In November 2009 members of Courage to Hope visited shelters across Ukraine, meeting with victims of domestic violence and advocates dedicated to stopping the epidemic of violence in the home. These men and women chose to share their stories with us in hopes of encouraging others in similar situations to stand against domestic violence. The following photos, courtesy of Jesse Moore and Icon Memories, showcase their struggle to find hope in a culture of domestic violence.
Images are available for Purchase. All proceeds go to support women in Ukraine.
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Meet Yulia. She married young and soon became pregnant. Upon finding out, her husband beat her with a metal mug. He began to frequently break out in violent bursts of anger. The episodes became more uncontrollable, escalating to a near fatality—he dangled her over their seventh story balcony by just her ankle. Enough was enough. She moved out and found a shelter.
Currently, she is going through a divorce and getting a degree to start a new life with her son.
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St. Michael’s golden-domed monastery stands boldly as a symbol of Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage.
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Babushka Yulia allowed her son and grandson to move into her apartment of 45 years after the death of her husband. The gratitude for a place to stay soon faded and they began beating her. Eventually, they kicked her out of her own apartment, changed the locks and told her they would kill her if she ever came back.
While Babushka Yulia doesn’t know what will come, her faith in God sustains her as the shelter gives her temporary refuge.
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From the perspective of the main square in Donetsk, an elderly ‘dedushka’ briskly travels on his way. His world only changes slightly as the bustle of modernization and flashy extravagance sweeps the lightly-populated upper echelons of Ukrainian society.
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Zack and Kristy preparing donations to give to shelters in Ukraine.
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Ala (from Courage to Hope – Ukraine) holding a child of one of the victims in the shelter in Kiev. Natalya, the shelter director, smiles on in the background.
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Two of the workers of the shelter in Kiev. They provide financial, legal and psychological support for the women without charge.
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Courage to Hope meeting with the shelter director, Natalia. She is a forward-thinking source of strength and determination against domestic abuse in Ukraine.
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Eric was orphaned by severely abusive parents as a child. Recently, he was adopted into a loving family who is actively involved in Courage to Hope.
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Eric is captivated by the shuffling skills of Zack Oates.
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At the market in Donetsk, a husband and wife join together to add commerce to commitment by selling dried fish, a favorite snack of the Ukrainian people.
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Completed in 1905, the Kiev funicular still saves millions of commuters a year the long walk up the steep embankment from the lower historic regions to the modern upper banks.
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In south-western Ukraine, the minor metropolis of Chernovtsi has meager accommodations for those staying in this shelter.
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The remnants of a communist-era see-saw lay broken and unused near a Ukrainian shelter. A child’s hurried footprints can be seen.
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Plastered advertisements crowd this city wall in south-western Ukraine.
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In between the densely populated cities of Ukraine, the fields expand beyond the horizon. With more black soil than any other country, Ukraine truly is the breadbasket of Europe.
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During the communist regime, everyone was given an apartment. That philosophy still dominates the mainstream culture of Ukraine. Most of the shelters and centers for battered women in Ukraine are located in buildings like this.
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On the side of a busy highway, these individuals collect birch branches that they sell for passing cars. The tied twigs are turned into either an exfoliating experience at a Russian sauna or simply a broom.
