The Beauty of Ukraine - by Lucia Bondar (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

• "A book of photographs taken before February 2022 reveals formerly breathtaking landscapes that may never be the same." -- The New York Times

• "An illustrated ode to their home, it showcases the beauty and vulnerability of Ukraine beyond the daily horrors and photographs of war." -- Image (Ireland)

• "The book is an illustrated love letter to their homeland, created in the darkest of times..." -- Amateur Photography

On 24 February 2022, the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops began. Since then, Russia's war of aggression has continued with increasing ferocity and destruction. Millions of Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring European countries. Ukraine is now a country caught between two stools: on the one hand, it is striving for rapprochement with NATO and the EU; on the other hand, good relations with Russia have also always been of fundamental importance to the country.

This is a picture book about a landscape and its country, which is going through dark times and is currently moving the whole world. Here we take a look at the beauty and the integrity of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian landscape is characterized by steppes, plateaus, lowlands and mountains. The Lemurian Lake in the south of Ukraine impresses with its pink color, as it has a higher salt content than the Dead Sea. The mountain ranges of the Carpathians in the west of Ukraine captivate with their wonderful wild beauty.

The Ukrainian steppe is part of the great Eurasian steppe, which runs through several countries of Eastern Europe and used to be the home of the Cossacks. The country is also criss-crossed by numerous river courses, with the Dnieper, Donets and Dniester rivers, which flow into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, being among the most significant.

Unparalleled scale, out-of-this-world colors and unique landscape shots from above make this book a tribute to the beauty of the Ukrainian landscape. Text in English, German and Ukrainian.

Review Quotes

A book of photographs taken before February 2022 reveals formerly breathtaking landscapes that may never be the same.... Samuchenko's images reveal a startling breadth of visual registers. Capturing mostly unpopulated scenes, his camera somehow imparts a fuller understanding of a nation's humanity.-- "The New York Times"

About the Author

Yevhen Samuchenko was born in Odessa, Ukraine. He began working with film photography at the age of 12. Today he specializes in travel photography and aerial photography with drones. Through his work, he especially wants to show the fragile beauty of our planet and the possibility of dialog through the interaction of man and nature. He has even developed an educational programme specifically for this purpose. He is a member of numerous international and national photo organizations and has already won several awards, including 3rd place in Landscape and Adventure / Travel Photographer of the Year 2022 and bronze at the VIEPA Vienna Photo Awards 2021. Lucia Bondar is an experienced media manager and publisher, the founder of CP PUBLISHING. Lucia Bondar has been working as a journalist and author of various professional publications for the last 10 years. Under her leadership, CP PUBLISHING organized numerous well-known events in Ukraine, including an annual architecture and design forum. She has studied at various universities, including Harvard Business School and ISTITUTO MARANGONI. Lucia Bondar is also the author of the first Ukrainian design book series published by CP PUBLISHING.