Andrii Okhrimenko
Intercity bus driver
At the beginning of March 2022, the village of Boromlia was under occupation. The Okhrimenko household is located in the center of Boromlia, so the Russian military set up their headquarters in the house’s garden and installed a tripwire in the house. On March 16, Andrii Okhrimenko was informed that his house had been blown up. Andrii ran to see what happened; no one saw him again. According to Andrii’s wife, the Russians found photos of military equipment on his phone.
However, Andrii is still in captivity, and his two children, 19-year-old Andriy and 3-year-old Sasha, are waiting for him to return home. Another hostage reported that the Russian military transported Andriy to the Belgorod region in Russia. Although he was allegedly being prepared for an exchange, according to the Red Cross, Andrii currently remains in the territory of the Russian Federation.
Jenya Polosina
Jenya Polosina about her illustration:
“A civilian prisoner, a minibus driver who traveled between cities every day, helping people get to different places. On the day he was captured, the last thing we know about him is that he ran to his house when he heard that it had been blown up. The smoke here is both the fire that Andriy could have run to and the “fog of war,” the uncertainty that envelops every missing person, every prisoner of war, when we learn only bits of information and see what happened through a thick haze.”
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An exhibition that can be anywhere
This project is not just online. We’ve launched a Self-hosted Exhibition format — allowing anyone to download a ready-to-print exhibition pack and present it in their city, university, gallery, or even a local café.
It’s your way to join a growing movement of solidarity
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We welcome collaboration.
If you’re an artist, illustrator, or visual storyteller who shares our values of freedom, dignity, and human rights — send us your work dedicated to the issue of unlawfully detained civilians.
We will include it in this digital gallery so that another voice can be seen and heard.
Get to know the real stories of Ukrainian civilians held in Russian captivity — they may serve as the foundation for your future piece.
The project is implemented with the support of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Kyiv Office – Ukraine.
