With her girlfriend and cat in tow, Viktoriia Kovalenko escaped Kharkiv last year, embarking on a harrowing odyssey brightened by kindnesses from strangers. On February 24, 2022 at 5:00AM EET, Viktoriia was awoken by the sounds of shelling. Viktoriia recounts the harrowing experience of escaping Ukraine. Food scarcity, ceaseless shelling, and illness were just some of the trials depicted in her photo diary. After fleeing to Bucharest and struggling to receive medical attention from local healthcare professionals, Viktoriia was able to move to Canada Temporarily via the “Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel” program. After an adjustment period Viktoriia was able to settle in and now she works does photography for local queer events and weddings.

This article was adapted by Diamond Yao from an interview between Diamond and Viktoriia. This article was published in Xtra Magazine.