“When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, I was forced to leave my hometown, Kharkiv and go to the West of the country. From the very first day, I began to put together photographs and notes in a small notebook, creating a personal record of war and displacement from the inside. What originally stemmed from an intuitive desire to document my experience of war and uncertainty, developed into something broader: a reflection on the notions of home, identity, and displacement. Whilst the work literally describes the sudden evacuation of my family and the consequences of a brutal Russian attack, it also seeks to question the language of photography itself, and its limitations in documenting, representing and affecting conflict.”

This deeply personal visual chronicle became 100 Days of War, a project that explores the tension between memory and documentation, the limits of photographic truth, and the search for meaning in the face of destruction.

Igor Chekachkov began his career in 2008 as a photojournalist, covering a wide range of cultural, mass, and sporting events. This foundation eventually led him toward art photography, where he continues to explore the boundaries between public and private spaces, as well as the impact of digital technologies and algorithms on the image. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, his focus shifted toward themes of Ukrainian identity and the concept of home. 

His work has been published in Forbes, National Geographic, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The Economist, among others. Chekachkov’s photographs have been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions, including at Mystetskyi Arsenal (Kyiv), the Ukrainian Museum (New York), Odesa Photo Days, Photo Elysée, Fisheye Gallery, Open Eye Gallery, Stills Gallery, and many others. 

Chekachkov holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Kharkiv State University of Radio Electronics and an M.A. in Art History from Kharkiv State Academy of Arts and Design. In 2022, he was awarded a Chevening Scholarship to pursue an M.A. in Photography: The Image and Electronic Arts at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he is currently based.