Dnipro

Travel along Ukraine’s longest river and what do you see? Willow trees and ferry terminals, watermelons, swimmers and swan motifs. Pavilions and industrial sites spread out into endless improvised beaches, yellows and blues.

The Plunging Shore is a photographic journey and result of two road trips along the 2,200 km stretch of The Dnipro River running through the heart of Ukraine. Against the backdrop of Russian invasion, the series is a gentle portrait of a region that refuses to be defined only by the story of war and instead by its inhabitants.

The Dnipro stands as one of Europe's largest rivers, the source and lifeblood, a primary water artery for Ukraine. It interconnects numerous cities, supplying drinking water to millions, its perpetual flow powering the nation’s industrial enterprises and irrigating vast arid lands spanning hundreds of thousands of hectares.

The project was initiated by Eugenia Skvarska during the summers of 2023 and 2024 whilst studying at Central Saint Martins, and realised together with photographer Kalpesh Lathigra. The pictures were made without a fixed motive, drifting instead with the current of passing landscapes, encounters, and lives along the river’s course.

“This story is built piece by piece through daily life, moments of joy, and families swimming in the river during summer, continuing to live and express resistance amid the ongoing war. The Dnipro River is often described as a symbol of the nation, almost like a grandfather figure. On a personal level, it reflects my deep connection to my homeland. We travelled together from Kyiv to Zaporizhzhia, and I wish we could have continued all the way to the Black Sea. But there are frontlines, a dam destroyed by Russia in 2023, and occupied territories. I hope that one day it will be free.”

unofficial dnipro The Plunging Shore features 38 colour photographs of Ukraine’s Dnipro River and surrounding region. It was edited from a collection of contact sheets, scanned negatives, and digital files by Adam Murray during the summer of 2025, published by Officialzine in 2026. Each edition includes a 38-page portfolio. Documented over one weekend, Dnipro Fotostudiia brings together the Ukrainian community in London.