Ruslan Ganushchak
Filmmaker, journalist, photographer, Ruslan Ganushchak was born in picturesque Carpathian city of Ivano-Frankivsk. His love for his country and its people is expressed in illuminating documentaries and TV series he created over the years travelling. Ruslan has participated in film festivals as a director, videographer, photographer. His work has been featured and recognized both in Ukraine and internationally, including Poland, Germany, and the US.
Since 2014 Ruslan has shifted his focus to documenting events that changed our country and defined its path into the future. He started documenting Maidan and the fight for freedom that followed. Over the following years, through his work, the defenders of freedom of the Azov Regiment became his second family, his brotherhood. During the current invasion, Ruslan has been embracing the tasks faced by Ukrainian press members to document events in Irpin, Bucha, Kyiv, Chernihiv, in the southern and eastern regions.
Amongst his praised documentaries, Ruslan’s well-known titles are Maidan, Two days in Illovaisk, Shirokino, Brother for Brother. Driven by history of his own family, stories of his father that mined coal in a soviet labor camp, Ruslan is also a first generation free-born Ukrainian. By a technical definition that is a virtue highly valued and cherished by many Ukrainians, something that has a deep meaning to many of us. It drives Ukrainians to fight for democracy, because we all have seen that the alternative includes mass rape, murder, filtration camps, and contemporary slavery. Something no human is willing to accept in the 21st century.
Rusivlan is a collective studio for photographers and artists that share their passion for Ukraine and support each other on their paths fighting for freedom. This is what unique about Rusivlan – here artist communicate, inspire and support each other, collaborate in many ways and share resources and ideas. Here, you find another brotherhood, a brotherhood of passionate hearts that utilize their talents to inform the world that fight for democracy will never cease, as we will always support each other and work towards the common good.
The words from the author:
“They all talk about the significant difference between people who were at the front and have not looked in the eye of Death. It’s kind of obvious, but the essence is hidden in the details and nuances. When you stop worrying about their own welfare, personal life, the person receives unlimited freedom. Freedom of thought, perception of the world, free from all fears … This feeling is hard to describe in words. Such truly free people, able to turn over the mountains and create miracles, I would have called them “born from the above, (superiorly). I am happy that I’m working with those people. I understand why enemy’s оf Ukraine are so afraid of them.
These people can create healthy in all levels, society. They represent the force that is able to resist and defeat enemies. These people are not cogs of the most perfect political system. They will never be puppets and hostages onerous contracts. These people are not profitable no government. They will try to lead, stalk, wedge and destroy them. Just because they want to be free, independent and work on their own land. They will be called Nazi, fascists, junta to set against them deceived, sometimes degraded society. Thus, the majority of people on Earth in captivity. In captivity their fears, passions, greed, and of course in captivity propaganda. Visible and invisible. y. Propaganda, which minimizes human interests. Makes it obedient consumer, small cog large system. A system that destroys man as homosapiyens … I believe that the war in Ukraine this is the crucible in which emerging and starts harden a new generation. Emerging formation of people can change their country. And then the rest of the World …. “
Ruslan Ganushchak