The Light in Times of Darkness: An Interview With a Nova Ukraine Photographer in Mykolaiv

By Iryna Roik

Svitlana is our photographer from Mykolaiv. The pictures of Nova Ukraine’s projects you see on social networks are her poignant shots: the Point of Invincibility, the evacuation of people after the explosion of the Kakhovka Dam, and numerous hospital reports. She works together with her husband Mykhailo.

Today, Svitlana and Mykhailo are the heroes of our story. In February 2024, they became parents. The birth took place in one of the Mykolaiv hospitals, where the couple had previously prepared a report on medical equipment, which was donated by Nova Ukraine.

For me, people who dare to have a child now are extremely brave. What was the incentive for you, why did you dare?

My husband and I had talked about growing our family even before the full-scale invasion, but the little one decided to come later. So, when the pregnancy test showed two strips, we made an appointment with a gynecologist, and to the question, “Are we keeping the pregnancy?,” the answer was an unequivocal “Of course.”

How did you choose a hospital for childbirth? Were the expectations met?

In the fall of 2022, my husband and I filmed humanitarian aid in the form of maternity beds from Nova Ukraine in maternity hospitals No. 1 and No. 3. It was then, after talking with the doctors, that we realized that when we got pregnant, we would come here for the birth. Communication and attitude always win, along with, of course, modern beds that were already in the maternity ward.

I know that you have been to various medical institutions — how did the war affect the healthcare system in Mykolaiv?

Since my husband and I deal with photography, video and journalistic materials, which means we have the opportunity to communicate more with people in order to convey useful information to the public, I’m able to report that, ironically, the full-scale invasion has become a driver of help. Medical help is fully provided in the city and the region.

Beyond this, we would like public institutions to be able to provide assistance to patients at the same level as private ones, but we understand that this rock is still to be pounded and pounded, since not all people (and this is a human-to-human profession) are ready to change their attitudes toward pregnant women as well as toward other patients, and not on a one-to-one basis. I am glad that today I have the opportunity to make an appointment with a doctor I like, choose a maternity hospital (because there are three in Mykolaiv), and take tests — for money or not — but where I want.

Did the equipment we gave to the maternity hospital help you personally?

I had a C-section, so I don’t remember the operating room itself, but in our room, there was a delivery bed from Nova Ukraine.

What do you think is the most important thing for foundations that help healthcare institutions to focus on right now?

In my opinion, in addition to assistance with equipment, it is necessary to train doctors to work with this equipment and provide professional development. We should also pay attention to the condition of buildings, repairing their wear and tear.

Donate. Impact. Change.