Pictures of Stanislav Krupař from Mariupol show how local factories have become part of the natural environment for the people of Ukrainian industrial cities. Tens of thousands die every year from the effects air pollution in Ukraine, ranking the Eastern European country at the very top of the mortality per capita from air pollution list globally.
"It has been four years since the Revolution of Dignity started and Ukraine does not seem to be in a good state. A large part of the eastern separatistic regions seems to be lost for good, as the territories are vastly devastated. Ukraine is the most energy-intensive country in the world and the sixth largest producer of CO2 per capista. Although it has begun to accept the standards of the European Union, the overall progress will be very slow due to a systematic breaking of the environmental standards," states the description of Kroupař's photogallery.
Vote here for the best photos of 2018
Anyone can vote up to three photos maximum until November 19. The winner will be awarded at the ceremony held in the Old Town Hall the following day. About 20 photos and galleries are seeking to win the price of 'People and the Earth' magazine this year, reflecting social and political events from all corners of the planet, as well as everyday reality of more distant cultures.
In addition to the readers' voting, other pictures from our May trip over Ukraine have made the selection for the best journalistic pictures of 2018. In the category of Nature, Science and the Environment anda series of photographs labeled 'The Devastated East' competitions for the best Czech photoreporters. Eight pictures from Mariupol, Dnipro of Zaporozhye and Kriviy Rih, Krupar show the life of Ukrainians in the immediate vicinity of predominantly metallurgical enterprises. In cooperation with the Kiev-based NGO, Ecoaction, and with support from the Transition Promotion Program of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are working on improving the poor environmental situation in those regions (and also in the city of Kharkov).
Nature, Science and the Environment (Series): Stanislav Krupar, freelancer - The Devastated East
All photos of this year's Czech Press Photo can be viewed on the official website .
