A non-profit journalism and documentary film organization dedicated to bringing stories of faith, courage and perseverance to the world
Ukraine - Greatest Underdog Story of the Century.
Within hours of the February 24, 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world declared them DOA. How could this small nation, re-born in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet communist state, stand against the massive superpower of the Russian bear? The odds were a thousand to one. What no one expected or understood was the indomitable resolve of the people of Ukraine, their defiance to those who would rape their homeland, their faith that God would deliver them, and the inspiring unity that would charaterize them as a people. It is the greatest underdog story of the last century, and Ukraine Story photojournalists and documentarians are on the ground in key cities, humanitarian relief centers and at the front lines.
Not Since WWII…
This is a moment in history. We have seen nothing like it in our lifetime.
2022 gave us the unprovoked and unlawful invasion of a sovereign nation by a world power; More than fourteen million displaced people. The dehumanisation of forty-four million people, denied their own identity by a Russian elite intent on annexation, military, economic, political and social control over that people.; Mass acts of barbaric inhumanity by soldiers against tens of thousands of noncombatants, including children.
Yes, the world has seen much since World War II, but nothing of the scope or on the scale of unjust war, and human atrocities committed in the wake of the Russian invasion of their neighbour, Ukraine. There have been many threats to the stability of the modern world, but the “special operation” of Vladimir Putin has done more to set the world on edge and undermine the hope of global peace than any military action since the rise of the Third Reich.
Unity. Defiance. Faith. Courage.
The invasion of Ukraine and horrifying assault on its homeland has resulted in a form of clarity to the people of Ukraine, the kind which appears utterly absent in the modern world. Whatever weaknesses and shortcomings have influenced Ukraine in the past, have been superseded by values which might be considered the wonder of the modern world: Unprecedented UNITY; DEFIANCE in the face of overwhelming odds; FAITH which cries out for a victory which can only be delivered from Above, and COURAGE to endure what most would find unbearable. This is post-invasion Ukraine. It is a nation which has become an exemplar of the virtues which make a people truly great, and a mentor to the modern era of what it means to stand alone with pebbles and sling in the face of a merciless Goliath. It is time for the world to reflect, observe and learn from this great Ukranian Moment. This is the purpose of Ukraine Story, to document and share the human stories of Unity, Defiance, Faith and Courage, for our benefit, and for the generation to come.
Even in War, Love Remains
Love stories remind us of our humanity, of the beauty and value of life in the midst of an aggressors carnage. Join us as we document touching stories of beauty and love, of weddings and marriage, emerging from what future generations will see as the greatest underdog story of the 21st Century. Our documentary teams will be sharing the stories of couples brought together during the furnace of war, of weddings in bunkers and battlefields, and those heartwarming reminders that even in the darkest hours, love finds a way.
An Ancient, Beautiful Culture
Ukranians are a distinct people with a history that goes back a millennium. The invaders would have the world think that the people of Ukraine are not a distinctive nation, but merely disobedient Russians who must be brought back into the fold of the motherland, similar to the days of the Soviet Union.
But Ukraine disagrees. Meet Anna Senik, the ethno-photographer and member of the Ukranian Armed Forces featured in our documentary project, who took this image. By day, her mission is to preserve the beauty and heart of the Ukranian people through art, film and history. By night she works with the Territorial Defense to safeguard her country. She is one of a number of artists who are using their talents to save the life of their family and friends. Art reveals humanity. Humanity points to our common interest. Empathy comes from entering into one another’s experience. It is difficult to empathise with people, until you understand their history and context. Until you see them for their beauty.
Somewhere in the shadows of our national memory, we Americans continue to draw strength from attributes which once launched us as a people - courage, defiance, faith, and unity. But today they are whispers of ideas, the ephemera of our national consciousness.
Ukraine has emerged from the ashes to remind us once again what it means to be alive as a people. To cherish freedom. To have noble purpose.
Importantly, Ukraine has modelled how a nation sets aside squabbles and unites in a righteous cause in the face of abject evil.
- Ukraine Story: The Documentary
The Documentary
It is the greatest underdog story of the 21st Century. The tiny country of farmers vs. the Superpower bear. Now join the filmmakers of Ukraine Story as they take you deep into the war-torn world where a nation of unexpected heroes model DEFIANCE, FAITH, COURAGE AND UNITY to the Western World.
Meet the two former world heavyweight boxing champions whose defiance in the defense of a city has inspired millions. Meet Anna the Ukranian ethno-photographer who captures the beauty of Ukranian women in traditional garb by day, and uses her skills to target invaders by night. Meet the former poet and professor - a 90 year-old survivor of Ukraine’s first Russian genocide (The Holodomor). Today, he sits with a cane in one hand and a rifle in the other as he prepares to defend his tiny apartment against invaders. Meet the nurse and a school teacher turned territorial defender, who found love in a hospital, and shared their wedding day with troops on the battlefield.
Meet these and others as part we tell the stories of defiance, faith, unity and courage, from ordinary people, thrown into the vortex of history, by extraordinary circumstances.
In-the-Field Reporting
Through war correspondence, photo-journalism and documentary reporting, Ukraine Story is gathering interviews, footage, and reports to chronicle the stories of the life of everyday people during the invasion of their nation.
Contact
We are looking for human interest stories of Faith, Defiance, Unity and Courage on the ground in Ukraine, as well as reports from Ukranian Americans with family in regions of Ukraine which have been under direct attack. Please reach out to us at the address below.
Email
directorukrainestory@gmail.com
For general questions and information
ukrainestoryofficial@gmail.com
Ukraine Story is a 501(c)(3) under federal tax guidelines
ukrainestoryofficial@gmail.com
EIN 92-0963370