ALAIN SCHROEDER
Coal Survivors

The mining town of Toretsk is isolated from the rest of eastern Ukraine. The mines in this coal-rich Donbas region, have closed one by one since the 1990s. Since the start of the (ongoing) Donbas conflict in 2014, young people have left from the region due to the proximity of the frontline, just 10 kms away. Centralna Mine, is the oldest and deepest coal mine (1124 meters) in the region. Its infrastructure is dilapidated and in dire need of repair.
The situation is tense and as of mid-February 2020, miners had not been paid for four months and rumors of closure are rife. Toretsk may soon know the fate of Walbrych, the city in Silesia (Poland) that went bankrupt in the 1990s following the closure of all its mines.

Author
Belgian photojournalist Alain Schroeder (b. 1955) has been working in the industry for over four decades. First as a sports photographer in the 80s, then shooting book assignments and editorial pieces in art, culture and human stories.

In 2013, he uprooted his life, trading-in his shares in Reporters, to pursue life on the road with a camera. Schroeder now travels the world shooting stories focusing on social issues, people and their environment. «I am not a single shot photographer. I think in series,» he says adding, «I strive to tell a story in 10-15 pictures, capturing the essence of an instant with a sense of light and framing.»

He has won many international awards including Nikon Japan, Nikon Belgium, Felix-Schoeller, TPOTY, Istanbul Photo, Days Japan, Trieste Photo, PX3, IPA, MIFA, BIFA, PDN, the Fence, Lens Culture, Siena, POYI and World Press Photo.

Website
https://alainschroeder.myportfolio.com/

Instagram
@alainschroeder

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