Russia’s de facto ban on critical media and suppression of anti-war protests has created an alternative reality with its own take on what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine instead of a full-scale invasion. In this story, Aliona Kardash, Russian-born, but now resident in Germany, reflects on the loss of home, and on love for people who believe in a different version of reality. Making a return visit to her hometown, Aliona tries to capture how war transforms us, and to sustain the belief that personal bonds are stronger than the forces that tear us apart.
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2025 Photo Contest - Europe - Long-Term Projects
It Smells of Smoke at Home
Photographer
Aliona Kardash
DOCKS Collective, for Stern Magazine
Shutter Speed
1/250
ISO
100
Camera
Z 6_2
Jury comment
The jury found this long-term project to be a deeply personal insight into the fractures within Russian society since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, revealing complexities often overlooked when viewing Russia as a monolith. The photographer visually conveys her melancholy regarding her connection to her family as they are influenced by state propaganda, grappling with the universal dilemma of how to hold to loved ones subsumed by state control. As conflict increasingly draws journalists into their own stories, this project reflects the nuance of their narratives, capturing a personal experience with global resonance.