Post-Soviet Union — Belarus and Ukraine After the USSR

A generation has passed since the Soviet Union vanished, and Eastern Europe is now sketching out an entirely new era. Photographer Yoon Jeongvin traveled to the heart of Eastern Europe, to Belarus and Ukraine, and captured the expressions of the people there.

Words & Photos Yoon Jeongvin

My interest in the region grew after I saw photographs of the post-collapse Soviet Union by photographers Nick Hannes and Jonas Bendiksen. I had heard that Belarus has well-preserved architecture from the Soviet era, and that travelers entering through Minsk airport can stay visa-free for 30 days, so I booked my trip without hesitation. I traveled via neighboring Ukraine and spent a few days there as well.

I visited Surfcoffee, probably the most trendy-looking café in Minsk, with a huge surfboard hanging on the wall, which seemed oddly out of place in landlocked Belarus. There I met a student who was studying in Prague, Czech Republic, and had come home to Minsk for the weekend. We talked, and the heart of our conversation was why on earth I had come to Minsk. In New York or Paris, a question like that would pass as small talk, a polite show of interest, but in a place with few tourists, he seemed to look at me with real curiosity. I answered that the scenery and architecture here looked to me like a European version of Pyongyang, North Korea, which made the place feel more special than others. At the time, relations with North Korea were improving, and I even hoped that we might soon be able to travel freely to Pyongyang. I also wanted to avoid the overtourism of going to see the Mona Lisa only to stare at the backs of other tourists’ heads, as well as the notorious pickpockets of Western Europe.

I love the styles of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier, who made me fall for photography, and I prefer pictures that capture a fleeting moment. Even when shooting streets or landscapes, I seem to look first at the people there. Wherever I go, I tend to observe and photograph scenes where a still landscape overlaps with something in motion. It is even better when light adds depth to the image.

My cameras are the X-Pro2 (23mm) and the Ricoh GR, and I mostly use light, easy-to-carry gear. Recently, I have also been shooting with a medium-format GFX 50R (45mm).

I am still searching for the know-how to get the photographs I want, mostly by looking at lots of work by photographers I admire. My approach is simple: I keep an easy-to-carry camera by my side at all times, so I can shoot easily whenever a striking moment arrives. I am not especially diligent or quick on my feet, so I keep my equipment and settings simple. This helps me concentrate on the subject. And to get more chances to shoot, I wear comfortable shoes and walk a lot.