In Ukraine, the gun becomes a household item. Moreover, the Ukrainian photographer Andrej Lomakin says the weapon is "a modern vers...
In Ukraine, the gun becomes a household item. Moreover, the Ukrainian photographer Andrej Lomakin says the weapon is "a modern version of the amulet, giving it extra power to its owner."
In his pictures, Lomakin shows people who have equipped themselves to protect their family and their own possessions. The muscular career woman from Horenychi, the translator from Kiev, the artist and family father - they all combine a sense of threat and a need for security that the police can not give them.
"My husband and my child need me, so I have the right to defend my life," says a woman. Another says, "First and foremost you have to protect yourself. The second step is to call the police."
Since the annexation of the Crimea in March 2014 and the beginning of the conflict in the Eastern Ukraine, many of the people depicted have lost confidence in the protection afforded by the state. Before the Crimean crisis, most never thought they would ever hold a gun in their hands, says photographer Lomakiner. When he learned that even his friends bought them, he asked if he could take them with them. The purchase and possession of private weapons for self-defense are prohibited in the Ukraine, but hunting is an exception. Since 2014, the number of registered hunting guns has risen from 558,033 to 888,047.
At first, not all of Lomakins idea were convinced to be shot with the shotgun in the living room. The result is a series of penetrating pictures, in which the depicted visibly proudly posing. "I wanted to photograph the gun owners at home, in their homes or houses. The family is what they want to protect."
