This series started out as a story about massive power failures after Russian missile strikes. In these photos, the skies above Kyiv during the blackout. Only the windows of a few 'privileged' houses are lit, and behind them, total darkness lies. But the concept transformed on the way, and the strikes stopped for a summer season. And the series continued as a story about the sky above Ukraine.

The night sky, the stars, the moon, comets, and other celestial phenomena have always attracted human gaze. People look at the sky curiously, wondering and awing. It was full of enigmas and kept secrets that the human mind could not uncover. Who has never lied outdoors, staring into the dark sky dotted with the stars, stunned by its infinite majesty?

In October 2022, the night sky became a source of missiles and bombs from Russian invaders that aimed to plunge Ukraine into darkness. The sound of a missile or the buzz of a drone up above became a new reality that transformed our attitude toward nighttime. As a result of multiple damages to the power system, Ukraine dived into the darkness, and the majesty of the Universe retreated in front of the fear before another night of missile shelling. People's gaze turned into the starry sky became full of anxiety. The sky itself remains the same, though. It is still black above us in myriads of its luminaries, just as before the big war.

The shooting was done with a handmade medium-format pinhole camera, with exposures ranging from about 1 to 7-8 hours.