Portraits of Hope

Gallery

  • Portrait of Svetlana Khustik by Olga Sidikovskaya

    Svetlana Khustik

    47Y.O

    byOlga Sidikovskaya

    A journalist from a small town in northern Russia. She is married with two children, including a minor daughter, and has been in prison since September 2025, accused of spreading allegedly false information about the Russian military,a charge that could carry up to 10 years in prison.

  • Portrait of Elvira Sayfullina by Elena Kalkova

    Elvira Sayfullina

    37Y.O

    byElena Kalkova

    A mother of two young children living in a remote northern city. Since October 2024, she has been under house arrest, accused of allegedly being involved with a banned political group, a charge that could carry up to 8 years in prison.

  • Portrait of Marina Tokareva by Liza Strizhenko

    Marina Tokareva

    57Y.O

    byLiza Strizhenko

    A grandmother and the sole guardian of three young children, ages 2, 4, and 6. In March 2025, Tokareva was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for allegedly being involved with a banned political group, and on the day of her sentencing, her grandchildren were taken by child services.

  • Portrait of Tatiana Omelchenko by Daria Vaida

    Tatiana Omelchenko

    50Y.O

    byDaria Vaida

    A Kyiv-based charity volunteer and mother of a young son, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being detained in Moscow in 2024. She was convicted for donating about $170 to support Ukraine’s military.

  • Portrait of Surlana Enchinova by Masha Volkova

    Surlana Enchinova

    30Y.O

    byMasha Volkova

    A pediatrician at a public hospital and the mother of a young son, she has been imprisoned since October 2024, facing up to 20 years in prison. She is accused of trying to cross the border to reach Ukraine, allegedly to help the Ukrainian side.

  • Portrait of Polina Yevtushenko by Grazhdanochka

    Polina Yevtushenko

    27Y.O

    byGrazhdanochka

    Arrested in 2023 in a case that was fabricated through provocation. Despite evidence she tried to dissuade an acquaintance from joining the Free Russia Legion, she spent nearly 3 years in detention, separated from her kinderage daugther. In 2026, she was sentenced to 14 years in prison for a nonviolent case.

  • Portrait of Svetlana Khustik by Olga Sidilkovskaya

    Svetlana Khustik

    byOlga Sidilkovskaya

  • Portrait of Andrei Yedigarev by David Glushkov

    Andrei Yedigarev

    63Y.O

    byDavid Glushkov

  • Portrait of Mikhail Simonov by Elena Stashkova

    Mikhail Simonov

    65Y.O

    byElena Stashkova

    Diagnosed with ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure crises and prostatitis

  • Portrait of Ilya Shakursky by Grazhdanochka

    Ilya Shakursky

    29Y.O

    byGrazhdanochka

  • Portrait of Valery Selyanin by Floating Shadows

    Valery Selyanin

    byFloating Shadows

    He is being subjected to cruel and degrading treatment. Forced to stand outside in freezing winds and harsh weather for extended periods. His health is deteriorating.

  • Portrait of Zarema Musaeva by Daria Vaida

    Zarema Musaeva

    56Y.O

    byDaria Vaida

    Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, insulin-dependent

  • Portrait of Aleksei Liptser by Daria Vaida

    Aleksei Liptser

    38Y.O

    byDaria Vaida

    One of Alexei Navalny’s defense lawyers. For defending truth and justice, he was labeled an “extremist” and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

  • Portrait of Olga Komleva by Anastasia Asp

    Olga Komleva

    46Y.O

    byAnastasia Asp

    Journalist sentenced to 12 years in prison over alleged ties to Navalny; mother of a 15-year-old son, living with type 2 diabetes.

  • Portrait of Sergey Komandirov by Anastasiia Asp

    Sergey Komandirov

    30Y.O

    byAnastasiia Asp

    Civic and political activist, sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for reposting a video depicting a mock trial of Vladimir Putin and his associates.

  • Portrait of Artyom Kamardin by Anastasiia Asp

    Artyom Kamardin

    35Y.O

    byAnastasiia Asp

    A poet and anti-war activist, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for reciting verses condemning the war.

