‘Love conquers all’

A photo series on Russian-Ukrainian couples from Kiev to the Far East

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has raged for nearly a year now, pushing to the brink anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Russia and anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine. But the ties between Russia and Ukraine have always been close, and not just in a political sense: you can find Ukrainian relatives in just about any Russian family, for instance. Photographer Oksana Yushko set out to show that many Russians and Ukrainians are still bound by love, creating a photo series about Russian-Ukrainian couples from all over the two countries, from Kiev to the Russian Far East.

“I started this project with a photograph of my own parents: my mother is Russian and my father is Ukrainian,” Yushko says. “They met and fell in love many years ago. My friends and family and I live in two worlds, in two countries outside international borders and prejudices. Recent events have shocked us all. There are terrible things happening. But this photo series isn’t about politics; it’s about people.”

Yushko says her photos tell the real stories of real relationships and can set an example for Russia and Ukraine. “I myself never believed anything divides Russians and Ukrainians,” she explains. “I don’t see any difference. Since I was a kid in school, I always knew that we’re in this together—and I’m not talking only about Russians and Ukrainians. I feel the same way traveling anywhere in the world, visiting friends in different countries. I thought I should do something, that I should say something about love and friendship, instead of war and aggression.”

Angelina Georgievna and Viktor Kuzmich live in Kharkov, Ukraine. This is where the project began, with Yushko’s Russian mother and Ukrainian father. They met in college at Kharkov State University, and have lived together for the past 50 years.

Born in Odessa, Alexey is Ukrainian. Olga is Russian. Their love story started three years ago with a photograph. While on vacation in Odessa, Olga wanted a photographer to take some pictures of her, and she found Alexey. They now live together near Moscow with their baby daughter, Liza.

Alexander Fedorovich is Russian. A WWII veteran and the former captain of the Crimean Partisan, he was born in Siberia. Tatyana Grigoryevna is Ukrainian. They’ve been together for nearly 30 years. Three years ago, Alexander started suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and Tatyana is now his primary caretaker. They live together in Crimea.

Vladimir is a Russian contemporary artist. Olga, born in Ukraine’s Kirovogradskaya region, is a ballerina. They live together in Khimki, just outside Moscow, with their newborn baby.

Arthur is Ukrainian. Oksana is Russian, but she was born in Ukraine. Her mother is Russian, and her father is Ukrainian. Their love story started two years ago. Now they work and travel together, visiting their friends and families in Russia, Ukraine, and around the whole world.

Alexander is Ukrainian. Irina is Russian. On August 7, they celebrated 32 years together. Their love story started with a dance when he was a cadet in a military school, when she was a nurse. Traveling the world, they collect frogs for happiness and good luck, and love to meet different people.

Bohdan is Ukrainian, born and raised in western Ukraine. Irina, who lived in Norilsk until the age of 17, is Russian. They met at an intersection, where Bohdan stopped his motorbike and told Irina she would make a lovely daughter-in-law for his father. Twenty-five years later, they’re still married.

Dima was born in Moscow, and Vlada is from Kiev. After meeting in the Caucasus, their relationship was long-distance, at first. Today, they live together in New York City with their 6-month-old son, Lev.

Tatyana, born in Chernigov, is Ukrainian. Sergey is Russian from the Amurskaya region, in the Russian Far East. They met each other while studying in Kiev. Tatyana had always dreamed of seeing the Far East, and Sergey invited her to visit his family. Within a year, they were married and living in Zeya, in the Amurskaya region. They’ve been together more than 30 years now.

Yulya and Edik were born in Gorlovka, in eastern Ukraine. Yulya's relatives are from Orenburg, Russia, and Cherkassi, Ukraine. Edik's parents are from Lipetsk, Russia, and the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine. Today, Yulya and Edik are refugees from eastern Ukraine, living in Moscow with their 4-year-old son, Dima.

Sergey is from Donetsk. Alla was born in Ufa, Russia. They met each other in 2006 during a Christian Orthodox forum in Kiev. One year later, Alla moved to Kiev, where the couple has lived ever since. They have two children, Dasha (7) and Lesha (3), and at least once a year they visit relatives in Russia.

Valery is from Odessa, and Sveta was born in St. Petersburg. They met in Odessa, when Sveta came to visit a friend. One year later, Sveta and Valery got married. They’re both interested in yoga, different cultures, and other sundry esoteric things.

Vera, a former ballet dancer, is from Kiev, and Boris is a computer coder from Moscow. They became friends while hiking in the mountains. Two years later, Vera moved to Moscow. In 2013, they decided to marry. Today, they’re awaiting the birth of their first child.

Darya is from Sumy, Ukraine. Maxim was born in Karaganda, and later moved to Voronezh, Russia. They met each other in a car heading from Kaluga to Voronezh, and started seeing each other the next day. For the past six months, they’ve been living together in Moscow.

Irina is Russian, and Aleksandr is from Ukraine. His parents and relatives live in Cherkassy, Ukraine. He met Irina in 2006 while on a business trip. Ever since, they’ve lived together in Moscow. In 2008, their son, Nikita, was born.

Vladimir was born in Moscow, and Eugenia is from Kharkov. They met each other in 2006 while visiting their grandmothers in a village in the Kursk region. Three years later, after weathering the long-distance relationship, Eugenia moved to Moscow, where she and Vladimir now live happily together with their daughter, Arisha.