Saints
Photos © Sasha Maslov, Words © Nastia StankoWar doesn’t knock on your door asking if it can come in, it’s not warning you what will happen to your life, your family the life of your community, your village or town or your country. It won’t tell you what your future will look like. It knocks everything out; it takes everything away from you without warning, and it gives in return one thing - a chance for you to fight back.
Ukrainians chose to fight back. Starting February 24th, 2022, millions of people in Ukraine have resisted the invasion of their country by Russia. Some streamed towards new front lines that stretched hundreds of kilometres on sea, land, and air, and some have chosen to dedicate their skills, whatever they might be, to help the country resist.
This is a series about the personal sacrifice of people who chose to resist this brutal and barbaric invasion, happening in Europe in the 21st century as the whole World keeps watching. This is a series about godless sainthood.
click to view all the images in the series
Saints is a photo book made in partnership with a Canadian foundation Saint Javelin and published by Kyiv-based publishing house ist_. Texts are written by Ukrainian war correspondent Nastia Stanko.
Hardcover with dust jacket: 311 pages
Publisher: IST Publishing (April, 2024)
Language: English
ISBN: 9786177948468
Product Dimensions: 9.25 x 12.25 inches
buy on Saint Javelin (Worldwide)
buy on IST (Ukraine)
~ here are some stories from the book ~
Yuliia Payevska, call sign Taira, 54
Yuliia is from Kyiv. Before 2014, she was an Aikido instructor and worked as a graphic designer for magazines, newspapers, and book publishers. During the Euromaidan protests, she volunteered as a medic and later taught tactical medicine. When the war broke out, she started bringing equipment to set up stabilization points on the front lines. Later, she traveled to the Donbas region to teach medicine and realized she needed to work as a tactical medic rather than to instruct others. She gradually gathered a team that later adopted the name of Taira's Angels. She had a two-year contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In total, she has spent eight years on the front lines. In the last year before the full-scale invasion, she was preparing for the Invictus Games. Starting from February 24th, she worked in a hospital in Mariupol. "I knew that Mariupol was doomed — it was obvious from the beginning. I just tried to be as helpful as possible to as many people as possible." She evacuated women and children from the basements of the hospital, where they were hiding from shelling. She put everyone in a bus and left. The Russians stopped the bus at one of the checkpoints. They checked their documents, saw the surnames, and after a few minutes, they said, "You – meaning Yuliia – get off the bus." That's how she ended up in captivity. About her time as a prisoner, Yuliia says only one thing: "It's a fucking hell, pardon my language." She spent three months in Russian penal colonies and was exchanged during a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia in June 2022. Now, Yuliia is a goodwill ambassador. She travels around the world, advocating to provide Ukraine with more weapons.
Yuliia is from Kyiv. Before 2014, she was an Aikido instructor and worked as a graphic designer for magazines, newspapers, and book publishers. During the Euromaidan protests, she volunteered as a medic and later taught tactical medicine. When the war broke out, she started bringing equipment to set up stabilization points on the front lines. Later, she traveled to the Donbas region to teach medicine and realized she needed to work as a tactical medic rather than to instruct others. She gradually gathered a team that later adopted the name of Taira's Angels. She had a two-year contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In total, she has spent eight years on the front lines. In the last year before the full-scale invasion, she was preparing for the Invictus Games. Starting from February 24th, she worked in a hospital in Mariupol. "I knew that Mariupol was doomed — it was obvious from the beginning. I just tried to be as helpful as possible to as many people as possible." She evacuated women and children from the basements of the hospital, where they were hiding from shelling. She put everyone in a bus and left. The Russians stopped the bus at one of the checkpoints. They checked their documents, saw the surnames, and after a few minutes, they said, "You – meaning Yuliia – get off the bus." That's how she ended up in captivity. About her time as a prisoner, Yuliia says only one thing: "It's a fucking hell, pardon my language." She spent three months in Russian penal colonies and was exchanged during a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia in June 2022. Now, Yuliia is a goodwill ambassador. She travels around the world, advocating to provide Ukraine with more weapons.
