Ukraine is a country with a troubled past. Endowed with plentiful natural resources, it has been fought over and subjugated throughout history. Its 20th century struggle for independence and liberty was crushed by harsh Soviet rule, which engineered two artificial famines to keep the Ukrainian people in line. This resulted in the death of over eight million of its citizens, sometimes referred to as the “Holodomor”, or the Ukrainian Holocaust.
As World War II wrought devastation across Europe, Ukraine was no exception. Seven million of its population died in the conflict between Nazi and Soviet armies. The country was host to some of the greatest battles of the war, including the encirclement and capture of its capitol, Kiev.
The post war decades saw significant economic development for Ukraine, as it became a dominant front for the Soviet weapon and high-tech industries. This made Ukraine integral to Soviet operations during the cold war. Many new military bases, fitted with the most advanced weapons systems available, transformed the country over this period.
It wasn’t until 1991 and the dissolution of the USSR that Ukraine finally attained its independence. Despite this victory, two decades on, it is still a country striving for true freedom against a Soviet elite still entrenched amongst the political system, barring efforts for economic reform and greater civic liberties for the people. This has led to a weak financial system, and widespread inequality, corruption and criminal activity across Ukraine. Following the international economic crises, the country is ranked last out of 43 European countries in terms of its economic freedom.
It is, perhaps, this continued situation over time that has brought about a cultural phenomenon that, while by no means unique to Ukraine, has become synonymous with the country.
“Mail order brides”, as they are sometimes described, are abundant in Ukraine. A flourishing industry has grown around matching these women with western men looking to find their ideal partner, and who are willing to pay substantial sums of money to international marriage brokers in the process.
As this industry has grown in popularity and success, it has equally fallen into disrepute. The men are seen as having failed to find love in their home country, and are now prey on desperate women willing to go to extreme lengths to escape their dire societal circumstances, and move west to find a better life.
But to what extent is this reputation deserved? Who are these men and women? And what really drives them to seek relationships outside the country they call home?
In this photographic series, Dean O’Brien explores the objective reality behind the perception, as he follows two individuals in their pursuit of love abroad. One, a man, disillusioned with the women of his country, hopes to find the romance and companionship he craves through a marriage broker. The other, a Ukrainian woman, tired of a society where opportunities for making a better life are scarce, signs with an agency to meet with the men who may take her away to the more prosperous West.
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