Ukraine: Photographers in the War

Ladies and Gentlemen, passengers, The disembarkation of train number 911 from Kyiv-Moujour continues. Don't push me, I'm not going without you! Mom, she's collapsing! Where are you pressing it? Mom! The exodus, as always. Like all countries at war, there are people who are fleeing. It's always hard trying to make images. In these cases, people are stressed, lost, and unhappy. Pointing a camera right under their nose is still... And there it is. Mom, she's collapsing! Don't cry, don't cry! Take it all, Léna! Sonia! The empathy you have for these people, I don't feel like violating their privacy, to arrive like a nobody right under their noses, Press the button, Try to find an image that is correct, that is respectful. That's the thing, too. When you've been photographing people like me for 40 years, The word we must keep in mind is to preserve their dignity. So... Here it is. I think I'm getting old, I can't stand it anymore... I can no longer bear the misfortune of people. I reach the end of the platform, at the last car. And there is just one man who is there. And it is this man who says goodbye to his family. This image that we see everywhere, that everyone has made who holds the hand behind the windowpane, And there is a small child's hand behind. And he turns around, and tears are at the edge of his eyes. I see it; it's all red, it's about to burst. And he turns around, and he sees me, and I'm all alone, that's all. And he needs to let it go, anyway. And he said to me... I may never see him again. Here then... And he leaves. He's leaving on the tracks, and I'm left here like an idiot at the end of the platform. February 24, 2022 at 5:38 a.m., Russia under Vladimir Putin was attacking Ukraine. Since then The Ukrainians are living under a deluge of fire. And we, under a deluge of images. Over 2,000 photographers are covering the conflict. Aguiris or novices, They work for major news agencies. the daily newspapers around the world, They are independent. They all document this war. closest to the bombings and civilian populations. When it falls from the sky, You never know what might come up. but then, I am cautious, so if there's a problem, I have to handle it additionally this woman who serves as our fixer and driver, that has never been taken in places and moments of this kind, So I stay calm, and even better. Natalia is Ukrainian. Speaks English and Russian. knows his country well, but she has never lived through war. Eric, himself How to behave on these grounds, where everything can shift in an instant, But he doesn't know Ukraine. On this journey toward the unknown, their safety depends on their association. We're going east, It's a place that is very poorly covered. We managed to form a team. with the friends from the IB, And it's good that we have two cars, Because it's safer. Zorya is just over there, and the Russians took Zorya, and it's a bird's flight at a small two kilometers. We go around, while being parallel to them staying on the right, and so we have to adjust a little bit start in the countryside around there As long as there are cars who arrive opposite or others going in the opposite direction, That's a good sign. We are going to stop... You see the atmosphere, it's deserted, There is no one left. It's never very pleasant. Hello! Who sent you here? OK. Look, my commander has done nothing wrong for you. I sent a signal to Google when you said you could come. Now, the oldest I will accompany you. where it is possible and where it is not possible. Do they only bomb? Where are they trying to escape to? They fled and bombed. The troops have already been issued today. They didn't have the time. What do you think? I think it's possible. The Russians are two kilometers away. And there, there's a tank they destroyed. Not long ago. One cannot go any further And it would have been good so that three photos can be taken here since we've come this far. I'm just content with that to make a burnt house because they don't want us to take their picture. We're going to start over from scratch. Photos on front lines That's very rare. It's very, very rare. It's because we are never given the possibility of going there because it's always unsettling to have witnesses. War is dirty. This is the first war I'm covering. where access is denied on both sides. Neither the Russians nor the Ukrainians. There are no existing photos. There were three little things but there are no images. There has been no independent reportage on this front. I left February 27 sent by the world. First of all, I went to Romania. From there, I went to Moldova. Then, I went to Hungary. Then I went to Kyiv, Always for the world. I spent three weeks in Ukraine. between Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the small villages around Kyiv who had been released. It's my first real battlefield. Even though I have worked in other countries before, like Syria, Iraq, the Gaza Strip, It has always been about the consequences. conflicts. They were very different situations. Ukraine, it was the first time that I was witnessing a conflict in real time. I was delighted to cover slightly more military aspects, a bit more direct about the war. After that, There's still some news left. So it's something that is very day-to-day, where there are still many days that look alike. Hey, there was an explosion; we're going to the site of the explosion. Hey, we're going over there. The issues are still quite similar from