Sergii Melnitchenko's 'Frontline Rolls' Wins PhEST Award, Giving Ukrainian Soldiers a Voice
Sergii Melnitchenko, a Ukrainian photographer born in 1991 in Mykolayiv, received the PhEST International Award 2026 for his work titled 'Frontline Rolls' during the PhEST festival in Monopoli, Italy, which will continue until November 1, 2026. This project serves as a collective war archive, utilizing 21 disposable cameras distributed to Ukrainian soldiers to capture their experiences during the conflict. The images were taken from February to late October 2025. Transitioning from staged photography, Melnitchenko compiled an inventory from the developed films and personal items. Through art sales, he has generated over five million hryvnias to support Ukrainian forces. 'Frontline Rolls' has been showcased globally and seeks to grow into a broader archive reflecting soldiers' viewpoints.
Key facts
- Sergii Melnitchenko wins PhEST International Award 2026
- Project 'Frontline Rolls' uses 21 disposable analog cameras given to Ukrainian soldiers
- Photographs taken between February and October 2025
- Each camera had only 27 exposures
- Melnitchenko did not take any of the photographs himself
- Over 5 million hryvnias raised for Ukrainian forces since 2022
- Exhibited in New York, Copenhagen, Georgia, Athens; upcoming in Sweden and Switzerland
- PhEST festival in Monopoli runs until November 1, 2026
Entities
Artists
- Sergii Melnitchenko
- Oleksii «Anikei»
- Vlad «Viking»
- Danylo «DOC»
- Max «Kodak»
- Yurii «Duncan»
Institutions
- PhEST
- Artribune
- Ukrainian Defense Forces
Locations
- Monopoli
- Italy
- Mykolayiv
- Ukraine
- Kyiv
- New York
- Copenhagen
- Georgia
- Athens
- Sweden
- Switzerland