Anton Shebetko is a Ukrainian artist and photographer. Born in Kyiv, Shebetko moved to the Netherlands in 2017 before the full-scale invasion of his country began and is now making his way across Europe to document the displaced queer communities of Ukraine. Shebetko’s work deals with LGBTQ+ topics, themes of memory, loss of identity and the plurality of history: stories that Shebetko aims to reveal through the power of his lens. His extensive research is devoted to the forgotten queer history of Ukraine, and his projects range from installations and interventions dedicated to old cruising spots and underground gay resorts in Crimea to more relevant topics such as Ukrainian LGBTQ+ soldiers.
“I can say simply that this is not just a war against Russian invaders. It’s not only a colonial war about territory and dictatorship. It’s also a war about certain values: those of democracy and freedom. This is a war for freedom: freedom from Russian occupation, freedom to assert our human rights, freedom to be who we are.
For many years I have been working with the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community, researching its history and its coexistence within a mostly homophobic and conservative Ukrainian society. Even though I’m not in Ukraine right now, I’m helping by sharing knowledge, talking about queer Ukrainians and highlighting the difference between human rights in Russia and Ukraine. I’m currently living in Berlin where I’ve met a lot of queer Ukrainians who now reside here. But just because they’re physically removed from the war, it doesn’t mean that they don’t face it in every moment of their reality.
Despite the war, I don’t think the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is being forgotten. Same-sex marriages may not be recognised in Ukraine right now but, because queer activists are demanding change, the legalisation of same-sex unions is being developed. There are lots of soldiers in the army who are gay and cannot marry. Without being in a recognised civil partnership, their partners would be unable to visit them in hospital and would have no right to inherit. It completely erases them. But there is positive change happening, albeit slowly.
Photography by Anton Shebetko.
I see my photographic practice as a tool to shine a light on a community that has been invisible for a very long time; a community with an often understudied and forgotten history. When this tool combines with text, it becomes even more powerful. My book A Very Brief and Subjective Queer History of Ukraine was created as part of my BA thesis. In my work preceding this project, I realised that I had explored a lot of historical periods. I wanted to probe this further. The book goes from the late 19th century to modern times, taking in the Soviet period, early independence and the Orange Revolution. It was important for me to give people from these earlier periods visibility, to show their identity as much more complex than it had previously been portrayed in Ukraine and beyond. Through interviews and essays, I explore the intricacies of queerness in Ukraine both collectively and personally.
Creating such a book helped me to understand so much about myself. Alongside interviews with other people, the book also contains a few autobiographical essays and elements that I was very afraid to share. These are painful stories that are difficult for me to discuss. I had to be open with myself and, therefore, the readers. For example, my father still doesn’t officially know that I’m gay. Or he does, but chooses to ignore it. We just don’t talk about it. Despite it being a difficult process, I understood that sharing such stories was so important, because there are others experiencing similar situations. Honesty is bravery. I wanted to inspire queer Ukrainians to be brave and outspoken.
To Know Us Better is another project that focuses on visibility. For this, I had planned to go to Ukraine to take portraits of openly queer Ukrainians. But then Russia’s full-scale invasion began and the lives of everyone in Ukraine were upended. So I started to do this project in other countries instead. Whenever I’m travelling, I always find queer Ukrainians and use the opportunity to talk with them and take their picture. I separate the images from the interviews because they present two very different meanings. I want to show the complexity of the community, how intersectional and layered it is. These people all have totally different experiences based on where in Ukraine they came from and their reasons for leaving. Placing these stories in the context of an ongoing project evidences the depth and complexity of the Ukrainian queer community.
Although I do believe that photography can create change, I don’t see my work as activism. For me, the medium of the camera is a way to explore myself and those around me. Given the current context, it could be interpreted as activism. I think with photography there is the potential for a kind of butterfly effect. The work starts by touching people on a very small scale. Then, maybe in 10 years’ time, it will spark something bigger that could never have been predicted.
How do I imagine the future of the queer community in Ukraine? The Ukraine of the future is a country in which human rights, inclusiveness, respect and belief in democratic values are not empty words. This is my hope. I truly believe in the power and unity felt today among Ukrainians, queer and non-queer. I want to live in a society where you can have a normal conversation, without feeling ostracised or criticised or ashamed.
This is what we are fighting for: the right to be ourselves and not to be ashamed of that.”
As featured in SLEEK 76 FREEDOM. Available in print and digital here.