Maksym Sheremet, 27
Before the full-scale war, Maksym worked as an engineer and was involved in the production and development of commercial as well as military drones. He worked for the large state defence company Ukroboronprom. Later, he worked for Evolve Dynamics, an engineering company specializing in UAVs. In March 2022, he founded Dronar- nia, his own small volunteer organization with ten members, and they began assembling combat drones. At that time, the team couldn’t have foreseen that the ongoing war with Russia would become a drone war, with both Russians and Ukrainians using drones extensively on the battlefield. A year on, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have used reconnaissance drones, kamikaze drones, and FPV drones for deliveries, and underwater drones now attack the Crimean Bridge and Russian ships in the Black Sea, while other domestically developed drones are reaching Moscow and striking targets hundreds of kilometers inland of Russia. There have also been cases when drones saved the lives of civilians or delivered food, medicine, and communication equipment to soldiers who were encircled. Now, Maksym Sheremet’s volunteer organization has grown, with over a 100 employees and more than two hundred volunteers involved in research and development. They manufacture and repurpose hundreds of various drones in their laboratory.
Before the full-scale war, Maksym worked as an engineer and was involved in the production and development of commercial as well as military drones. He worked for the large state defence company Ukroboronprom. Later, he worked for Evolve Dynamics, an engineering company specializing in UAVs. In March 2022, he founded Dronar- nia, his own small volunteer organization with ten members, and they began assembling combat drones. At that time, the team couldn’t have foreseen that the ongoing war with Russia would become a drone war, with both Russians and Ukrainians using drones extensively on the battlefield. A year on, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have used reconnaissance drones, kamikaze drones, and FPV drones for deliveries, and underwater drones now attack the Crimean Bridge and Russian ships in the Black Sea, while other domestically developed drones are reaching Moscow and striking targets hundreds of kilometers inland of Russia. There have also been cases when drones saved the lives of civilians or delivered food, medicine, and communication equipment to soldiers who were encircled. Now, Maksym Sheremet’s volunteer organization has grown, with over a 100 employees and more than two hundred volunteers involved in research and development. They manufacture and repurpose hundreds of various drones in their laboratory.
Yaryna Chornohuz, call sign Yara, 28
Yaryna Chornohuz is a sailor and combat medic in a separate reconnaissance battalion of the Marine Corps. Yara was born into a family of writers and artists. Her father is a poet and bandura player, and her grandfather is a renowned writer. She also writes poems and recently published her second poetry collection about the war. Her first collection of poems, How the Military Circle Bends, was dedicated to her beloved, Mykola Sorochuk, a soldier who was killed by a sniper in 2020. Even before 2014, Yara organized actions to support the Ukrainian language and participated in the Euromaidan protests. She wanted to go to the eastern front immediately after the revolution's victory, but she was pregnant with her daughter. Finally, Yara completed her university studies in the philological faculty and then went to the Donbas. She joined the war effort as a volunteer medic in the Hospitallers Medical Battalion. After the death of her partner, she decided to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since 2020, she has served as a combat medic, and from 2021, she has started in reconnaissance. Yaryna Chornohuz has been through battles alongside marines in Mariupol, Popasna, and Bakhmut. She believes that being a soldier is her occupation. Although she was born in Kyiv, returning from the Donetsk region to her hometown doesn't make her comfortable. "Here is my comfort zone," says Chornohuz about the Donbas. "There, in peaceful cities, emptiness awaits anyone who now loves fighting for what belongs to you." Yaryna Chornohuz is currently 28 years old, and she is one of the few women in the Ukrainian military who have met the physical standards to earn the right to wear the Marine Corps beret. She has always strived to be on par with men, and when the full-scale invasion began, her company commander did not send her to safer places but allowed her to continue her tasks with the unit. "I'm glad I have kept on working with my company. I'm glad nobody sent me away from the front. Many men expect you to accept misogyny and sexism. I never accepted it, not in the army, when I felt it from some men, and I won't accept it. But now I'm with people who treat everyone as equal." Yaryna Chornohuz's daughter, Orysia, is 9 years old and lives in Kyiv. The only thing that calls Yara back to the rear is her daughter. "I'm fighting for her future."
