One of Barrie’s creative gifts to our world is Don Komarechka. He’s a photographer who explores the smallest details in our world – and he reminds us that each little thing, no matter how small, can have an impact.
Don Kom, as he’s known to his friends, moved his young family to Bulgaria almost a year ago to be nearer his wife’s family. He lives in a small village on the Black Sea; he can look out and imagine the horrors happening on a not-so-distant shore. Undoubtedly when he left Barrie, he never imagined he’d be so close to the terror of war in Ukraine.
Don Kom has ties to the Ukraine – a grandfather left there to come to Canada – and with his ongoing passion to help others, he is sharing images as he shares ways to help. Check him out at https://www.facebook.com/donkomphoto or on his website https://www.donkom.ca/.
“I see heroes being made in Ukraine right now. Brave men and women defending the freedom of their families and their entire country is no small task, and the spirit of the Ukrainian people appears impossible to break. Strong leadership is an understatement, and the civilian populations are showing the world what it means to stare pure evil directly in the eyes,” Don Kom writes in a Facebook post.
“Even if the war was won tomorrow, the humanitarian crisis will persist for years. Sometimes I feel like the only thing I can is watch it unfold, but there’s always something we can do to help.”
Perhaps known best for his snowflake series – an incredible project that not only reveals the beauty of each snowflake but explains how the snowflake came to be – Don Kom shares his techniques and passion as he has been a member and mentor at the Barrie Photo Club. He has an incredible network of arts and creative people in Canada, and they have helped him help others. He accepts financial donations from friends, buys food and clothing and takes it to a refugee centre.
“Yesterday’s supply run to the refugee center included a large bag of slippers, track pants, specific needed sizes of diapers, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste etc.,” he said in an email early Wednesday morning. “Today the focus will be more on food, with milk, canned fish and meat, fruits all on the list. We will be leaving as soon as I am done this email.”
Don Kom has been creating images that can be used freely to show support for the Ukrainian people. He knows the power of each person showing they care.
