by Sophia Tailor
Sophia Tailor (HUSI 2022) conducted this interview as part of her work for Dr. Channell-Justice's course "Ukraine in the World: Exploring Contemporary Ukraine."
Jana Rajcova is a documentary photographer and writer based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Among many impressive works, her EXODUS.REPORT documents the experiences of Ukrainian refugees who have found safety in Slovakia since February 24.
Tell me about your project, the EXODUS.REPORT.
I have a Master of Arts in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism from the University of Westminster in London. There, we had wonderful tutors and amazing guest lecturers, thanks to which I became interested in humanistic photography. The aim of humanistic photography is to tell real stories and inform the public about problems of the world, hoping to change the world for the better. I believe that photographs can create platform for dialogue, educate, and most importantly have the power to change opinion.
People and their stories were always in the center of my attention, and they became the most important subject of my work. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, I realized that everyone was talking about the numbers. In the media you could read about how many people may flee their home country. Those numbers were horrific on their own, but they were just numbers. I decided to give those numbers names and faces. I want to give them their dignity back, so I have been working on this documentary project, which is a combination of sociological and psychological portrait. My aim is to tell 100 stories of those who had no other option but to leave their homes and run away, hoping that their intimate and realistic portraits will provoke both sympathy and empathy in us.
Are there any stories that you would like to highlight? Why do you think they are especially important to tell?
Every story is important and unique. It’s difficult to pick just one. They are getting more difficult every day. Those who fled during the first days of the war did not see with their own eyes what those who are coming now saw. I have them all in my head, whether it's the story of a mother of three whose husband died a month before the war broke out; a pensioner who is my mother's age and who, instead of enjoying the rest of her life in peace surrounded by grandchildren, has to accept the help of strangers; or of a young girl who had to say goodbye to friends sent to the trenches with the possibility that they may never see each other again. I carry these human stories in my head and in my heart.
Some of those stories would sadden you more, and perhaps they can even make you cry. This is good because it means they provoked reaction. The ability to have feelings makes us human. Maybe it sounds naive, but what’s the meaning of life if there are no feelings? Right now, I am working on a story of a family which came to Slovakia from the infamously destroyed city of Mariupol. It is the most difficult one to read and truly tragic. The mother and her daughter provided me with a detailed description of how the war developed in their city and their firsthand experiences. I hope I was able to catch their story in their portraits, in the amazingly blue eyes of the daughter, whose husband and father of her children will never come home again. And in her reflection in the window, as if a part of her was gone. That’s what I am aiming for, to tell their stories through their portraits. I aspire to capture their fate, their story, create a photographic portrait of a person with dignity. If the circumstances allow it, I try to capture them the way I see them, so that my photo has the potential to say a lot even without unnecessary words. I am thankful for their trust, for them pouring their hearts out during the time we spend together.
The second layer of my Exodus.Report project is the text - the story of the people I meet. Those are honest, truthful statements, and they are records of history. I bring the testimonies of direct victims of the war to light, stories from a war which is taking place only a few hundred kilometers from me. These testimonies gradually increase in intensity on the site. I also publish the bank account numbers of organizations and individuals that I have met on my journey who need help. They are not large non-profit organizations that can afford to pay for the promotion of their activities.
What happens after the photograph? Where do these refugees go? Who helps them?
The first family I met a few days after the war broke. They managed to leave right before the Russians attacked. There were people who came to Slovakia just a day before I met them and others who were already settled down in their new lives. I usually meet them in asylum centers around Slovakia. Some of these centers are private, some government run. I am thankful to all those who granted me access and permission to meet these people. The access is very important, as a project of this kind cannot be done out on the streets. I stay in touch with most of them and am interested in knowing if they are all right and how their story continues. Some have already returned home to Ukraine, but those who came from the occupied territories stay. According to statistics, more people are returning to Ukraine now, but there are still new arrivals registered in Slovakia. Most of them have already found a place to stay outside the asylum centers and are able to pay for private accommodation. Others have found work, but there are cases, especially with the elderly, where they cannot work and must stay at the centers. I contact them whenever I return to see if they are all right, to find out whether a missing father of a girl has been found, or to ask if their health has improved.
Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia are receiving government aid, but it doesn’t cover all their needs. Many have to rely on help from individuals, volunteers, NGOs, and private organizations, like the initiative #KtoPomôžeUkrajine. They have set up a collection and delivery point of humanitarian aid in one of the biggest shopping centers in the capital city of Bratislava and are helping in many other ways. The truth is, though, that the volume of financial and non-financial support continuously decreases.
