making sense of nonsense

Nikita’s story of resilience and determination in the face of war and adversity will inspire you. Follow his journey from Ukraine to Switzerland and discover how courage, intelligence and hope can be the beginning of a a new life.

As a photographer, I have the opportunity to capture the portraits of all the new hires at Swiss IT start up, Knowledge Lab. However, there is one session that stands out in my mind – the one with Nikita.

Nikita, an IT specialist from Ukraine, shared with me his incredible journey to Switzerland. He hails from the Donbas region, which has been at the center of a conflict zone since the beginning of the war. Together with his family, neighbors, and girlfriend, he spent two months in the cellar of a building, with limited access to fresh air and food to survive. After these two months, the Russians told them, they will be deported to Russia, if they stay there they will be killed.

As an IT specialist, he had to hide all his documents, photos, and other data on a cloud server, which helped him to proceed with the filtration procedure on the Russian border.

Once in Russia, with no other options, Nikita and his girlfriend decided to escape to Georgia. This alone is more than an adventure. In Georgia, they managed to book two cheap flights to Zurich via Istanbul with their remaining cash. At this point all his documents, on a cloud server, helped him secure a job at Knowledge Lab.

A few weeks ago, Nikita and his girlfriend came back to my studio, this time for here to have a portrait taken for the CV. She is currently looking for a job in Switzerland. We took a few more photos, which show a bit of their great personality.

Nikita’s story is a powerful reminder of the unimaginable hardships that many people around the world. An entire Life can change in just one day, it also serves as a reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a stable and peaceful country like Switzerland.

Their courage and determination in the face of adversity are truly inspiring. He is not a “Rambo-style” hero, but a patient, smart, and courageous one.

It was an honor to capture their portraits, and I wish them all the best as they begin a new chapter in their lives in Switzerland.