day to day. So it gave me the taste, because obviously, it's fascinating and it is extremely important to cover a conflict like that in real time, especially on an event that is also historic. It's still the first draft, after all. of the story we're currently working on, as they say. After that, what I really liked was in the cover of this conflict that I have made, It's just that I still went by... I began, in fact, with the refugee crisis, with what was happening outside Ukraine. And little by little, I drew closer to the conflict. A topic was made for Le Monde on the consequences of the conflict at the port of Constanța, Romania. The refugee crisis was created. in Moldova, for example the latent fear of citizens. Different things that are equally important to me to talk about a conflict. And I think that if I had done six weeks of pure and hard conflicts, I would have grown a bit tired of it after a while. Even though, obviously, there's a bit of that addictive aspect, but because we feel like... Actually, I feel like covering every single second. I have the feeling that if we leave, we're going to miss something huge. And me, if Le Monde, in fact, had kind of forced me to take a break, I might have stayed there a few more weeks. There were two bombs at 5 a.m. quite strong, since we heard it from the hotel. And we are, I would say, About ten kilometers away, though. So then, the first bomb, administrative building Soit. And there, second bomb, Therefore, civil building. And just by looking at the damage, I think there is going to be At least a dozen dead, easily. So, there it is, it's completely incomprehensible. So, why there? Is that a mistake? Is this the policy of terror? From the beginning, Anyway, We journalists, we're all a bit lost. We live on the battlefield. One does not understand the logic, the strategy since Putin from the beginning. I left for Ukraine in November, first of all for an NGO called People in Need who came to help people in Doba, on the front line that is, between the occupied zones by the separatists and the Ukrainian regions So, I took advantage of this invitation. to get me familiarized with this area which had regained a little bit of relevance with Putin amassing his troops at the borders. And generally, We are put under command once because we are on site for X reasons. Now, the media, I don't want to talk about all the media, I don't want to cast blame on everyone. but the media put us in charge once we're on site for fee-related matters, for insurance-related stories. They are taking on fewer financial risks now. before they could take. Therefore, it is very difficult to have upstream control. So indeed, when we leave, One must remind oneself that the first few days will be empty of commands. So, that means paying for hotels, It means paying, of course, for his own security. that is, the fixers, or at least the understanding of the place which is very expensive, especially in conflict zones, Prices are rising sharply. Very quickly, I started working for Al Jazeera. I worked with Mediapart, and thus little by little, My work has been slightly noticed. I then went back Three weeks for the Obs, the new Obs, And we lived through the end of the siege of Kyiv. And then, I went to Irpin. Bucha It has been observed with, like many, the abuses that may have occurred. Eric Bouvet is in Ukraine for Polka, a specialized magazine in photography. He traverses this war-torn country. to find a man he has already photographed. It was eight years ago, already for Polka, on this square, Maidan Square. In 2014, his photo of Vassil Galamaï Go around the world. Thanks to her, Vassil, 27 years old so, computer scientist, becomes one of the symbols of the Maidan rebels. Like him, thousands of Ukrainian citizens They will occupy this place day and night. for three months right in the heart of winter. They will eventually overthrow the president of the time. Viktor Yanukovych, obstinate opponent to any rapprochement with the European Union. I remember having seen these people. climb over the barricade to launch an assault on the police who was shooting at them with metal weapons. I remember having crossed others who descended completely covered in blood where we carried cigars. They arrived behind the Ekreina Hotel. as seen here, on the heights. There, we got caught out on the front line And it was a massacre. There were about 70 to 80 deaths that day, I believe. In the midst of this massacre, during an assault, Eric Bouvet is the target of crossfire of the police and a sniper. For two very long hours, He will take cover behind a mound of earth. Then he photographs the Maidan rebels falling under the bullets, one after another Have you seen the graves? It's there. This is it, right here. The problem is that they're traps. You don't know how it's going to turn out. You don't know how this can turn out. You follow the guys who are going on the assault, It's raining, be careful And then, at one point, it stops, You're stuck, the others are sending Everything they have, and you're stuck And there you are, right at the front line, like an idiot And you didn't know either. Yes, indeed, All the other journalists stayed downstairs. But in the meantime, I brought back some pictures. and a document There it is. It's very exciting, it's a life of adventure, often, not always but often. That's for sure, we're taking risks. That's perfectly normal. but we must be able to measure these risks and above all, these risks must