Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

Photojournalist and Visual Storyteller.

War crimes against the LGBTQ community- Particularly in the crosshairs

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Clients: Geo Magazin , Die Zeit , Brand eins, NZZ am Sonntag , WOZ die Wochenzeitung

An armored spear in Kyiv is pai... traditional Ukrainian flowers.

An armored spear in Kyiv is painted with traditional Ukrainian flowers.

A series of events has been tak...not have to be a contradiction.

A series of events has been taking place in Kyiv, that combines traditional Ukrainian and electronic music. At this rave, there is a DJ booth and traditional instruments are played as well. The young generation, which is fighting hard to advance progressive political ideas in Ukraine, simultaneously draws on traditions and searches for its roots. There are many queer people present. They celebrate and uphold their traditions. Reviving traditions and living a progressive understanding of gender roles does not have to be a contradiction.

The eastern Ukrainian city of K...their love for each other here.

The eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is under heavy Russian fire almost every day since the beginning of the invasion. Nevertheless, queer people in the city do not give up: The ‘Pride Hub’ event is organized together with Kharkiv Pride. The space was recently opened as an office of the organization. Police protect the event with several units. Masha Kovaliova 28 (left) & Darka Batinska 25 (right) publicly show their love for each other here.

A group of young participants i...uo; are written on the posters.

A group of young participants in Kharkiv Pride write posters for Pride. “Different people, all citizens of Ukraine” & ‘Being a lesbian is not a crime’ are written on the posters.

As part of the Pride, a &ls...hem have been openly outed yet.

As part of the Pride, a ‘moment of silence’ is held.This minute of silence, is dedicated to the LGBT* soldiers who died in the battle for Ukraine. Activists from the Kharkiv Pride organization lay flowers and photos. The faces of the soldiers are partially pixelated because not all of them have been openly outed yet.

On the day the Pride parade pas...urns to death in her apartment.

On the day the Pride parade passes through Kharkiv, a Russian attack hits a block of flats on the outskirts of the city. Over 40 people are injured, an old woman burns to death in her apartment.

On September 15, a so-called &a...ty for her and others affected.

On September 15, a so-called “autopride” take place in the city center of Kharkiv. Due to the ongoing shelling, the activists march through the city as a motorcade. Anastasiia Popova, co-founder of Kharkiv Pride, explains that the protest for equality has been taking place in Kharkiv since 2019 and that the pandemic and the war have not changed this. Anastasia is aware of the imminent danger if Kharkiv falls into Russian hands. And it hangs over the activists like a sword of Damocles: “If Kharkiv were occupied, my friends and I would probably be at the top of that list.” The fight for the territorial integrity of Ukraine therefore also remains a fight to protect the LGBTIQ community for her and others affected.

“Between the air alar... member of the LGBTQ community.

“Between the air alarms and daily life, Mino Chumachenko (18) tries to enjoy the calm, watching as a transformer station passes by the window of the Kyiv bus he's on. Today, shortly after Ukraine’s 33rd Independence Day, Russia fired several hundred drones and missiles all over the country. Including the capital. In the morning, explosions shook Kyiv. Two years ago, Chumachenko lived in the city of Kherson in the south of Ukraine. Under Russian occupation, he hardly dared to leave his house. The fear of the invaders was too great, as Mino Chumachenko is trans and a member of the LGBTQ community.

Possad-Pokrovske is a village o...t all the houses are destroyed.

Possad-Pokrovske is a village on the roadside between Kherson and Mykolaiv in the south of Ukraine. Around 2,400 people lived here before the start of the Russian invasion. Ukrainian soldiers take up position in the village in 2022 to liberate the region. A months-long battle then begins. The Russian troops withdraw in November. Ruins remain.The school, the kindergarten, the large cultural center, the three petrol stations, the cooking oil factory and almost all the houses are destroyed.

A wreck of a burnt-out car on t...the way to the city of Kherson.

A wreck of a burnt-out car on the side of the road on the way to the city of Kherson.

Oleksiy Polukhin (left), 22 yea...e up to twelve years in prison.

Oleksiy Polukhin (left), 22 years old, is an LGBT* activist from southern Ukraine. He was arrested at a military checkpoint of the Russian occupying forces in Kherson - because he was a member of an LGBT* telegram group and was accused of sharing information with the Ukranian military. The occupying forces held him in one of the torture prisons for over two months where he was humiliated and exposed to severe violence. Among other things, they allegedly forced him to dance in a woman's dress when they found out that he had earlier performed as a drag queen. “They probably did that to make fun of me,” he says. Oleksiy is still hunted by nightmares and struggles with flashbacks of his captivity during daytime. His partner tries to help him to come to terms with these experiences. He is not the only victim of this praxis. More cases like this are documented by the Projector organization and have already been assigned to local, national and international courts. A particular concern of Oleksiy Polukhin and other victims is that the acts are recognized in court as gender-specific hate crimes against the LGBTIQ community. Eight Russian military officers who were allegedly involved in Polukhin's abuse have been charged. They face up to twelve years in prison.

Oleksiy Polukhins tattoo was cr...and the Ukrainian coat of arms.

Oleksiy Polukhins tattoo was created in the first weeks of the invasion. When the Russian troops occupied the city. It shows the colors of Ukraine and the Ukrainian coat of arms.

The regional administration of ...during the battle for the city.

The regional administration of Mykolaiv still lies in ruins today. At the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, a rocket attack destroyed the building during the battle for the city.

About an hour's drive f...e. She had though already left.

About an hour's drive from Kherson, in the town of Mykolaiv, Anastasiia Bile continues the human rights organization Insha's work. Insha supports queer people which led to Russian troops searching the organization's premises and hunting for Bile. She had though already left.

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Public Project

War crimes against the LGBTQ community- Particularly in the crosshairs

Copyright Sitara Thalia Ambrosio 2025

Updated Jan 2025

Summary

In the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, queer people experience imprisonment, torture and sexualized violence. Despite all this, a large community exists.

The story was published as a photo essay in Der Standard and appeared as a long reportage on Fluter.de and in the Amnesty Journal.

Even as Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine, people from marginalized groups were particularly concerned: Sinti and Roma, people in precarious living conditions without the financial means to evacuate, people with limited mobility - and the LGBTIQ community. For the latter, this is because a homophobic and transphobic social climate has prevailed in the Russian Federation for many years. LGBTIQ people are persecuted by the state and the queer community is classified as extremist by the Supreme Court. Before the invasion of Russian troops, there were rumors about a so-called “execution list”. Representatives of the LGBTIQ community are allegedly on this list. This is according to US authorities and could not be verified independently.

German photojournalist Sitara Ambrosio and her Ukrainian colleague Yana Radchenko spent months researching the topic. Their trip and research were financed by “The Europe Ukraine Desk of N -Ost / Border crossing journalism”. Their research shows: Queer people were arrested, beaten up and subjected to sexualized violence under Russian occupation. This is based on extensive reports from various organizations, statements from eyewitnesses and investigations by the Ukrainian public prosecutor's office.

Despite all the challenges and difficulties, the Ukrainian LGBTIQ community continues to stand up for their rights. Some fight on the front line as soldiers or medics, others work in the background as volunteers and still others are active as human rights activists. Their fight for equality and dignity continues even during the war. Both in the capital, where events take place on a regular basis. However, far-right groups regularly disrupt the pride parades that take place every year in the major cities, and homophobic and transphobic crimes are often not investigated or punished by the authorities. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is also widespread, and the rights of LGBTIQ people are violated in various areas of life.

Research: Yana Radchenko and Sitara Ambrosio
Photos: Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

With the support of: Michael Trammer, Volodymyr Pecherskiy, Hlib Fishchenko, Oleksandra Natsiuk and Daryna Zolotnikova

The project was supported by Leica Camera Germany.

Travel and research funded through “The Europe Ukraine Desk of N -Ost / Border crossing journalism” This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Yana Radchenko and Sitara Ambrosio and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

Oct 20, 2022

Project

The People behind the Border: External Border in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

Sep 28, 2022

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