  • Portrait of Andrey Ivashev by Elena Stashkova

    Andrey Ivashev

    65Y.O

    byElena Stashkova

  • Portrait of Irina Gorobtsova by Sveta Morozova

    Irina Gorobtsova

    40Y.O

    bySveta Morozova

    Volunteered in hospital transport and medical aid in Kherson, Ukraine, and was abducted by Russian forces in 2022

  • Portrait of Alexei Gorinov by Anastasia Asp

    Alexei Gorinov

    64Y.O

    byAnastasia Asp

    Diagnosed with chronic lung disease and has history of partial lung resection

  • Portrait of Viktoria Goncharova by Elis Femina

    Viktoria Goncharova

    55Y.O

    byElis Femina

  • Portrait of Valery Golubkin by Liza Strizhenko

    Valery Golubkin

    73Y.O

    byLiza Strizhenko

    A renowned scientist accused of treason for sharing open research. Faces 12 years in prison; diagnosted with stage 3 cancer.

  • Portrait of Andrei Galchevsky by Elis Femina

    Andrei Galchevsky

    62Y.O

    byElis Femina

    A physicist with Israeli & Russian citizenship, was sentenced to 11 years for antiwar post.

  • Portrait of Oleg Fedorov by Jenya Stashkov

    Oleg Fedorov

    55Y.O

    byJenya Stashkov

  • Portrait of Feliks Eliseev by Elis Femina

    Feliks Eliseev

    37Y.O

    byElis Femina

    History teacher, sentenced to 14 years, for alleged “treason” after running Telegram channels where he shared anti-war and political commentary.

  • Portrait of Anastasiya Dyadyaeva by Masha Volkova

    Anastasiya Dyadyaeva

    26Y.O

    byMasha Volkova

    A married couple sentenced to 3 years for placing anti?war leaflets in a supermarket

  • Portrait of Dim Davletkildin by Grazhdanochka

    Dim Davletkildin

    44Y.O

    byGrazhdanochka

  • Portrait of Umutbai Davletberdin by Liza Strizhenko

    Umutbai Davletberdin

    61Y.O

    byLiza Strizhenko

    A community elder from Bashkortostan who stood with his people during peaceful protests. Sentenced to 3 years and 7 months.

  • Portrait of Irina Danilovich by Liza Strizhenko

    Irina Danilovich

    46Y.O

    byLiza Strizhenko

    A nurse and journalist from Crimea who spoke out for human rights. She was abducted, tortured, and condemned to 7 years in prison on fabricated charges.

  • Portrait of Maria Bonzler by Sveta Morozova

    Maria Bonzler

    65Y.O

    bySveta Morozova

    A human rights lawyer from Kaliningrad, is facing up to eight years in prison for defending political prisoners

  • Portrait of Dmitry Bogmut by Tatiana Pavlova

    Dmitry Bogmut

    50Y.O

    byTatiana Pavlova

    A laboratory technician from St. Petersburg, specializing in neutron physical-chemical research. Prosecuted for sharing on social media publications documenting war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine.

  • Portrait of Oleg Belousov by Elena Stashkova

    Oleg Belousov

    58Y.O

    byElena Stashkova

    Sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for speaking the truth about the war, labeled a criminal for sharing information the authorities deemed “false” about the Russian armed forces.

  • Portrait of Alexander Batsenin by David Glushkov

    Alexander Batsenin

    30Y.O

    byDavid Glushkov

    A shopping mall security guard sentenced to 12 years for donating 780 rubles ($9.60) in support of Ukraine.

  • Portrait of Ahmed Barahoev by Daria L.

    Ahmed Barahoev

    74Y.O

    byDaria L.

    Ingush elder and community leader, was sentenced to 9 years in prison for peacefully protesting the transfer of Ingush land to Chechnya and defending his people’s right to justice.

  • Portrait of Egor Balazeikin by Daria Vaida

    Egor Balazeikin

    19Y.O

    byDaria Vaida

    A teenager punished as a “terrorist” for protesting the war. He faces 6 years of his youth behind bars.

  • Portrait of Alexander Bakhtin by Anastasia Asp

    Alexander Bakhtin

    54Y.O

    byAnastasia Asp

    Animal rights activist. Sentenced to 6 years in prison for three posts against war in Ukraine.

  • Portrait of Vladlen Abdulkadyrov by Jenya Shashkov

    Vladlen Abdulkadyrov

    46Y.O

    byJenya Shashkov

    Diagnosed with spinal disc degenaration and a herniated disc that is inflamed and displaced

  • Portrait of Anna Arkhipova by David Glushkov

    Anna Arkhipova

    28Y.O

    byDavid Glushkov

    Student from Siberia; imprisoned for expressing anti-war views