They agree with something when they are taken. I mean that there should be a publication, so that our photos are seen, In any case, that our message, that our testimony may be seen. Taking risks just for the sake of taking risks, to show that we are at war and that it was awesome and the bullets were whistling, Me? I'm not interested. I think fear is necessary on the field. because it prevents us from taking unconscious risks. I think that without fear, in this case, there is no limit, and in this case, One no longer pays attention to what one is doing. And that's where we can take unnecessary risks. Then, of course, too much fear, It can also paralyze us, This can also lead us to make the wrong decisions. Fear on the ground at the moment of a bombing with people armed You're annoyed or a checkpoint that isn't going well or I don't know what. For me, it is a necessary and very healthy fear. who avoids laziness, little jokes and irony and sarcasm who perform very, very poorly on a checkpoint. It is undeniable, There's a bit of the adrenaline side, but we are also there after all to defend something Yes, we still defend an invasion, We are defending a country that is being invaded. We are trying to expose certain things. And I think that's also one of the biggest fuels, quite frankly. Me, at any rate, I know that's it who initially pushed me to choose this profession. I felt a need to denounce things, to document things That may sound a bit idealistic, but despite everything, I believe the fundamental essence of our work, That's it, too. It is in these conflicts, These terrible moments when humanity reveals itself. I was lucky to be on the Berlin Wall when it collapses. I shake Mandela's hand when he comes out of prison. All these historic moments who would not have dreamed of living them. I prefer to be in the place Where is the information located? rather than being on my couch To watch it on TV. What a life! Eric has just received news from Vassil. the man who photographed him in 2014, Place Maïdan. Vassil is in a training camp. around Lviv among other volunteers who, like him, have joined the territorial defense groups Vassil! How are you? Good. Still alive? Yes, yes. What a surprise! That's great. It's for me. Thank you. That's not good. I know, but at this moment Smoke does not kill. She kills the Russians. It's okay. I'm nervous. At 35 years old, Vassil is in charge of a paramedical unit. 17 volunteers, Not three women, doctors, nurses, a surgeon, Average age of 30 years. They abandoned everything to come fight under his orders. No, he hasn't changed. In this spirit, as I met him at Maidan, very enterprising, quite directive So, Vassil, His team, they're ready. They are trained, they have all the equipment, everything you need And then, They are fighters. So they also engage in learning. to know how to get around, how to draw When you are with other people, Pay attention to what you're doing. For now, Vassil and his unit are awaiting their assignment. somewhere along one of the front lines. For Eric, follow Vassil would be the assurance of being able to cover the war up close. But a few hours after this meeting, Vassil's unit is called in as reinforcement, in an emergency In the rush of departure, Eric did not obtain the authorization to follow them. Back to Kyiv, which, At that moment in the war, is always under threat of the Russian troop invasion. You won't stay long stationary in the middle of the road. The bridge connecting Irpin to Kyiv was destroyed by Ukrainian forces. A preventive measure to counter the advance of the Russians which are just a few kilometers away. For civilians, the crossing of the river remain the shortest path to reach the capital. All is well. That's life. You will come back soon. Everything is fine. You will come back soon. The bridge of Irpin remains in history. It was freezing. It was snowing halfway. And this evacuation, She was everything to me. A horrible emotional shock. These little old folks Some were bedridden. others who were being dragged in blankets, It was a disgraceful injustice. Angèle, please, Keep our men on guard. Saint Virginie, Protect our men. All is well. The people have arrived. Completely unexpected. He sits on the edge of the river, on stage with the bridge behind the ties, the smoke from the explosion behind, black in the sky. I just pressed the button. There is a version. There is a sentence. The farther away the balls are, and God is near. Those who feel them above their heads, are more often encountered by the Lord. It's good. It's good, thank you. All those Barnum-type gimmicks, It's not like that anymore, the Barnums. events involving international press It drives me crazy. I've never liked these things to work That's why I was always hanging around deep in Chechnya or Afghanistan. At least, there are fewer people. because it's harder. You're not at the hotel in the evening. Moments when I refrained to take photos, because there were already too many photographers on site. For example, evacuations of civilians from Irpin, where there was ten photographers who threw themselves on the first person who came out from the ambulance, the poor lady was being carried out. So, I had a bit of that moment of disappointment with regard to my profession. And at the same time, we do it because it's important to document all of this and that we desperately try to have these informations and things to show. It is always very delicate, very complicated. to work with