Maksim Levin

Maks Levin, a freelance photographer and documentary film maker from Ukraine covering the war in that country, was found dead on 1 April 2022 in a forest near the village of Moshchun, some 20 kilometers north of Kyiv. According to an investigation by the group Reporters Without Borders, Levin, and his friend and bodyguard Oleksiy Chernyshov, were executed by Russian soldiers on 13 March.

All journalists in war zones face dangers in their work, but photo and video journalists are particularly easy to identify and face greater risks from their visibility. In this case, Levin appears singled out. According to Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire, "Analysis of the photos of the crime scene, the observations made on the spot and the material evidence recovered clearly point to an execution that may have been preceded by interrogation or even acts of torture."

Levin contributed to Reuters news service during the current war in Ukraine as well as earlier Maidan protests in 2013-14. We thank Rickey Rogers, Reuters's global photography editor, for contributing a sample of Levin's photos to display in our exhibit. Please note that the photos show scenes of war-time conflict, destruction, and death.

Maksim Levin portrait