In August of 2023, Miller went to Ukraine with the intention of documenting youth culture living through a time of war, wanting to bring focus to the resilience and beauty of the young people who call the country home. Rather than exploiting the brutality of war, she aimed to show how people survive and hold on to their humanity despite the horrific conditions they are living under.
“After two days of no sleep we entered Ukraine, arriving initially at the previously occupied oblast of Chernihiv. We camped with the local villagers and helped lay brick, ate fresh strawberry jam and oladky, sang, danced, and drank potato moonshine. Most of our time was spent in Kiev. I made friends on the streets, at underground raves, at bars, at restaurants. They invited me into their homes and the places that meant the most to them—the places they found peace and comfort amongst the conflict. I saw a country united by war and more proud than any. It was a war zone, but it felt like home.”
The project is ongoing. In the summer of 2024, while this issue was being made, Miller returned to Ukraine to continue the body of work. She is currently working on a full-length documentary as well as a continuation of the photographs shown here.