About the project

Born in Eastern Ukraine five years after the Soviet collapse, Uhlik investigates the formation of identity in the shadow of a dissolved empire. Though often told they were fortunate to miss the hardships of Soviet rule, this generation grapples with profound disorientation – caught between the remnants of an old regime and the uncertainty of the new.

The narrative reflects a childhood of duality, where the joys of climbing trees and sour cherry varenyky intertwine with strict Soviet structures. The weight of this past – carried by family and community – is now magnified by a war forcing physical separation from home.

Through photographic deconstruction, fragments of history are pieced together to help the author redefine her identity and cultural heritage. The work acts as a puzzle of self-discovery, posing a defiant inquiry: does the happiness of memory possess the resilience to endure, even when viewed through the scarred perspective of adulthood and the weight of historical trauma?