Image credit: Eugenia Skvarska and Kalpesh Lathigra for Unofficial
In summer 2026, British independent publisher Officialzine will release the first issue of its new photobook series, unofficial — a project dedicated to cities and places explored through the personal stories of the people who live there.
The first publication in the series is the zine unofficial – Dnipro: The Plunging Shore, created by Ukrainian stylist, art director and Vogue Ukraine contributor Yevheniia Skvarska together with British photographer Kalpesh Lathigra and edited by Adam Murray.
The publication explores the Dnipro — Ukraine’s longest river — through the lives of the cities and people along its banks. It is the result of two journeys along the river’s 2,200-kilometre course in the summers of 2023 and 2024. Travelling from Kyiv to Zaporizhzhia, the authors sought to capture Ukraine beyond the familiar imagery of war.
Rather than focusing on frontline chronicles, Skvarska and Lathigra turned their attention to everyday life — summer beaches, river crossings, willow trees, watermelons, families swimming in the river, and ordinary moments of life continuing despite the full-scale war.
“This story is made up of everyday scenes, moments of joy and families swimming in the Dnipro during the summer, continuing to live and resist even during the war. For me, the Dnipro is a symbol of Ukraine and my personal connection to home. We travelled from Kyiv to Zaporizhzhia, and I would very much like one day to continue this journey all the way to the Black Sea. Today, however, the frontline, occupied territories and the dam destroyed by Russia in 2023 make that impossible. I hope that one day this river will be completely free again,” Yevheniia Skvarska said.
The publication features 38 colour photographs of the Dnipro and the surrounding areas. The book was edited by photography researcher and Central Saint Martins MA Fashion Image course leader Adam Murray. The design was created by art director Ben McLaughlin, while the book was printed in Venice.
The photobook also includes a separate documentary project, Dnipro Fotostudiia, dedicated to the Ukrainian community in London. Created over the course of one weekend, the project serves as a visual portrait of Ukrainians who found themselves in the United Kingdom following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The unofficial series is conceived as a collection of stories about cities and regions told by people who have a personal connection to them. Each publication explores lesser-known places through photography and the authors’ personal experiences, gradually creating a global archive of local stories.
The first issue, Dnipro: The Plunging Shore, will be published in a limited edition of 450 copies and will be available at selected bookstores around the world and through the Officialzine website.