Yaryna Chornohuz is a sailor and combat medic in a separate reconnaissance battalion of the Marine Corps. Yara was born into a family of writers and artists. Her father is a poet and bandura player, and her grandfather is a renowned writer. She also writes poems and recently published her second poetry collection about the war. Her first collection of poems, How the Military Circle Bends, was dedicated to her beloved, Mykola Sorochuk, a soldier who was killed by a sniper in 2020. Even before 2014, Yara organized actions to support the Ukrainian language and participated in the Euromaidan protests. She wanted to go to the eastern front immediately after the revolution's victory, but she was pregnant with her daughter. Finally, Yara completed her university studies in the philological faculty and then went to the Donbas. She joined the war effort as a volunteer medic in the Hospitallers Medical Battalion. After the death of her partner, she decided to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since 2020, she has served as a combat medic, and from 2021, she has started in reconnaissance. Yaryna Chornohuz has been through battles alongside marines in Mariupol, Popasna, and Bakhmut. She believes that being a soldier is her occupation. Although she was born in Kyiv, returning from the Donetsk region to her hometown doesn't make her comfortable. "Here is my comfort zone," says Chornohuz about the Donbas. "There, in peaceful cities, emptiness awaits anyone who now loves fighting for what belongs to you." Yaryna Chornohuz is currently 28 years old, and she is one of the few women in the Ukrainian military who have met the physical standards to earn the right to wear the Marine Corps beret. She has always strived to be on par with men, and when the full-scale invasion began, her company commander did not send her to safer places but allowed her to continue her tasks with the unit. "I'm glad I have kept on working with my company. I'm glad nobody sent me away from the front. Many men expect you to accept misogyny and sexism. I never accepted it, not in the army, when I felt it from some men, and I won't accept it. But now I'm with people who treat everyone as equal." Yaryna Chornohuz's daughter, Orysia, is 9 years old and lives in Kyiv. The only thing that calls Yara back to the rear is her daughter. "I'm fighting for her future."
Ruslana Danilkina, 20
Ruslana joined the war at the age of 18. Her mother and stepfather had served in 2015 and returned to the front as volunteers on February 24th, 2022. Their example inspired her. In April 2022, she joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and although she was initially assigned to work in the rear, she eventually fought to be transferred closer to the front. She became a communications specialist. She celebrated her 19th birthday on the front line with her fellow soldiers. On February 10th, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission in Kherson, she lost her leg. Fragments from cluster munitions hit the seat of the vehicle she was in. "I asked my comrades, 'What happened?' but they were silent," she says, recalling the moment after the shelling when she looked at her bloody leg. Fortunately, there were medics nearby who were able to stop the bleeding and save her life. Her leg, however, had to be amputated above the knee. Initially, it was very difficult for Ruslana to accept herself in this state, but then she made up her mind to fight for her life. She received constant support from people on social media. Every day, she received dozens of messages of encouragement. She decided that she could inspire others and show that a full life is possible with a prosthetic limb "Life is more precious than loss, and loss can become a new beginning," was her motto on the cover of one of the fashion lifestyle magazines featuring Ruslana Danilkina as the cover. Now she has a prosthetic limb, poses for fashion magazines, and dreams of ice skating and bike riding. Her Instagram page has 92 thousand followers, with whom she shares her new life. She also wants to inspire other wounded people, showing that life goes on and is worth living.
Ruslana joined the war at the age of 18. Her mother and stepfather had served in 2015 and returned to the front as volunteers on February 24th, 2022. Their example inspired her. In April 2022, she joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and although she was initially assigned to work in the rear, she eventually fought to be transferred closer to the front. She became a communications specialist. She celebrated her 19th birthday on the front line with her fellow soldiers. On February 10th, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission in Kherson, she lost her leg. Fragments from cluster munitions hit the seat of the vehicle she was in. "I asked my comrades, 'What happened?' but they were silent," she says, recalling the moment after the shelling when she looked at her bloody leg. Fortunately, there were medics nearby who were able to stop the bleeding and save her life. Her leg, however, had to be amputated above the knee. Initially, it was very difficult for Ruslana to accept herself in this state, but then she made up her mind to fight for her life. She received constant support from people on social media. Every day, she received dozens of messages of encouragement. She decided that she could inspire others and show that a full life is possible with a prosthetic limb "Life is more precious than loss, and loss can become a new beginning," was her motto on the cover of one of the fashion lifestyle magazines featuring Ruslana Danilkina as the cover. Now she has a prosthetic limb, poses for fashion magazines, and dreams of ice skating and bike riding. Her Instagram page has 92 thousand followers, with whom she shares her new life. She also wants to inspire other wounded people, showing that life goes on and is worth living.