Bradford's Tim Smith shares pictures from Ukrainian independence in 1991

Tim Smith was on the frontline during a “time of great turmoil” as Ukraine broke away from the Soviet Union over 30 years ago.

Tim, who has had a “long relationship” with Bradford’s Ukrainian community, said the Russian invasion has made old fears “resurface”.

“I’ve spoken with the Ukrainian community in Bradford, and they are very worried”, said Tim, who has been exploring migration and identity in Bradford through photography since the mid-1980s.

“They are worried about Putin’s ambition to obliterate Ukrainian identity and culture – which is what Stalin was attempting to do back then.

“Ukrainians have everything to lose.”

ABOVE: A Tim Smith photograph shows members of Bradford's Ukrainian community protesting against the Soviet Union, outside Bradford Magistrates' Court, in December 1986.

Tim said his visit to Ukraine seemed “a bit unreal” at the time.

“I learned a lot from people at Bradford Ukrainian Club”, he explained.

“At one point, Bradford had the largest Ukrainian community in Western Europe.

"Many Ukrainians in the city had been displaced by World War Two, or had come to work in the textile industry, as Bradford was booming at the time.

“I was taking pictures of some of these people at Ukrainian churches and the clubs on Legrams Lane and Clifton Villas.

“I then went to Ukraine in 1991 because it seemed like a pivotal moment for the Ukrainian people. I wanted to be there to photograph it.

“It was extraordinary - I was witnessing history.

“It was also a very difficult time, there was rampant inflation and people couldn’t afford food.

“But there was also great hope, as people had lived under this totalitarian regime for decades and believed an independent Ukraine would free them from living in terror.

BELOW: Bykivnia Forest, on the outskirts of Kyiv, is pictured by Tim Smith in 1991. It is estimated that around 200,000 people killed by the Soviet Union are buried here.

“When we got to Kyiv, there were huge crowds.

“People were digging up mass graves of people who had been killed by the Soviet secret police. We photographed as they examined the corpses, trying to identify them.

“Today, there’s a huge deluge of images coming out of Ukraine. When I went, there were only three or four photographers from the west.

"In those days, you had to shoot everything on film. I came back with rolls of film and a carrier bag - I hadn’t seen a single image until I got back to Bradford and developed them.”

ABOVE: Ukrainians prepare for the demolition of Lenin's statue, which towered over the main square in Kyiv, during the run-up to Ukraine's independence in 1991. Photographed by Tim Smith.

BELOW: A photograph taken by Tim Smith at a rally for Ukraine in Manchester, 2022.

Tim is leading a talk on Ukraine at Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum this weekend, exploring how “the past has shaped the present”, three decades after his visit to the country.

He will be sharing more pictures from 1991, and donations can be made to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal as part of the event.

“My main motivation is to raise money. If we all do our bit, it could add up to something worthwhile”, said Tim.

BELOW: A service at the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bradford, led by Father Yaroslaw Rij, taken by Tim Smith, 2022.

The talk is at the Cubby Broccoli Cinema at the National Science and Media Museum on Sunday.

Tickets are free but must be booked here beforehand.