ELSKA Magazine checks out the local gay men in Lviv, Ukraine

Elska the beautiful queer photo zine has visited over 40 cities around the globe since its inception.  It has featured local ordinary gay men who have been happy to pose for Elska’s Editor-in-Chief Liam Campbell and share their personal stories.  Over the years it has helped us understand and appreciate the different lives of gay men in communities that may be worlds apart  from our own.

The very first edition in 2015 was shot in Ukraine and Campbell thought that this may be the perfect time to re-visit  He told  Queerguru “Since the massive heightening of hostilities by Russia after 24th February 2022 there was a lot of demand to reprint that first issue, but I was unsure if a publication that is in many ways about showing off beautiful male bodies was too light for such a dark moment. So I decided to ask some of the men who took part in our first Ukrainian edition how they felt and they passed on their blessing, emphasizing that anything that can bring attention to their country is welcome and that we should be sure to share contemporary voices that can shed light on life during this difficult moment.”

The photography in ‘Elska Lviv’ is the result of a rather spontaneous and casual process, without preparation or posing, where the photographer and subject merely spend time together, walking, talking and relaxing, clicking the camera periodically. This relaxed style enables one to feel like they are really getting to know these people, which is then enhanced by the addition of stories, many of which were written by the participants themselves (where applicable published in the original Ukrainian and followed by English translations)