Euromaidan was a wave of demonstrations, civil unrest and
revolution in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013. Tens of
thousands of protesters took to the streets of Kiev demanding
closer European integration as well as the resignation of President
Yanukovych and his government. People stayed at the
Independence Square for months despite heavy police presence,
regularly sub-freezing temperatures, and snow. A turning point
came in late February 2014, when protesters and police clashed.
Up to 100 people were killed, hundreds injured. It was then when
President Yanukovych was ousted. And immediately a series of
changes occurred, including the installation of a new interim
government, the restoration of an older version of the
Constitution, and the call to hold impromptu presidential elections
within months.
I came to Kiev in late February 2014, when the bloodiest clashes
were over. The Independence Square wasn’t a war zone anymore,
but the main anti-government protest camp was still on. I faced
barricades, tents and ruins in the heart of the city. The spirit of
war was still in the air.
Citizens would bring flowers and candles, bid farewell to killed
protesters and realize the recent events. Ukraine passed an
important milestone and everybody believed that a renewed state
was about to appear.
Kiev’s Independence Square was a place where people fought for
their freedoms and rights, and for a better future. It was a place
which saw clashes between riot police and protesters, violence and
deaths of many people. Later, the dead protesters were called the
‘Heaven’s Hundred’ and were honoured as national heroes.
I focused on making pictures of the revolution aftermath. I paid
special attention to landscapes, because memory and place have
always been deeply interconnected. I photographed the
Independence Square and its neighbourhood, which were filled
with symbols and memory.
Maria Pleshkova (b. 1986) is a multidisciplinary artist working in photography, video, and writing. In her work, Pleshkova explores the boundaries of self-portraiture. Her life and her art are inseparably connected: she lives her life through her art, making intimate and self-revealing projects. She explores the Microcosm, the human universe, and certain moments of the highest intensity of life. Pleshkova’s projects are always autobiographical, but the autobiography is just an excuse to talk about things that are universal and common to all humankind.
Awards 2017 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3): Bronze Prize - Professional Fine Art Digitally Enhanced
2016 Dostoevsky Photography List (the list of 50 most interesting contemporary photographers of Russia and Ukraine according to Dostoevsky Photography Society, Netherlands)
2015 Photovisa, International Festival of Photography: First Prize in Multimedia Section
2015 Young Russian Photographers 2015: Laureate
2015 Photo Annual Awards: Honorable Mention
2014 International Photography Awards: Honorable mentions
2014 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3): Silver Prize - Fine Art
2014 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3): Bronze Prize - Portraiture
2014 Photo Annual Awards: Honorable Mentions
2013 La Quatrième Image. Photo fair prize: 2nd prize
2013 International Photography Awards: Honorable mentions
2013 American Photography 29
2013 China International Press Photo Contest: Honorable mention - War & Disaster News Stories
2013 China International Press Photo Contest: Honorable mention - General News Stories
2012 International Photography Awards: Honorable Mention
2012 The Inge Morath Award: Finalist
2012 Young Russian Photographers 2012: Laureate
2012 China International Press Photo Contest: Gold prize - Nature & Environment News Stories
2012 China International Press Photo Contest: Bronze prize - Art Culture & Entertainment News Stories
