Today, July 23, the “Women and War: Stories Before and After” photo exhibition was presented at the IDP Support Center "SELIDOVE.UA" in the city of Kamianske. The project captures the strength, resilience, and transformation of Ukrainian women in the realities of war.
The event was attended by representatives of the Department of Family, Youth, and National-Patriotic Education Events of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, who initiated, created, and are coordinating the promotion of the exhibition.
The exhibition features 35 photographs and life stories of women — not just images, but narratives of life before and after the full-scale invasion. These are women who became soldiers, volunteers, doctors, teachers; women who lost their homes but preserved their strength and became the new face of resistance and renewal.
“This exhibition is about what often remains behind the scenes of front-line reports — about women’s pain, responsibility, and choices. And above all, about the power that changes the world — especially the power of women from Donetsk region, whose strength always stands out and serves as an example for others,”
said Liliia Zolkina, Head of the Department of Family, Youth, and National-Patriotic Education Events of the Donetsk Regional State Administration.
Zolkina also noted the active involvement of the Selidove community leadership in supporting internally displaced persons across various cities of Ukraine.
Attendees were also introduced to the background of the exhibition and the process of its creation.
Inna Tereshchenko, Deputy Mayor of Selidove, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to present the exhibition, noting that it tells the stories of women shaping Ukraine. She emphasized that there are many more such women and men, each with their own story. She underlined that the mission of the community is to create conditions for its residents and provide maximum support — a top priority in their work.
Plans are in place to showcase the exhibition in various communities where residents from Donetsk region are temporarily living, and to share these stories in English at the international level.