Bombing, Destruction, Genocide: Children of Donbass Exhibition on Major Russian Cities' Streets

Katya, 10 years old. "The moment the hostilities broke out, Katya was in a kindergarten as she would be on normal days. As soon as the frightening echo of explosions filled the children's room, the group was swiftly evacuated to the basement. After a while, the child was taken home, but the road was not the usual one. Together with her grandmother, they ran back and forth from one safe place to another, slowly making their way home".

Kira, 5 years old. "The girl only strolls around the house with her mother, prepared for 'incoming shelling' at any minute. If they [the UAF] start shelling, the little girl knows where the safest place in the house is. Like other children, she listens carefully to her mother's stories about the hits".

Dima, 8 years old. "On the day the conflict started, he and his mother were walking in the park. When they heard the sound of explosions, they thought it was firecrackers exploding. But they soon realised that the fire was coming from aircraft".

Nastya, 4 years old. "The girl lives near Donetsk airport. Her whole life is about the ongoing conflict. The girl's mother gave her permission to take her photo if she agreed. Nastya did not want her pictures taken but in exchange for sweets, she did".

Vlad, 11 years old. "Vlad has seen a time of peace, unlike many children younger than him. He remembers how he used to walk everywhere, including near the lake, where there are now many unexploded mines, one of which killed a man. Vlad assured that after the explosion near his home, he no longer fears anything".

Liza, 6 years old. "All through the conflict, the girl has been living in one of the most shelled areas of Donetsk. The fighting started when Liza was a little girl. All her conscious life she has been living in the context of hostilities".

Violetta, 9 years old. "The girl lives in the village of Aleksandrovka. A part of this settlement belongs to the so-called 'grey zone'. There, children can pick apricots in the yard of a destroyed house, and a hundred metres away, at the outermost edge, periodic exchanges of gunfire break out. Children's laughter alternating with machine gun fire is the hallmark of the frontline suburbs".

Sophia, 7 years old. "When Sophia was asked to look into the eyes of those shooting them, the girl's mother said: 'Remember, sweetie, how they bombed us. How a shell came to the house, how a wall flew out. Remember and look, do not let the journalist down'. Sophia pulled herself together and looked. They do not act on camera - they treat the request responsibly, with hopes for salvation".

Over the past eight years, a whole generation of children has grown up in Donbass. They are versed in the types of shells, they distinguish the sounds of shelling, they know when and how to hide if it "whistles", but they know no peace on their soil.