Railways in Ukraine

Through the lens of photographer, railway fan, and trainspotter Mykola Oleksiienko, large-format images reveal how railways shape the portrait of an entire country.

These photos take you on a ride through Ukraine’s diverse regions, showing how rail lines have long reflected the country’s geography, history, and culture. You’ll see the biggest industrial centres as they were before Russia’s full-scale invasion, and the role railways played in building them. The images explore the unique features of rail infrastructure and what Ukrainian tracks look like from the mountains to the steppes.

This book is the result of years of photographic travels across Ukraine, where Mykola Oleksiienko captured the unique presence of trains and railway tracks in the country’s landscape and life.