Curated by Teona Gogichaishvili

Testament ’22 is Byron Smith’s searing debut monograph documenting his 10,000-mile journey across battle-torn Ukraine during the country’s first year under Russia’s unprovoked invasion. Inspired by the late Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko’s literary legacy, Smith captures an intimate yet varied portrait of a nation at war.

Smith’s unwavering images bear witness to the staggering human cost of war—grieving mothers, shattered communities amid ruin—while also celebrating Ukraine’s tenacious spirit and resilience against unspeakable tragedy. From Kyiv’s devastated suburbs to newly liberated villages, Smith’s compelling black and white and color photographs etch an image in the viewer’s mind that ensures these sacrifices will not be forgotten.

Contributing to the overwhelming evidence of Russian crimes, these profoundly moving portraits feature a text by Kyiv Independent reporter Igor Kossov, with whom Smith collaborated on frontline dispatches. The half Ukrainian, half Russian international correspondent had been working in Ukraine for three years. When the invasion became inevitable, he decided to stay, committing himself to document the unfolding events.

His accompanying essay provides a powerful narrative that complements the visual storytelling. “The photos within these pages bear witness to how Ukrainians lived through the 31st year of their independence, when the empire that had ruled them for centuries came to take it back”. An essential reminder that the costs extend far beyond the battlefield, Testament ’22 gives voice to the Ukrainians’ resilience homeland and to their fight for their beloved homeland.

In Testament ‘22 Smith documents the Ukrainian people caught in a liminal space. Forced to leave their homes and worldly possessions, they confront an uncertain future. With his ever-present lens, Smith searches through the cracks in the abyss and discovers hope. Survivors carve shelters into the ruins. Children build clubhouses from discarded Russian munitions boxes. The Russian attack stalls, spring returns and Ukrainians embrace a respite from the endless bombing. Smith has given us a comprehensive look at war and resistance, but most importantly, he delivers the existential struggle of a nation that has given birth to a defiant and determined Ukrainian spirit that will prevail.

Smith’s photographs have won several awards and his work documents massive human loss and contributes to the overwhelming evidence of Russian war crimes. Testament ’22, a collection of remarkable photographs also includes an essay written by Kyiv Independent journalist, Igor Kossov and paintings by Victor Onyshshenko.

Testament ’22 is the recipient of several awards, most recently a Documentary Photography Award from the Royal Photographic Society in 2023. The work has been exhibited in Washington D.C., Oxford University, London, Hamburg, Oslo, Budapest, and his adopted home of Athens, Greece.

Byron Smith (b. 1986, USA) is an internationally recognized award-winning photographer whose work aims to capture the raw essence of   conflict and migration, hoping to show these stories' echoing impact on the world. He has covered stories from conflict zones, including Iraq, Sudan, and Ukraine, to the shifting political landscapes of Northern Ireland, Kazakhstan, and at home in the United States. His work has been exhibited in major cities in the US, such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and it extends internationally to the UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, Hungary, and Finland. His work is widely published in The New York Times and for CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Getty Images, Le Monde, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and VICE Magazine. 

He was a part of the VII Mentorship Program’s 2023-’24 cohort.