ABOUT

My name is Dinara Khairova, the photographer and author of the project ‘Letters to Ukraine’.
I would like to tell why and for whom it was created, why I encourage you to join the project.

Since 24 Feb 2022 the Russian army has occupied and destroyed the territory of Ukraine. Many civilians suffered in this war.
My heart is torn apart when I see what is happening THERE, and HOW it is presented in Russia by propaganda. How the facts are distorted and how the truth is hidden.

I am unable to influence the decisions of the Russian government, but I am able to give my support to those who stayed in Ukraine, who sits in shelters in anticipation of the unknown future, who heroically defends his homeland from the aggressor, who lost their home, lost their loved ones, who was forced to become a refugee... My project is for these people.

From the first days of the war, I went to rallies in New York, I took a camera in my hands and recorded everything that happened around to say to the world: we do care.
One day, right from the rally, I called my relatives in Ukraine. A woman from Odessa unexpectedly joined our conversation, and the guys together joyfully recalled some places, events, memorable to their heart.
I finally saw a smile on the face of my buddy.
And at that moment I realized why we take posters and go out into the street shouting "no war".
Not for ourselves. But for those who are there, at war.
And all the words of support are needed now by those who are in Ukraine now.

And I realized that these voices of people from the rallies can be recorded, and then sent by messages to those for whom it is important to see and listen.

I did not create a separate channel on YouTube, I just edited the video, composed the background music, and put them in a separate playlist, to make it easy to send to loved ones.
And it worked for a moment.
It resonated.

I ask you, people completely unknown to me, to join my project "Letters to Ukraine". No matter what language you speak. If you don’t want to speak you can dance, sing, play an instrument, do anything you can to show your support to Ukrainiens.

If you live in New York please contact me (IG: @khairovaphoto), I will come and record your appeal. If you live in another city or country, I will help you with the recording.

I am very grateful to those who have already responded, you can't even imagine how much your words mean for people in Ukraine.

And I will be grateful to all those who accept my invitation and send their letters to Ukraine.

I am sure that only together we can stop this war.