On Asphalt We Grow by Robin Tutenges

Since the beginning of the Russia–Ukraine war, skateboarding in Ukraine has taken on a unique dimension: an escape. From a sport once practiced surrounded by friends, skateboarding has become a window to freedom amidst chaos and anxiety. However, it is difficult not to be brought back to reality, as the war asserts itself at every turn. ‘Near vast brutalist squares lie buildings torn apart by Russian shells, and even the composition of the roads they skate on reminds them of the situation: the rough pavement that hinders them is firmly oriented towards the East and its Soviet past. Today, Ukrainian skaters who have not gone to fight are waging an entirely different battle — to reclaim the streets and the spaces marked by war and to allow themselves to live again.’