AMSTERDAM (Sputnik) – Valery Melnikov's collection of photographs, titled "Black Days of Ukraine", won the top award in the Long-Term Projects category at the prestigious photojournalism event. The winning photos, depicting the human cost of the conflict in Ukraine, were taken over a three-year period, starting in 2014 during Melnikov’s assignments to South East Ukraine.
Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov said: "Looking through the camera lens, I tried to show the horror of what was happening. I have mixed feelings about this award: on the one hand, I'm happy to be recognized as a journalist and professional, while at the same time I feel sorrow for the people and civilians facing hardship. Many journalists across the world perform the essential task of providing photo coverage of military conflicts and tragedies, often risking their lives."
The World Press Photo competition is the largest and most prestigious annual collection of awards given in the photojournalism profession. The competition, founded in Amsterdam, dates back to 1955; a separate annual competition for multimedia productions was created in 2011. Since 1994, World Press Photo has also run the Joop Swart Masterclass, which offers mentoring to aspiring young photographers.
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