Love, in the last hour of struggle

Love in the last hour of struggle is a deeply human document of Ukrainian refugees who have found themselves rebuilding life in London following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2021. Combining intimate portraits with personal testimony, it explores displacement, identity, and the quiet power of everyday resilience.

The project has been shot over several years since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and is currently an ongoing collaborative project with Ukrainian Photographer Maryna Khivrych. The work captures the grace, grief, humour, and strength of individuals and families who have been forced to navigate war, bureaucracy, and the emotional costs of exile - while forging new paths in an unfamiliar city.

The project title ‘Love, in the last hour of struggle’ is inspired by the poem ‘Shall We Ever Meet Again” by Ukrainian Poet Taras Shevchenko:

Mindfully  of  one  another;
Love  your  dear  Ukraine,  adore  her,
Love  her . . .   in  fierce  times  of  evil,
In  the  last dread  hour  of  struggle,
Fervently  beseech  God  for  her.

---