Iva Sidash: "Welcome to the house of one slipper"
© Iva Sidash
Artist’s Statement
“Welcome to the house of one slipper,”
a deep male voice says at the entrance to the rehabilitation center.
This project is about people who once held the world in their hands — with confidence and with love.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, thousands of Ukrainians have volunteered to defend their country. Many had never held a weapon before, yet they chose to serve. The cost of that decision has been profound and lasting.
These photographs follow Ukrainian soldiers who came to the United States for prosthetics and rehabilitation. They are among the thousands who have lost limbs since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Rehabilitation is a negotiation with balance, time, and absence. It is the slow process of adjusting to a changed body.
Beyond the uniform, there are moments of hesitation, humor, and silence — the careful shift of weight, the adjustment of a sleeve, the steadying of a hand against a wall, the pause before taking a step. Injury does not define them. Dignity does — the ongoing choice of who they are becoming with the experience they carry.
For other projects and information on the work of Iva Sidash: : https://www.ivasidash.com