In the city of Chernihiv, Illia Vasylenko (17), Nikita Posmashny (19), and Volodymyr Fetisov (19) still train at Desna stadium, even though a russian rocket attack destroyed it at the start of the war. They have been playing football there since childhood. Later, as professionals playing for Desna, Chernihiv’s football club, they received a small salary and saw their future in the sport.
I asked if they still play football because they see it as their career, or rather now as a hobby, or just for the love of the sport. They all hesitated, looking at each other.
‘We train almost every day, just like before. I wouldn’t risk running in this stadium if I didn’t love football,’ Nikita replied, pointing to the track, which now resembles the moon’s surface and is not even suitable for walking, let alone running. ‘At the moment, no championships are being held in Ukraine, and we do not have the opportunity to travel to Europe to participate in tournaments due to mobilisation ... but we believe that one day the war will end, and we will be ready not only to play but to win.’
I work in documenting war crimes. Because of this, I’ve seen countless football stadiums across the country reduced to rubble by Russian missiles.
All these years, I’ve heard the phrase “sports are beyond politics.” In reality, that is supposed to mean that sports shouldn't serve anyone’s political agenda—not that Russian athletes who support Putin and the war against Ukraine should be allowed back into the Olympics. Sports must carry dignity.
Russia’s war of aggression has cut short the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian athletes. They will never compete again. Those who survived train in bomb shelters during air raids, refine their skills on destroyed fields, and compete on the international stage with the painful realization that at any moment, a Russian missile could strike their home—leaving them with nowhere and no one to return to.
On top of that, this war has robbed thousands of Ukrainian children of their dream of ever becoming athletes.
That’s why this photo means so much to me. Because the kids in it have decided not to surrender their dream to the Russians. They train every single day, even though the tracks at the stadium in Chernihiv look like the surface of Mars, making it hard to even walk on them, let alone run.
Diary of a Volunteer is both an exhibition and a fundraising project.
Postcode Ukraine is a Kyiv-based charity founded in 2022 to support grassroots humanitarian organisations and volunteer groups working directly with communities affected by the war
*US supporters of Postcode Ukraine can make tax-deductible donations through our US partner, Shield of Freedom, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Ukraine. Donations made through this campaign are received and acknowledged by Shield of Freedom and, through its grant programme, support Postcode Ukraine's humanitarian aid initiatives in Ukraine.
Since 2022, Postcode Ukraine has directly funded more than $500,000 of humanitarian aid projects across Ukraine
Through photography, film and humanitarian action, Postcode Ukraine works to ensure that the experiences of ordinary Ukrainians are seen, remembered and supported.
