Illia, 30, survived being burned in a tank explosion during the war and now dedicates his recovery to serving and helping others heal despite losing his leg and sustaining burns to 30% of his body. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)
In wartime Ukraine, soldiers who have lost limbs face not only the physical toll of their injuries but an existential question — what does life after the battlefield look like?
For the thousands of Ukrainians who have lost limbs, either on the front line or in Russian attacks, the struggle to begin again is not just personal – it is quietly shaping a cultural movement that will continue long after the war is over. Through their recovery, self-reinvention, and resolve, a new narrative in Ukrainian society is emerging, one that redefines the very idea of a return to "normal."
Marta Syrko’s "Sculpture" celebrates the resilience of Ukrainian soldiers after sustaining severe injuries in war. By stripping away their uniforms and weapons, Syrko compels us to view these individuals not merely as soldiers who have lost limbs in combat, but as human beings with rich personal histories deserving of dignity.
Syrko's work draws upon classical traditions of representing the human form, while simultaneously challenging us to reconsider our perceptions of loss.
These images of Ukrainian soldiers juxtapose vulnerability with strength, with some evoking the sculptures of Ancient Greek warriors. The scars and tattoos on their bodies convey a palpable tension between the inherent beauty of the human body and the violence they have endured.
Rendered in soft blue and amber hues, some photographs evoke a dream-like atmosphere, offering space for introspection and symbolizing the soldiers' journey toward accepting life with their injuries.
The depiction of rain in certain images serves as a metaphor for purification, suggesting the washing away of the scars of war and the gradual return to a sense of normalcy — or at least something close to it.
Images of a soldier draped in fabric, cradling their newborns is reminiscent of Renaissance depictions of the Madonna and Child, and the positioning of metal prosthetic limbs with the fragile presence of an infant symbolizes a profound reconnection to civilian life through fatherhood.
The series reminds that Ukrainian soldiers are not just warriors, but husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters — individuals with lives and identities beyond their service, highlighting how they should be acknowledged for more than just their injuries.
Senior Lieutenant Andrii, severely wounded in a 2022 airstrike while serving in Ukraine, undergoes rehabilitation in Poland while maintaining his commitment to return to military service. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)
"I dream of continuing to serve my country, to defend it. I want and plan to join the Air Assault Forces training center," Andrii, Senior Lieutenant who was severely wounded in a 2022 airstrike near the village of Mala Komyshuvakha, Kharkiv Oblast.
Pavlo, 25, a former medical college graduate turned combat paramedic, continues his rehabilitation after being wounded by a grenade during an evacuation mission, determined to keep serving Ukraine despite his injuries. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)
(L-R) Illia, 30, survived being burned in a tank explosion during the war and now dedicates his recovery to serving and helping others heal despite losing his leg and sustaining burns to 30% of his body. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Oleksii Prytula, who worked 11 years at a veterinary clinic before voluntarily joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces in March 2022, lost both legs during the September 2022 offensive near Lyman, Donetsk Oblast. He successfully returned to his veterinary practice after extensive rehabilitation and prosthetic fitting. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)
Serhii, 28, a father of two who joined the Armed Forces to defend Ukraine, lost his right leg when a shell detonated near him during combat and now continues his recovery in his hometown of Lviv to be close to his family. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Stanislav, 27, a former pilot who joined the Ukrainian army after Russia's full-scale invasion, lost his leg to shrapnel during a defensive operation and now walks with a prosthesis while planning to return to the front after his recovery. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Vitaly, 29, a mechanic-turned-soldier who served in the Ukrainian army since 2014, was severely wounded by a Russian anti-tank mine in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast that broke his chin, burned his eyes, caused partial hearing loss, and required removal of his right eye. He now lives in Vinnytsia, where he receives rehabilitation while supporting other wounded soldiers. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Viktoria, 54, a soldier who suffered severe burns across her body when a missile struck near her, survived by following an inner voice that urged her to move moments before impact and now plans to open her own bakery despite her injuries. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Dmytro, 23, a soldier who sustained burns to 70% of his body plus lung and hearing damage during combat, defied doctors' prediction of only a 20% survival chance and now focuses on recovery while dreaming of starting a family and building a home life. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Ruslana "Rusya" Danylkina, an 18-year-old from Odesa dreamed of university before voluntarily joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022. She lost part of her leg to a mine explosion in the Kherson Oblast but continues to live while raising awareness and inspiring others through her platform. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)Sergiy Kopyshchyk, a soldier from the Rivne Oblast who lost both legs and sight in one eye during a 2022 combat mission in Kherson, learned to walk again on prosthetics after he and his wife Svitlana discovered they were expecting a child. In August 2023, he was present for his son Marko's birth and walked out of the hospital on his prosthetic legs carrying their newborn. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)
Kate Tsurkan is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent who writes mostly about culture-related topics in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Her newsletter Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan, which focuses specifically on Ukrainian culture, is published weekly by the Kyiv Independent. The U.S. publisher Deep Vellum published her co-translation of Ukrainian author Oleh Sentsov’s Diary of a Hunger Striker in 2024. Some of her other writing and translations have appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Harpers, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is the co-founder of Apofenie Magazine.
