Hell’s Mouth
Mikkel Hørlyck
Following the full-scale Russian invasion and war in Ukraine since 24 February 2022, I chose to travel to Ukraine to document the consequences of the war, since my research said, that the strength and spirit of the Ukrainian people was deeply inspiring. I experienced exactly that; the deep-rooted loyalty to Ukraine, among its people. When I documented the consequences of missile attacks by Russian military in Kharkiv, East part of Ukraine, with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treatment by Ukrainian staff for elderly in the villages along the frontline, to following the 18th Sloviansk Brigade of National Guard of Ukraine.
According to UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency, nearly 3.7 million people in Ukraine are internally displaced in January 2024. 6.3 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded in the world in January 2024. Meeting the elderly men and women in the villages Lyman and Yampil was a huge experience; they had witnessed their villages be occupied by the Russia military, and fought back to Ukraine territory again. When looking them, in the eyes, was the strongest experience I had, during my nine days travel in Ukraine. The fear and horror, they had been through, was clearly relevant to document, since I believe, that there are much to learn from the Ukrainian people.
It is not only at the frontline that soldiers are alert of what is going on during the war – when Russia military sends out missiles hitting larger cities in Kyiv and Kharkiv, everyone is on constant alert. I felt that everywhere I went, in the atmosphere. It only makes sense, since the buildings being hit by Russian military, often are residential buildings. Again, I was impressed by the calmness among the Ukrainian people, the way they adapt and constant analyses what is going on.
This photojournalistic project ‘Hell’s Mouth’ is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark’s Fund 'OpEn' - on information and engagement.
Mikkel Hørlyck (b. 1991) is an independent photojournalist and visual artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Once a student at Fatamorgana The Danish School of Art Photography, he holds a BA in Photojournalism from the Danish School of Media and Journalism. Hørlyck’s career began as a photojournalist intern at Politiken, a Danish daily broadsheet. His work has since been recognised by a series of prizes – including Danish Picture Of The Year, Vilnius Photo Circle and World Report Award. In 2019, Hørlyck was named Discovery Of The Year at The Lucie Awards in New York.
Jørgen, a Mystery
As a photographer, I’m proud to say that I had the honour of photographing a legend. Jørgen? He cheated death. Many times. But he didn’t do it alone. Doctors, nurses and guardians were a great help through the years. They saved him – again and again. Jørgen Pedersen should have been dead long ago – considering his age, countless diseases, and 40 years of drug abuse. I loved photographing him from our first meeting to the last. He was a scientist of drugs. A Freud of the drug environment. Satan’s favourite. A sophisticated mindset and an extroverted being. A holy man. A rich character.