On September 10, 2026, the presentation of Ukrainian photographer Yurii Veres’s documentary photobook Light Through the Ruins took place at the Lviv Palace of Arts as part of the XXXIII Lviv International BookForum.
The conversation was moderated by Ukrainian actress Rymma Ziubina. Together, they spoke about photography during wartime, the people Yurii encountered in regions affected by the Russian invasion, memory, the ethics of documentary photography, and the photographer’s personal responsibility. They also discussed music, another important part of Yurii’s creative work, as well as the story behind the creation of the book.
The conversation went well beyond the photobook itself. They talked about how a photographer’s perspective changes over time, how to work with the subject of war without turning human suffering into spectacle, and why Yurii felt it was important to create a book rather than simply assemble a collection of individual photographs.
The video recording preserves almost the entire presentation. Due to several technical interruptions, a few parts of the answers were only partially recorded, but the main part of the conversation is available in full.
Light Through the Ruins is a documentary photobook by Yurii Veres, based on photographs taken in Ukraine between 2022 and 2025. The book contains more than 300 photographs portraying people, towns, and villages whose lives have been affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is not limited to images of destruction, but also focuses on people, memory, resilience, and the possibility of rebuilding.
Yurii Veres would like to thank Rymma Ziubina for the thoughtful conversation and insightful questions; Iryna Bilotserkivska and Bilka Publishing House for the invitation to participate in BookForum and for preserving the conversation on video; and the Lviv BookForum organizers for making the event possible.
Watch the full video