Erased from the Face of the Earth: A powerful testimony of Ukraine’s devastation

Erased from the Face of the Earth is a photographic exhibition at M Shed in Bristol which highlights the devastating impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Organised by the charity Ukraine Aid and Welfare with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Erased from the Face of the Earth demonstrates the resilience of Ukrainians when faced with immense destruction.

The exhibition is sponsored by William Maude-Roxby, Chair Trustee of Ukraine Aid and Welfare, and was initiated by Antonina Grebeniuk, the Founder of Ukraine Aid and Welfare – both well known for their contributions to the Ukrainian community in Bristol.

The exhibition has been presented in several European cities, including in Poland, Spain, Croatia and Bulgaria. Bristol is the first city in the UK to host this photographic exhibition.

Erased from the Face of the Earth was first launched at Bristol City Hall as part of the Ukrainian Independence Day celebration on 23 August 2024. It was also on display in The Galleries for one day as part of a pop-up exhibition on 23 February 2025. M Shed is hosting the exhibition for three months so that a wider audience has the opportunity to see it.

The exhibition features photographic evidence of the destruction of various regions, including Luhansk, Donetsk, Slobozhanshchyna and Southern Ukraine.

Thematic banners focus on the near total destruction of settlements which have been turned into wastelands by the Russian army, including Popasna, Maryinka, Soledar, and Bakhmut.

The banners contain QR codes linking to short videos of destroyed villages and cities in Ukraine, offering an additional visual representation of the horror and devastation inflicted by the war.

The exhibition uses information and video materials provided by the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory (UINP), the Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure of Ukraine, as well as the Luhansk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv regional military administrations.

Photographic materials for the exhibition were provided by renowned military photographers, press services of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodny Yar,” the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Mariupol Brigade, the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Chorny Zaporozhtsy, and photo correspondents from Ukrainian media.