Sergii Polezhaka

Naїve Ukrainian Gardens is a long-term documentary photography project exploring how Ukrainians reshape the spaces they live in—gardens, commons, city squares—under the pressure of war. What began as a study of ruined rural gardens has evolved into a broader reflection on territory, resilience, and memory. Through photography and essays, Sergii Polezhaka traces the shift from villages to cities, from destruction to rituals of care and resistance. The project combines landscape imagery, personal portraits, and scenes of urban aftermath—documenting both structural changes and fleeting human gestures. With work ongoing across frontline areas, post-strike cityscapes, and commemorative spaces, the goal is to create a photobook that captures not only what has been lost, but what is quietly being rebuilt.

Naïve Ukrainian Gardens is a documentary photography project that portrays the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War and its underlying senses through images of destroyed gardens and homes across the country.