Messenges

• Photographer
  Andrey Andreev
• Prize
  Bronze in Editorial / Conflict

A series of photographs captured the houses in Mariupol, adorned with messages left by local residents. Stripped of their homes and basic necessities, the civilians sought shelter in basements for months, enduring bombings and shelling. To signify their presence in these hiding places, they would inscribe messages on the exterior of buildings, proclaiming, "We are here, we exist." These people did not want to perish and held onto the hope that their voices would be heard, and another shell would not reduce their buildings to ruins, burying innocent lives beneath the rubble.