mortar mine 82mm - Limited Edition 1 of 20 Print

The photo is the part of the project "Fragments of War". Life size scans of munition fragments found in the territory of the Donbas, with grooves and bends, whose sharp edges can easily kill or maim anyone on their way from the barrel to the place of impact and spalling. Each fragment has its own history, the circumstances in which I found it; origin, where it came from and how I came by it; place where it was found. After the spalling and impact begins another story. And now compiling a new history which describes what happened during the war, the participation of the people, soldiers, volunteers, citizens - everyone became a fragment that was knocked from his/her place in life and abandoned on the battlefield and up to pile into something new and powerful. Found in village Piski of Yasynuvata Raion of Donetsk Oblast. weight - 46,3 gram Mortar shell mine 82 millimeters Caliber - 82 millimeters Number of fragments - 400-600 pieces Destruction area - 715 square meters Maximum shooting range - 3,9 kilometers “Jazz Band” mortar position of Ukrainian Volunteer Corps The Right Sector in the village of Piski of the Donetsk region. A squad is going to a position for a 24 hour duty. I persuaded the commander El Gato (Spanish for Cat) to take me with them so I could photograph. First - the position is prepared, mortar shells are checked and cleaned from snow and dirt (a job done by the newcomers who to learn from experience - they need to start from something), and then equip them with gunpowder and detonators. El Gato had phoned his commander several times to ask from more mortar shells. The commander promised, but the military is not allowed to share weapons with Ukrainian Volunteer Corps The Right Sector since the latter is not officially recognized and is basically “an armed formation” that does not report to anybody. Thus, mortar shells are scarce and are used very carefully, shot only when the results are certain: - There is something “warm” moving in the foliage - comes a report from the NEBO (SKY) position which is the eyes over the whole Piski village, - throw a fougasse down there. - Negative, mortar shells are scarce, continue observing, - “Jazz Band” responds. After a while the radio is live again: - Vehicle lights on behind the dump, shoot a “Lighter” shell there, pretty please. - Shell gone, watch it, - reports “Jazz Band” immediately after the shot, getting thanks and good night wishes in response, just to be woken up to be set a new target in a while. At night the fighters jumped up on alert and, as routinely as going to work, promptly grabbed the rounds and rushed to the mortar where others were already setting it up. Several times there was mortar shelling in response from the other side but it did not even come close... They were firing at random. A day and night passed this way, and in the morning a new daily-shift came, and, ever so casually the duty was passed on to the next squad, and we dragged on through the village to a more or less secure basement to get some sleep. For more visit www.kupriyan.com

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:12 W x 8 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:17.25 W x 13.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.