Valery Melnikov, Sputnik photojournalist and winner of multiple leading international photography contests, won the World Press Photo 2017 award in the Long-Term Projects category for his series of photos about the conflict in southern Ukraine, called "Black Days of Ukraine".
Valery Melnikov (Center), Sputnik photojournalist and winner of multiple leading international photography contests, receives the World Press Photo award 2017 award.
“For three years, I have travelled to Ukraine on business trips to photograph, analyse, and think about what I wanted to express through these photos," Melnikov says. "I don’t just photograph events; I bring meaning to every photo so that the viewer will contemplate both about the picture and the event. I’m very glad that photojournalism masters appreciated my work so highly,” he says.
“For three years, I have travelled to Ukraine on business trips to photograph, analyse, and think about what I wanted to express through these photos," Melnikov says. "I don’t just photograph events; I bring meaning to every photo so that the viewer will contemplate both about the picture and the event. I’m very glad that photojournalism masters appreciated my work so highly,” he says.
2/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
Residents of the village of Lugansk fleeing from an airstrike by the Ukrainian armed forces
A child in the bus at the Izvarino border checkpoint in the Lugansk Region
4/29
© RIA Novosti . Valeriy Melnikov
A house destroyed in the Ukrainian armed forces' air attack on the village of Luganskaya
Local residents in the village of Luganskaya after the Ukrainian armed forces' air attack.
Local residents in the village of Luganskaya after the Ukrainian armed forces' air attack.
Funeral of a self-defence forces fighter in the village of Chernukhino, Lugansk.
A local resident near a car that was hit by a shell during an artillery attack by the Ukrainian Security Forces on the Lugansk - Krasnodon highway.
9/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
A photo from World Press Photo award-winning series by Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov.
Local woman during a dispensation of bread in the village of Vesyoloye in Donetsk region.
11/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
World Press Photo award-winning series by Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov.
Raisa Shipuya, one of the last residents of the village of Zhelobok in Lugansk region.
13/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
A teenager in one of the rooms of destroyed school in the village of Shakhty 6/7.
14/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
A photo from "Black Days of Ukraine" series by Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov.
Funeral of Vladimir Ermilov and his son Vanya who died in a shelling by Ukrainian military forces.
A fire during shelling of Lugansk.
Burned cars after shelling of the Lozovoe village in Donetsk.
18/29
© RIA Novosti . Valeriy Melnikov
The body of a local resident killed in the Ukrainian armed forces' air attack on the village of Luganskaya.
19/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
A photo from World Press Photo award-winning series by Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov "Black Days of Ukraine".
Local Lugansk militia battalion at the frontline near Lisichansk.
A man is gardening at one of the streets of Vesyoloye village in Donetsk region.
22/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
Another photo from World Press Photo award-winning series by Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov "Black Days of Ukraine".
Man inspects damaged residential building in the Mirny district of Lugansk, hit by artillery fire.
24/29
© Sputnik / Valery Melnikov
One of the photos from World Press Photo award-winning series by Sputnik photojournalist Valery Melnikov "Black Days of Ukraine".
Funeral of Vladimir Ermilov and his son Vanya who died in a shelling.
A local woman is sitting near a house which was destroyed during a shelling by Ukrainian military forces.
2017 World Press Photo exhibition in Amsterdam.
Valery Melnikov receives the award for his series ‘Black Days of Ukraine’.
Valery Melnikov, Sputnik photojournalist and winner of multiple leading international photography contests, received the award for his series ‘Black Days of Ukraine’ in the Long-Term Projects category.
