“Must Live. War Through the Eyes of Ruslan Borovyk”

Coming soon to Kyiv — the launch of a documentary photography project by Ruslan Borovyk (“Baghdad”), a Ukrainian soldier, photographer, and defender of Donetsk Airport.

He witnessed the war from within. With a weapon in his hands, he defended Ukraine. In quieter moments, he picked up his camera to capture his fellow soldiers — their faces, smiles, exhaustion, friendship, and moments of life amid the war.

Ruslan dreamed of sharing these photographs with the world. In 2018, his friends helped him begin preparing an exhibition. The work continued for nearly four years.

On the very day the exhibition was finally ready, Ruslan was killed on the front line.

He never got to see his dream come true…

But we decided to carry on his work. Despite the pain of losing him, despite the ongoing war, we were determined to preserve his photographic legacy, share the stories of Ukraine’s defenders with the world, and fulfill the dream Ruslan had cherished.

“Must Live” is more than a photography exhibition. It is a story of remembrance, friendship, loyalty, and a dream that lives on.

The project will begin in Kyiv, with plans to bring Ruslan’s photographs and the stories behind them to international audiences — fulfilling his dream of showing the world the war through the eyes of those who lived it.

At the presentation, Ruslan’s fellow soldiers, friends, and loved ones will share their memories of him — as a warrior, photographer, husband, father, and friend.

A man in an embroidered shirt on a stage, holding a smiling child who wears a blue beret and waves a small Ukrainian flag — On stage, with a child in a blue beret

A soldier in a helmet holding up a Ukrainian flag covered in handwritten signatures, beside a damaged building — A Ukrainian flag covered in signatures

A man holding up a large canvas print of a photograph while a woman looks on — Looking over a canvas print

Six people in a group selfie in front of a wall hung with black-and-white portraits of soldiers — In front of a wall of portraits

A woman and a man in a yellow cap smiling on a wide street in central Kyiv — In central Kyiv

A soldier in a helmet and camouflage standing on a path under bare branches, a rocket launcher on his shoulder — In a tree line

A soldier holding a signed Ukrainian flag beside an armoured vehicle painted with a Z — Beside an armoured vehicle marked with a Z

A soldier standing beside a heavy machine gun on its mount, with ammunition boxes at his feet and damaged houses behind — Among damaged houses, beside a heavy machine gun

“We must keep living, building our country into the place we want it to be — for our children, so that none of this will have been in vain.”
Ruslan Borovyk

His dream lives on. His story continues. Because we must live.

And we must remember. ❤️🇺🇦

Project organizer: Heart of the World Ukraine.

Attending

For security reasons, the presentation will be held by invitation only, and its date, time, and location will not be publicly disclosed.

Following the presentation, the photography exhibition will be open to the public for two weeks, during the venue’s regular opening hours and under its standard admission conditions.

Thank you for your understanding.

Please stay safe, everyone. ❤️🇺🇦

Where campaign donations go

A portion of donations to the exhibition campaign will help transport the exhibition to future venues. The remainder will support humanitarian aid in Ukraine. The allocation is still being finalized, and future venues are still under discussion.

This campaign is separate from general humanitarian donations to Heart of the World Ukraine, which go to the five programs.

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Heart of the World Ukraine is a Canadian non-profit corporation, not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible and we cannot issue official tax receipts.

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