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Minor manages to change the world’s discourse on the Russian invasion.
An alarming artistic image of childhood and highlights its sociological importance.
The image of a girl holding a rifle in Ukraine is going around the world and, even, it has become a symbol of war by generating debate about the impact that the Russian invasion has on childhood; however, it also demonstrates how a photograph can massively impact a connected society in minutes.
Since its invention at the end of the 19th century, photography has served socially to capture important moments in history and leave a sociocultural, political or economic mark.
However, today, with the digital reach, the value of photography and its expectations have grown, since anyone with access to a device with a camera can freeze moments of their life and their environment, so, being less impressionable, For an image to have a massive impact on millions of people in different parts of the world, it has to have an artistic touch or simply tell a highly relevant or alarming story.
This is the case of a photographic series taken in Ukraine and spread on social networks, which is opening the way to deep conversations about the war and the true cruelty of an armed conflict for the vulnerable society, especially those minors who lose their innocence in the face of a violent and survival environment.
“Girl with candy”, the photograph that impacts the world
Oleksii Kyrychenko’s photography consists of a simple composition of a Ukrainian girl sitting at a window with a trowel in her mouth and holding a rifle in her hand. The most shocking thing is that said image was prescient, since it was taken four days before Russia invaded his country.
The story of this image has generated a stir on social networks and has been shared thousands of times as it represents one of the biggest social problems faced in Eastern Europe in the midst of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The image shows the minor with braided hair and a ribbon in the colors of her national flag. Although her posture is relaxed, her gaze to the horizon, as if on alert, makes the environment look chilling, since represents the loss of innocence and the normalization of war in a “soldier” of just 9 years.
The image was published by the photographer on Facebook and replicated, among millions of people, by European political leaders, including Donald Franciszek Tusk, a Polish leader active in actions in support of Ukraine.
“Please don’t say that tougher sanctions would be too costly for Europe!” the former European Council president shared.
Just don’t tell her please that tougher sanctions would be too expensive for Europe! pic.twitter.com/dJUGPMzPZX
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtuskEPP) March 11, 2022
The controversial image was taken by the girl’s father, photographer Oleksii Kyrychenko, who shared the image on his social networks to “draw the world’s attention to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The world has to know.”
However, the man clarified that the image was staged on purpose, that the weapon is his and that it was not loaded at the time of the capture. His message went viral so quickly that in a few minutes it was shared, on Twitter alone, more than 5,000 times.
“I registered in the military accounts, but have not yet been mobilized, because we have the long lines. And people with military experience mobilize first.”
“A few days ago, I uploaded this photo to the Ukrainian FB fan group. So this picture was posted by Donald Tusk (thanks, Donald) in his tweet to the European Parliament. Now the attitude towards these photos differs completely as far as the world has seen the true face of the russian invasion“, the man posted on his Facebook.
It is worth mentioning that so far no real cases of children in combat during the Russia-Ukraine war have been reported, so the image only seeks to be representative of the tragedy for minors, displaced persons, refugees and those hit by the bombs thrown by the government of Vladimir Putin.
In fact Kyrychenko also posted, as a symbol of warthe poster image of the artist Dmitry Moore with the phrase “Europe, I am fighting for you”.
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