From the series In the Shadow

2022

digital capture; archival pigment print

The Kárpátalja (Transcarpathian) region is both infrastructurally and economically underdeveloped, a situation made even more difficult by the Russian-Ukrainian war, which broke out in early 2022. Many young people have left the region, leaving numerous people with disabilities alone, especially in rural villages, where they struggle to care for themselves. There is hardly a household untouched by serious illness, often resulting from harsh working conditions and inadequate medical care. Many of the patients are elderly, which makes self-care and the organisation of basic support extremely difficult. The average pension amounts to the equivalent of roughly 20-25,000 Hungarian forints in hryvnia, and disability benefits must be reapplied for every year; this is an almost impossible task for those living alone.
(Beregszász Berehove District, Kárpátalja, Ukraine)

30 × 20 cm

photo: Szöllősi Mátyás