Who Owns the Alphabet?

A performative book presentation by young Ukrainians in Berlin

On June 24 at 6pm, young Ukrainians living in Berlin will present the photo book Alphabet of War at the PopUp Hall of the America Memorial Library, in an event organized by Kult’ura .

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany has received over 1 million refugees, including around 300,000 minors.

Under the guidance of artist Masha Pryven, a group of young people who fled to Berlin from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine reinterpreted the German alphabet. For the past two years, they have met weekly to communicate their experiences of fleeing and starting anew through photography. They have also responded to the political debate about the war within German society.

Twenty-six letters are staged in photographs and filled with personal reflections.

Alphabet of War is not only a collection of testimonies of life in exile—it is also an invitation to explore the transformative power of language and images.

The performative book presentation offers insights into the project and the book: into personal stories, photographic processes, and collective decisions.
Publisher Regelindis Westphal will also be present to speak about the path from a collaborative photography project to a publication.

Presenters: Yehor Dudnichenko, Yaroslav Mindra, Yuriy Sereda, Chingiz Akbarli with Masha Pryven