The exhibition “Voice to the Strongest”, displayed on VDNG’s central avenue, focuses on fostering respectful interaction with military personnel and veterans. The project was developed in collaboration with RECOVERY, a national network of rehabilitation centers founded by Victor and Olena Pinchuk to support Ukraine’s security and defense forces. The featured photographs were created by Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov.
In this initiative, service members undergoing rehabilitation share their experiences and insights, offering guidance on how society can communicate with them thoughtfully. These defenders encourage the public to approach interactions with awareness: to see the person first rather than their injuries, to engage on an equal footing, and always to ask before offering help.
“There are many recommendations on communicating with veterans or military personnel who have endured combat injuries, yet it’s essential to remember that every individual is unique, so no universal rules exist. Empathy and attentiveness are perhaps the most important keys to healthy communication,” says Svitlana Grytsenko, head of the RECOVERY project.
The exhibition aims to take an essential step toward the reintegration of veterans, a significant and valued part of society. On one hand, these are some of the strongest individuals—courageous men and women who have sacrificed greatly for their country. On the other hand, they too seek normal social interactions, and communication is the place to begin.
“Throughout the full-scale invasion, we have spoken with hundreds of service members, including veterans with injuries. They are true titans, yet behind this resilience and strength are ordinary people with familiar desires. The least we can do is to meet them halfway with a measure of respect and empathy,” note photographers and photo authors Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov.
The exhibition presents ten narratives, each paired with recommendations. Every photograph captures a defender with a message and includes a QR code linking to that person’s full story on officiel-online.com. These powerful stories of service members are also featured in the autumn issue of L’Officiel Ukraine.