Bearing Witness: Documenting War Crimes in Mariupol, Ukraine

Mstyslav Chernov

Mstyslav Chernov and Evgeniy Maloletka photographed the siege of Mariupol from day one. Their powerful visual evidence, which appeared in media outlets around the world, was in complete contrast to Russian propaganda. As a result, they ended up on the Russian Army’s list of undesirable persons. During critical moments they hid in a Mariupol hospital under the guise of doctors, from where they were later evacuated by Ukrainian military. They were the last journalists in the besieged city.

For their work in Ukraine, both journalists, along with a team of Associated Press colleagues, were awarded Pulitzer Prizes in the “Public Service” category, and Maloletka also won for “Breaking News Photography.”

The Bearing Witness: Documenting War Crimes in Mariupol, Ukraine photo exhibition is presented in association with the upcoming FRONTLINE PBS and Associated Press documentary, 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL. Winner of the Sundance Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary, the film explores an AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more. After nearly a decade covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, for The Associated Press, 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL is director Mstyslav Chernov’s first feature film. The film draws on Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. It offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it’s like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.

20 Days in Mariupol opens at the Film Forum on July 14^th.

Artist Bios

Mstyslav Chernov

Mstyslav Chernov is a Ukrainian photojournalist, filmmaker, war correspondent and novelist known for his diverse photography exhibitions, as well as his coverage of the Revolution of Dignity; the War in Donbas, including the downing of flight MH17; the Syrian civil war; the Battle of Mosul in Iraq; and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the Siege of Mariupol.
Evgeniy Maloletka

Evgeniy Maloletka is a Ukrainian freelance photojournalist and a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP). Maloletka started his career in 2009 as a staff photographer for local news agencies UNIAN and PHL. He was deeply involved in coverage of the Ukrainian revolution since the beginning, before moving to cover the conflicts in Crimea and eastern Ukraine for various international media.

Organizations

Frontline PBS

FRONTLINE, U.S. television’s longest running investigative documentary series, explores the issues of our times through powerful storytelling. FRONTLINE has won every major journalism and broadcasting award, including 69 Emmy Awards and 19 Peabody Awards. FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS.
Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP)

UAPP is a non-profit public organization that has been involved in educational, social and cultural projects since 2013, supporting Ukrainian photographers, photography schools and publishers. UAPP deals with educational, social and cultural projects and represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community.