Olomouc – An exhibition of photographs by Richard Bouda shows us two Ukrainian sides. Ukraine is not only war, poverty and corruption, but also hospitality, the beauty of the wild nature, the charm of villages and the simplicity and sincerity of its people. Richard Bouda focuses on ordinary people who find themselves in an extraordinary situation. He portrays others in their daily routine, but there are also sharp contrasts. He has been photographing how the country is developing for more than seven years. Head with him from the west to the war zone in the east… The exhibition will be opened on February 11 at 5:00 pm by the well-known photographer Jindřich Štreit, at the regional museum in Olomouc. After that there will be a lecture from the exhibition author Richard Bouda.

Ukrainian needy children as photographers

The exhibition draws attention not only to the difficult situation in Ukraine, but also to the projects of the Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc, which has been helping there since 1990. They support, for example, boys from a children’s home in Bortnyki (household equipment, the construction of the playground, the support of the boys in education…), or orphans and children from socially disadvantaged families from Lopatin (daily warm food, reconstruction of the stock building…). Local children and youth need motivation and hope. This can be a new hobby, such as improving their photography skills.  Do you want to support them? You can help them to buy quality camera by donating to Caritas bank account: 4030207/0100. The cameras will be used by these Ukrainian organizations during workshops for children, as well as for promotions that will provide them with donations. Thank you …

Facts about Ukraine

For a long time, Ukraine has been weakened by a war conflict. Events in the Maidan provoked a political crisis in the country. In spring of 2014, Russia occupied the Crimea, which led to the start of war in Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Between April 2014 and the end of 2018, 12,800-13,000 people were killed and 27,000-30,000 were injured as a result of the armed conflict. Another 1.5 million people have left their homes to find temporary shelter in other parts of Ukraine.

Ukraine also faces a large number of emigrants. The minimum wage in 2019 amounted to 4177 UAH, if translated into Czech currency it is 3 894 CZK, while the prices for products in Ukraine are the same as in the Czech Republic (for example, a liter of milk with a fat content of 3.2% costs 18.88 CZK). In order to take care of their family, they leave for better-paid work abroad. According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, since 2015 till 2017, about 1.9 million people left the country because of the emigration.

About the author

Richard Bouda (born July 1, 1978) mostly makes reportage and documentary photographs where he captures various social groups. He has documented life in one of the world’s largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya, and also stories of kidnapped Kurdish women in northern Iraq.

During the “migration crisis”, he recorded the wandering of refugees following the so-called Balkan Road – a journey from Greece through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

In addition, he focuses on discoveries and expeditions such as the underground of Venezuela, Iran, Iceland, North America and the Balkan Peninsula.

Karolína Opatřilová, Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc