RESTLESS SOULS OF BUCHA

Death is life’s only certainty. The most we can hope for is that we experience a “good death,” a natural death at a mature stage in life, in an environment where we are surrounded by loved ones, comforted by familiar rituals, and free of pain, regret, or conflict. War not only brings death, but death in its cruelest form. This series seeks to show the harsh realities of Bucha and beyond as these communities attempt to cope with the unimaginable death left behind by Russian soldiers.

Ukrainian forces liberated the Russian-occupied city of Bucha on March 31, 2022, revealing a level of violence and destruction that shocked the world. Investigators told the Washington Post that they would likely never have a complete tally of those killed in Bucha. They estimated 458 people were killed or died in Bucha during the Russian occupation, and only 39 of 458 appeared to have died from natural causes. Many showed signs of torture or execution.

Russian forces have deprived families of closure by burning the bodies of civilians, dumping bodies into mass graves, and refusing burials to families living under occupation. Yet, the Ukrainians have endured these atrocities with resilience, dignity, and hope. Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko beautifully encapsulates this spirit in his poem Testimony, “Oh, bury me in my beloved Ukraine… then rise ye up and break your heavy chains and water with the tyrants' blood the freedom you have gained. And in the great new family, the family of the free. With softly spoken, kindly words, remember, also, me.”