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Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World Press Photo jury apologises for combining photo of Ukrainian girl with Russian soldier
The International Jury and World Press Photo have apologised for combining two works into one visual pair: Underground Field Hospital by Nanna Heitmann and Beyond the Trenches by Florian Bachmeier. Source: a letter in response to an inquiry from Detector Media, a Ukrainian media organisation Details: German photographer Florian Bachmeier captured six-year-old Anhelina from Kharkiv Oblast, who suffers from panic attacks after surviving a Russian bombardment. The work, titled Beyond the Trenches, has, in Bachmeier's view, become the emotional centre of the European bloc. In contrast, German photographer Nanna Heitmann presented a photograph titled Underground Field Hospital, which depicts a wounded militant from the Russian-backed "Donetsk People's Republic" terror organisation who fought alongside Russian forces. "There is an obvious difference between a child suffering from the aftermath of war and the torment of a soldier from the occupying forces who causes this suffering," World Press Photo noted. "We should not have presented these two photographs as a pair, as doing so implies they should be viewed and understood only in relation to one another. This creates an overly simplistic and false equivalence, overshadowing the unique stories each of them tells. These images, in fact, highlight just two aspects of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine," said Lucy Conticello, the head of the international jury. Meanwhile, the jury has decided not to revoke the prize awarded to Mikhail Tereshchenko, a photographer for the Russian news agency TASS, a key part of the Russian propaganda machine. However, they have pledged to refine the rules and procedures for handling applications from photographers working for government agencies. They plan to consult with photographers from countries such as Georgia and Ukraine, as well as those from nations with repressive regimes, who often strive to produce "good work" under challenging conditions. In the letter, the World Press Photo judges explained that each entry is judged anonymously, with jury members unaware of the photographers' identities or affiliations. In later rounds of judging, only limited information, such as the nationality and gender of the photographer, is provided. Background: The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) has condemned the results of the World Press Photo 2025 international competition. They stressed that the association had been "surprised" by the choice of the winners and demanded that standards of ethics, impartiality and transparency be observed: "By rewarding Russian photographers who serve as expressors of the state ideology of the Russian Federation, the competition makes the position of the aggressor visible, and thus contributes to the substitution of concepts: instead of condemning the aggressor, it emphasises sympathy for him." The announcement of the winners sparked immediate and heated discussions within the community. Ukrainian photo commentators – Serhii Korovainyi, Yuliia Kochetova and Vlada Liberova – also reacted to the list of winners. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World Press Photo apologizes for combining photos of pro-Russian militant, Ukrainian child in 'visual pair'
The jury of the World Press Photo contest apologized for pairing photos of a wounded pro-Russian militant from the Donetsk Oblast with a Ukrainian girl suffering panic attacks due to war, Detector Media reported on March 31. German journalist Nanna Heitmann received the World Press Photo 2025 award for her photo titled "Underground Field Hospital," which depicts the wounded militant in the Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast. Another winner is a photo by German correspondent Florian Bachmeier, who showed a 6-year-old girl, Angelina, lying in her home in Borshchivka in Kharkiv Oblast, suffering from panic attacks after fleeing Russian shelling. The World Press Photo combined the two photos on their website, calling the two images a "visual pair." After Detector Media's request, the jury responded by emphasizing that there is "an obvious difference between a child suffering from the consequences of war and the torment of a soldier of the occupying forces who causes this suffering." The World Press Photo divided the images on its website as of April 1. According to the jury, pairing the two photos suggests that they should be "viewed and understood only in dialogue," which "creates an overly simplistic and false equivalence." The World Press Photo also promised to improve the rules and procedures for dealing with applications from photographers working for state institutions, consult with photographers working in Georgia, Ukraine, and countries with repressive regimes, and try to "do good work in their difficult situations." The World Press Photo is an annual contest for professional photographers in photojournalism and documentary photography. An international independent jury selects the best pieces in global and regional nominations. In 2024, Ukrainian photojournalist Julia Kochetova was announced as one of the 2024 World Press Photo Contest winners for her multidisciplinary project "War Is Personal." Read also: What Russia really wants from the Black Sea ceasefire deal We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two Russians and Belarusian awarded by World Press Photo 2025 – Ukrainian photographer community reacts
