The last time I was in Ukraine was in 1989. We took a flight to Simferopol and then a trolleybus to Yalta, a beautiful resort town on the North coast of the Black Sea.

Wikipedia says that Crimean Trolleybus Line  is the longest trolleybus line in the world. It is a 86 km (53 mi) long, pollution-free, low cost, 2 hours long dream ride. The road passes through the Crimean Mountains across the Angarskyi Pass reaching 752 metres (2,500 ft) at the highest point, descends down to the coastal town of Alushta, and turns south winding along the sea for another 41 km.

I cannot share any decent images of Yalta here: on that trip I was using a reversal film, and the slides didn’t survive well. The first one I took from the cable car, clinging to dear life, and the other one from the balcony of the room we rented.

This beautiful place is almost desolated these days. The main source of income in Yalta is tourism. There are very little tourists visiting this summer…

I have never been to Donetsk, and it looks like I never will, but every week I am getting updates from a person who lives there. Russian Grad missiles bring death and destruction turning the area into a bloody nightmare. My heart goes out to you, my Ukrainian brothers and sisters. You only wanted to live your life by your own choice.

I went to University in Moscow, Russia. It was a happy and fun time, we did our best to visit all the museums and theatres; we listened to Vladimir Vysotsky and Mashina Vremeni and wrote satirical poems and songs about the Soviet reality. My dear Russian friends, what happened to you? Since when are you worshipping the Beast? It breaks my heart.

I want to share this video as a tribute to those who lost their lives in Ukraine. The song is The Foggy Dew ( by Sinead O’Connor), and the movie is The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006). Seeing violence makes my heart bleed. I know that there are the times… but still, unnecessary violence doesn’t do any good to anybody. Nevertheless, I am for freedom for every country and their citizens. May God bless those who defend their freedom.

These foggy images were taken walking along the water edge, in the times of peace. If your life is safe, secure and comfortable, send a word of prayer for the innocent victims in Ukraine.

Photography tip of the day: When taking pictures in the fog it is great to have at least some of your subjects close to the camera so that they come out darker and sharper. Also great if you subjects create layers.

Have a peaceful weekend!