“Ya Vilna” [I am free] photography project
A full scale russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24th, 2022, a continuation from the previous invasion in the east of Ukraine that began in 2014. I started photographing “Ya Vilna” [I am free] project in 2021.
All the images are available for purchase as 13x19 inches prints for $150 each. Email mila.ugryn@gmail.com to purchase. All proceeds from the sales are donated to Ukrainian volunteers and volunteer organizations that provide Ukrainians with humanitarian aid, protection and medicine.
“Ya Vilna” (I am free)
Stemming from deep pride in her Ukrainian cultural heritage, Mila Ugryn’s Ya Vilna is a series of individual portraits of Ukrainian expatriates living in the United States that choose to express their “Ukrainianness” through clothing and accessories.
What began as a simple photography project meant to showcase the unique ethnic traditions of her community quickly morphed into a sociological case study. The series of portraits reveals that reflecting one’s Ukrainian heritage doesn’t always manifest itself in wearing the traditional “vyshyvanka” (Ukrainian embroidered shirt), but can be presented through the interpretation of everyday clothing as representative of the cultural tradition or by wearing pieces crafted by modern-day leading Ukrainian designers.
Emigrating from Ukraine with her family at the age of 15, Ugryn has used photography as a consistent creative outlet to connect with her Ukrainian identity. While the story of the Ukrainian people is still being written, the value of freedom remains consistent through time and space, even in those that have built a life outside of the nation’s borders. Ya Vilna, meaning “I am free”, showcases the subjects’ freedom of expression – their association to their heritage through many types of clothing and accessories, regardless of their geographic location.
Ya Vilna was inspired by famed photographer Richard Avedon’s project “In the American West” in which he photographed ordinary people of the western United States, helping to elevate their identity.
Ugryn utilized a medium format film camera for this work. Demanding the utmost care and patience, the highly-technical film equipment offered her subjects and Ukrainian culture itself the deference and respect each deserve. Unlike their potential digital counterparts, the film-developed portraits provide a mysterious aesthetic to the subjects, making them expressive and poetic.
Ugryn hopes to continue to expand the size and scope of this work in the years to come, continuing to focus on the goal of promoting a positive narrative of the Ukrainian people and their culture.