Have you noticed a difference in attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees from February 24 to now? How do we combat the "fatigue" that many people now feel for the war?
It's been almost five months since the war in Ukraine began, and many of those who left their homes are slowly establishing themselves in their new country, Slovakia or elsewhere. At the beginning, many people stepped up and volunteered or helped in any way they could. But sadly, it’s only natural that we get used to the new situation, that after some time our senses become dull. Having war raging right behind our borders, only few hundred kilometers away, stops being so scary. We start to take it as a fact: a new normal.
Then there is the Russian propaganda, thanks to which a large percentage of the population have been misled into thinking that Russia is righteously using its military power in Ukraine, or that Western powers are responsible for this war. Russia has had quite an influence in our part of the world. We also must consider our historical experience with Russia and rosy retrospection, which is the psychological phenomenon (again, a condition very natural to us humans) where we sometimes judge the past disproportionately more positively than the present. It’s difficult to change that.
I am often being asked if we are ready to accept people from Ukraine for longer than just "for a while", whether it is socially, mentally, humanly? I do believe so. I believe in human goodness. My parents raised me like that. People from Ukraine are people just like us. They want and try to be involved in our everyday life. They know they must, at least until they can return home. They have no other option. We must imagine that one day we may lose everything, that we may have to run away from home without any idea where we are going or what will happen to us next, not knowing if we will have anywhere to return to... If we can imagine that, then it’s all going to be fine. Because we will continue providing these people with the help they need.
What has surprised you or taught you the most as you conduct this work?
It definitely hasn’t been a walk in a rose garden. I have never been this close to war, never had a chance to meet any people directly affected by war. And suddenly I have found myself in the middle of it. It touched me deeply and changed me, too. I am being thanked, encouraged to continue, but also criticized and laughed at. It’s hurtful when you see that your work isn’t being taken seriously, and that some people are trying to prevent you from doing what you’re doing with your whole heart.
I do not take the peaceful sky above for granted anymore. I am happy that I have my own bed I can lay down to every night. I am full of joy that I can see my family and friends whenever I want to. I appreciate little moments in life even more than before. I also tell everyone that we have been blessed and that we are living very fortunate lives despite always complaining. We are very lucky indeed.
What should we take away from this project?
I wish as many people as possible will see the photographs I created and read the stories. When I ask around how many stories people usually read, they tell me two or three, that they simply cannot continue reading more as it is so tragic. So, my wish is for them to continue looking into eyes of those victims of war: Those strong women, innocent children, teenagers who lost their innocence in just a few hours, young people whose future is uncertain, and elderly who deserve peace instead of turmoil. None of them wanted this war. We all have the power to change things. Little by little, in any way we can.
Are you working on any other projects now?
I have been working on this project non-stop the first few months, but soon I realized I have to take better care of myself so I can continue helping others. So, when I feel I need to think about something else and free my mind a little, I tend to return to two of my long-term projects. One is highly personal, called “Alone.” It explores the psychological struggles of my mom, who leads a socially isolated life after my father passed away four years ago. The second is “Sandokan” and is about ancient sustainable fishing practices in the area of the Tyrrhenian Sea and explores humans' relationship with the sea and marine life while paying tribute to those seeking to preserve and respect natural environments.
What is next for you and the EXODUS.REPORT?
When I started the project, I had no idea where it would lead me. Slowly, the project has developed into something bigger. I am taking in every inspiration and guidance. I have a dream: to have the photographs from my project exhibited in the Presidential Garden in Bratislava, Slovakia. And in many other places, in Slovakia and abroad, so my work could be seen by as many people as possible. A few people already asked me if I am thinking about publishing a book. Yes, I am thinking about it and hoping I will be able to find enough support and funding for doing that. I am also thinking about continuation of my project when the war ends, which is going to be hopefully soon. I have a dream that my photographs and my project will change the way of thinking of at least one person. If I succeed, then it was all worth it.
Finally, I would like to thank to all those helping me on my journey. I would like to thank everyone who trusted me and believed in me and those who share their stories with me. And everyone who shares my work with the rest of the world! For that, I am thankful! I hope and believe, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to do what I do, that all the energy that I put into the project has meaning. I don't politicize, I'm not an activist, I'm just a documentary photographer. There’s something about what Cartier-Bresson once said, that his most important subject was “mankind, man and his life, so brief, so frail, so threatened.” I think I feel the same way.
Jana Rajcova’s work can be found on her website and on her EXODUS.REPORT. The EXODUS.REPORT website is available in English, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Russian.