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) has condemned the results of the 2025 World Press Photo international competition, where two Russians, a Belarusian and a group of German photographers were among the regional winners – some of them with projects focused on Ukraine and the war. Source: official statement by the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) Details: UAPP said it was surprised by the jury's selection and demanded adherence to ethical standards, impartiality and transparency. Quote: "By rewarding Russian photographers who serve as expressors of the state ideology of the Russian Federation, the competition makes the position of the aggressor visible, and thus contributes to the substitution of concepts: instead of condemning the aggressor, it emphasises sympathy for him. In our opinion, such an award does not meet the stated goal of the competition, which is to connect the world with important stories, especially in the situation of the war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for 11 years." Underground Field Hospital. Photo: Nanna Heitmann Details: The UAPF Board stated that fair voting is only possible if it is impartial, as attention should be paid to photographers who "reflect the truth and give a voice to those who are often silenced". Which works won awards For the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, a photojournalist from Russia won the competition. The winner is Mikhail Tereshchenko, a photo correspondent for the Russian state news agency TASS. He was awarded in the Stories category for his series Protests in Georgia, which documented anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi against the suspension of Georgia's EU accession talks. Another Russian, Aliona Kardash, won in the Long-Term Projects category with her project It Smells of Smoke at Home. Although she resides in Germany, her main focus was the "psychological detachment of modern Russia from reality, where war is called a 'special operation'." It Smells of Smoke at Home. Photo: Aliona Kardash In the Singles category for Europe, the jury selected two works depicting the war in Ukraine. They were described as a "visual pair" showing two reflections of the region's reality. German photographer Florian Bachmeier captured six-year-old Angelina from Kharkiv Oblast, who suffers from panic attacks after fleeing shelling. The work is titled Beyond the Trenches and, according to the author, "became the emotional center of the European bloc". In contrast, German photographer Nanna Heitmann presented a photo titled Underground Field Hospital, showing a wounded militant from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic who fought on the side of the Russian Armed Forces. Protests in Georgia. Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko In the Southeast Asia and Oceania category, Belarusian photographer Tatyana Chypsanova won with a project about the ancestors of the Māori Ngāi Tahu tribe in New Zealand. "Winning photos are those that make us stop, or at least pause and think, not just scroll on. Many of these images transcend the moment in which they were taken – they have become symbols of something significant from a social, political or historical point of view," said Finbarr O'Reilly, European jury chair, justifying the selection. Reactions from photographers The announcement of the winners immediately sparked heated debate within the photography community, including among Ukrainian photojournalists. Serhii Korovainyi, a photojournalist, also shared his reaction. Quote: "From my perspective, this is an unempathic, shallow manipulation driven by visual resemblance that removes responsibility for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine from 'ordinary Russians' – both military and civilians. It encourages Russian guiltwashing. It is entirely inappropriate during a war of choice led by the Russian Federation. One of the winning stories by a photographer of Russian origin, Aliona Kardash, is about Russian society during the war, its struggles and suffering. It is titled It Smells of Smoke at Home. Ukrainian cities also smell of smoke. From Russian missiles and drones that kill our civilians and soldiers – many of whom were civilians just yesterday. Russian cities will stop smelling of smoke the moment Russian troops leave Ukraine. At that moment, Russian 'boys' will stop dying in basements in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and Angelina will return home to her Kupiansk." Screenshot: Yulia Kochetova on Instagram Details: Last year's World Press Photo winner Yulia Kochetova also criticised the jury's decision. Quote: "Obviously, I am surprised to see so much attention to the narrative of the 'Russian soul' among this year's regional winners. I can't imagine how Georgian photographers feel because their protests against Russian influence were shown through the images of a photographer from a Russian state agency. This is a personal responsibility – how this war will be told in years to come. It is important to continue to testify and document." Screenshot: Vlada Liberova on Instagram More details: Documentary photographer Vlada Liberova also joined the discussion. Quote: "So you really think that calling a photo of a young Ukrainian girl who suffered from Russian aggression and a photo of a wounded occupier in occupied territory a 'visual pair' is a good idea?" Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
