Marko Zalizniak was an amateur photographer from the farm Romanivka in the Donetsk region. He left a true chronicle of destroying Ukrainian village of Udachne in the late 1920s — early 1930s. His photos show collectivization, dekulakization and destruction of farmers, confiscation of bread and exile to Siberia.
Marko Zalizniak was fond of photography, since he was 12 years old. During the Holodomor, he was invited to work as a photographer in the NKVD, but he disagreed. To save the family from starvation, he exchanged his awards from the First World War for two pounds of bread and, together with his family, moved from Romanivka. In Hryshyne (later Krasnoarmiysk, now Pokrovsk) he worked at the plant. In 1933, he had to return to Romanivka. In 1934, he had conflict with the head of the village council, and was convicted of theft of the collective farm bee-garden. He was sentenced to 5 years of prison with eviction. Marko Zalizniak appealed. The case lasted for almost a year, but finally it was closed.
There are not so many photos certifying the crime against the Ukrainians by Soviet regime. And Marko Zalizniak fully understood the significance of his photos. His son confirmed, “What is now an ordinary photo, that tomorrow will be history.”
The photos of Marko Zalizniak were taken as a basis for the documentary films “Moments of our lives”, “Symphony of Donbas”, “Holodomor”, and others. These photographs are extremely valuable in preserving the truth about the Holodomor. They are often printed in textbooks and monographs.
Dekulakization of the farmer P. Masiuk. Udachne village, Donetsk region. 1934 - H.S. Pshenychnyi TsDKFFA of Ukraine. It. coll. 2-148556.
Members of the society for joint cultivation of land transport the barn of the dekulakized farmer P. Yemets to the general barn. Hryshynsky district, Donetsk region, the 1930s - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. it. coll. 2-148558.
Dekulakization of farmers. Udachne village, Donetsk region, the 30s of the XX century. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 2-148559.
Farmers are receiving millet on working days in the collective farm named after D. Biednyi. Krasnoarmiyskyi district, Donetsk region, the 1930s - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 2-148561
Celebration of May 1 at the collective farm "12 years of October". Krasnoarmeysky district of Donetsk region, 30's. XX century. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 3-1076
The committee members' meeting of the poor on the transition to collective land cultivation. Novoserhiivka, Hryshynskyi district, Donetsk region, 1930-1933 - H.S. Pshenychnyi Central Committee of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It. coll. 3-1100.
A dekulakized family near their house in Udachne village, Donetsk region. The 30s of the twentieth century. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 3-1101.
Folk festivities near the swing in Hryshyn village, Donetsk region 30s of the twentieth century. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 3-1113
Children are gathering frozen potatoes on a collective farm field in Udachne village, Donetsk region. 1933 - H.S. Pshenychnyi TsDKFFA of Ukraine. It. coll. 3-1125.
Sale of the property of the dekulakized peasant Martynenko at the "red market." Udachne village, Donetsk region, 1930-1932 - H.S. Pshenychnyi Central Committee of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It. coll. 4-17886.
Celebration of the Epiphany in the church, Serhiyivka village, Hryshynskyi district of Donetsk region. January 19, 1925 -TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17899.
Celebration of the Epiphany in the church, Serhiyivka village, Hryshynskyi district of Donetsk region. January 19, 1925 -TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17900.
Dekulakization of the farmer P. Yemets in the Grishinsky district of the Donetsk region. The 30s of the twentieth century. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17901.
Delivery of grain and agricultural products. Udachne village, Donetsk region, 1933 -TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17902
The meeting is dedicated to the celebration of May 1 in the village. Novosergeevka, Krasnoarmeisky district, Donetsk region 30s XX Art. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17913.
Wedding in a German colony in the collective farm "Batkivshchyna" of the Krasnoarmeysky district of Donetsk region in the 30s of the twentieth century. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17914.
Distribution of products to collective farmers on working days. Udachne village, Donetsk region, 1933. - TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 4-17951.
Collective farmers of the agricultural party named after Demyan Biednyi, Hryshynsky District, Donetsk region Yemets P.P. and Yatsiuk P.N. graze a flock of sheep. 1930 TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi. It. coll. 3-1068
Mark Zaliznyak's family in the village of Romanivka, 1932. TsDKFFA of Ukraine named after H.S. Pshenychnyi.
