works of art.
Biography
Ukrainian artist Alena Grom, born in Donetsk, fled the 2014 conflict and settled in Bucha. Forced to flee again during the 2022 invasion, she returned to a devastated town. Photography became a lifeline, documenting the impact of war on her life and the lives of others. Her work focuses on victims, migrants, and the resilience of the Ukrainian spirit. Grom's powerful images have been exhibited internationally and recognized with numerous awards.
Two Sisters Near a Tree
Residents of the village of Horenka.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Irina
This project references Andy Warhol’s Camouflage series (1986), placing in contrast the impersonality of camouflage and the bright individuality of the portrait. As an abstract pattern, camouflage offers a number of interpretations: from stealth to courage, from the beauty of an idyllic landscape to the nervous tension of a sniper. Similarly, in this project the heroines are simultaneously vulnerable and protectors and guardians, whose strength is nature itself.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Katerina at the Ruins of Her House in Horenka
More than 1,000 residential buildings and cottages were destroyed or damaged in the village, which is located on the border of Kyiv and the Kyiv region.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Mavky on the Roots
Faced with extreme challenges, people turn to their roots and the common ground that has shaped their national identity for thousands of years. The folkloric character of the Mavky is one of the most famous in Ukraine, appearing in songs and works of art.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Mavky on a Local Lake
The first mention of the village of Horenka appeared in the second half of the 18th century.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Mavky on the Crater
According to the United Nations, 77 per cent of the buildings in Horenka have been destroyed. Local residents saw their homes destroyed and neighbours die before their eyes.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Mavky
An ambivalent figure on the border between the worlds of the living and the dead, the Mavka popularised by Lesya Ukrainka’s Forest Song, has become a symbol of victorious femininity and ardent self-sacrificing love. In this series, the subjects do not destroy and do not seek revenge for destroyed homes and lives – they protect the present and build a future for new generations on their land.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Two Sisters at a Checkpoint in Horenka
The military landscape has become part of everyday life for local residents.
© Alena Grom, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards