Mariia Tsypiashchuk was selected to be portrayed in the fourth edition of the “Portraits of Strength” photography series by Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv. Her portrait was taken by Kateryna Mostova at the remains of Kyiv’s Pochaina market, heavily damaged as a result of a massive Russian attack on the night of June 15, 2026.
Why did you become a human rights defender?
The realisation that I wanted and, above all, needed to pursue human rights advocacy came right along with Russia’s modern war against Ukraine in 2014.
Back then, the scale and number of violations—gross violations, the gravest violations of human rights—increased dramatically.
The same happened later, in 2022. However, things were not perfect within Ukraine either on the part of our own authorities. We learned about numerous cases of, for example, ill-treatment or abuse of people in places of detention, as well as certain unlawful restrictions on peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and access to information.
This was precisely a period of my professional growth, when I was defining the direction I wanted to work in. It happened naturally, because I felt a demand and a need for exactly this kind of work.
What is the nature of your work, and what challenges do you face as a Woman Human Rights Defender?
My work mainly focuses on protecting cultural heritage, a specific area of cultural human rights. I also work on other issues, such as non-discrimination, access to information, and protecting the rights of specific or diverse groups, including military personnel, veterans, and civilians in different life circumstances.
Currently, as a woman human rights defender, I probably do not face any critical challenges or specific gender discrimination in my professional activities. Although it may feel like I’m just lucky, because trends and cases in Ukraine vary, I simply don’t encounter this in my own work.
What is the current human rights situation in Ukraine?
Speaking of the human rights situation in Ukraine today, we must, first and foremost, consider the consequences of the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. This is because it causes violations of essentially the entire spectrum of human rights.
These range from fundamental ones—such as the right to life, respect for human dignity, freedom from torture and ill-treatment—to other rights, including the right to housing, family, free development, education, and many others.
If we look, for example, at interactions between Ukrainian citizens, or anyone under Ukraine’s jurisdiction, and the Ukrainian authorities, current trends are primarily linked to freedom of movement. This is especially true for men eligible for military service in Ukraine, as we are aware of instances where individuals are unable to leave the country or incidents involving the detention of people in various public places, and so on.
This certainly requires attention.
Another aspect concerns various human freedoms. Under martial law, it is undoubtedly reasonable and often necessary to restrict certain rights. However, civil society must [control] that such restrictions comply with all requirements. That means they must be necessary at any given moment, enforced proportionally, and strictly based on the law.
What kind of human rights situation in Ukraine would you like to see in the next 30 years?
Thirty years is both a long and quite a short period when we talk about the sustainable [advancement] of human rights in a particular country.
First of all, I would like our entire system of government authorities at all levels to work with this precise focus on protecting human rights, understanding that this is the key element around which the rest of the legal system is built.
Human dignity and respect for human dignity must be at the very centre of any state policy and any legislation.
Accordingly, I would like to see this trend develop from the smallest communities up to the central government. I would also like society to be more aware of human rights, more conscious, and less indifferent to human rights violations happening around them, even if they do not affect them directly. After all, this is the only way human rights can develop and take root.
Do human rights still matter?
One might wonder whether it is even worth talking about human rights in the context of a full-scale war.
Because, at first glance, there seem to be more pressing matters. This is the survival of ourselves, our loved ones, our families, and ultimately, the entire nation.
But in my opinion, this is inextricably linked to human rights.
Because here we are talking about respect for the human dignity of every person in our society. And this is, in principle, the very society we are fighting for. That is, we want to live in a country where every person, even if they do not feel completely happy or even fully self-realised every single minute, can at least wake up and go to sleep with a sense of their own dignity, with a sense of safety.
And human rights are what consolidate society; they help us unite for a common goal, a common struggle.
And the fight for human rights, for their observance, is inextricably linked, in my view, to the fight for the integrity of our nation and for the integrity of our state.
What is your motto as a human rights defender?
To carry out effective human rights advocacy, at least three things are important: first, not being indifferent to what is happening around you; second, constantly learning and keeping up with trends or general information about human rights and their protection; and third, not being afraid to react.
As a photographer and a citizen of Ukraine, taking part in this project was especially important to me because photography has the power to make visible what often remains beyond the headlines, numbers, and statistics.
I wanted to show Mariia not only as a human rights defender, and not only through her professional work, but first and foremost as a person — with her own story, dreams, and choices, many of which have been shaped by the war. Through this series of portraits, I wanted to convey the strength of someone who is giving part of her own life and putting her own dreams on hold so that others can have rights, freedom, and a future.
At the same time, through these photographs, I wanted to tell the story of what has been happening in Ukraine since 2014 and what Ukrainians face every day. Alongside the destruction of homes, infrastructure, and cultural heritage, Russia is destroying Ukrainian publishing houses, book warehouses, and bookstores. Millions of books are disappearing with them, including books in Ukrainian. This is no longer simply the destruction of physical objects — these are attacks on knowledge, education, cultural memory, and the future.
— Kateryna Mostova.
About Portraits of Strength
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) work to protect and advance freedoms while facing discrimination and stereotypes about their role and participation in society.
HRHF’s “Portraits of Strength” photography series honours the vital role that women play in defending human rights, and portrays women human rights defenders from across the Network of Human Rights Houses.
The exhibition, now in its fourth edition, shares portraits taken by local women photographers and tells the stories from WHRDs working on a variety of issues, including the documentation of human rights violations and alleged war crimes, rule of law, women’s rights, political prisoners, freedom of expression, and more.
Find out more here.