many other people from the press, and I know there is an image that has been heavily criticized recently, Bouchat's cell, which had been the reverse angle of all these journalists lined up who had been summoned by services such as The state took him to Bouchat, And they are lined up in front of the fake commune. That's for sure, I understand. that it might shock ladies who cannot imagine how it might unfold on the spot. I am the first to say that I don't want to participate. To that, and I am the first to say if that's the only way we can do it, You have to do it. No editing issues either on behalf of the newspapers that want Such a picture, such a death in the street, but if we say that we have been in such a small village that is not far away de Bouchat, and the editorial staff Here goes, well, you didn't go to Bouchat. So, obviously that one must spend time there. And if we see a street with the dead, you can look The legends of the photos are a little village next to Bouchat Unfortunately, a major summary is being made what The Ukrainians have made very good use of it, but there were plenty other things to do, and above all, there is lots of other things to do in Ukraine. That's good, I don't remember anymore To what sensitivity... Guillaume Herbeau has been in Ukraine since 2001. He traveled the country in every sense, of Chernobyl at Donbass. Yeah, I gotta Even so, it should be loaded. 20 years of work, of thousands of photos, of thousands of stories, encounters, and faces. A visceral attachment to this country. Yet, February 24, the day of The Russian attack, he didn't had wished to go and cover the conflict. There are already more than 2,000 photographers on site. I don't see why I would succeed now, why would I add the presence of a photographer on the ground. I first thought of my friends, and I thought... I was there, and I thought of the people that I had photographed. And it put me in a state who wasn't suitable for working. Without exaggerating, I'd wake up and just cry, that's all. Here it is. And so, we cannot Don't take a photo with tears in your eyes. We must photograph with of retreat and quite a bit of cool-headedness. So, it just wasn't the right time, you know. He has a bit... Yeah. On the other hand, how are the Black people doing? Yeah, we are in a city called Afdjifka, in Donbass. It is a strategic city. who, since 2014, has known daily battles. This man, he lives in 100 meters from the line from the front. The house, it was hit two, three, four times by bombs. And he continues to live there. He is all alone. He has never left his house. And the war became his daily life. I saw him twice. I met him in 2017. It was firing. We could hear the gunfire. in the background. He was telling me Just her life as an artist. He is a sculptor. And he was a professor. plastic art. And we talked art in a war environment. It's strange because When you go onto a field like that, there's a feeling of eternity in the photograph, but the moments of meeting are very quickly. But there is, I believe that the link to the photograph is very strong. When something happens in a photography, at the moment of shooting the relationship we can have with people that we photographed, and well It remains. And these are people who Live with us. When the Russian tanks enter Ukraine, The first images to reach us are those filmed by ordinary citizens. Images photos taken on their smartphones and uploaded online on social media. From now on, in the history of conflicts, They are no longer the journalists nor the photographers professionals who document first war Of course we are the second witnesses and of course we need something else the first images arriving from citizens via their mobile phone. The first most interesting images from Ukraine yes, during the Russian invasion, They were the photos taken by the villagers in front of the Russian tanks that were blocking the Russians. They were images we had never seen anywhere else. There was no professional photographer and these images were necessary. On the other hand, we, We are going to add more of contextualization aux images. One will never, for example, publish an image without a caption, without explaining what is shown in the image. We will inevitably create a portrait. but when speaking to the person, by verifying the information the person gives us. If it wasn't us who saw it personally, You're obliged to, if someone tells it to you, You have to find two other people as well. We know these stories about the three people, of the grouping of three sources different information to validate it. So, it's a job. I'm saying this while looking at the camera: it's just a job. All these images, live or whatever it is, are a plus who comes a little further upstream, who comes to shed a little light on society about what is happening. But the great historical narrative in images It will be done by photographers. A photograph is not an instant. Cartier-Bresson said a foolish thing in his life, That's right. It's a moment. A photo, there's the front, There is the after, there is the off-screen, There is all the work needed to achieve it. There's a life's journey to nearly reach this photo. And for me, a successful photograph It is a photograph into which the viewer will step. and will not be able to to get out immediately and too quickly, for X reasons. Through the interplay of framing and field, depth of field. Normally, there is blur. There is information in the foreground, second plan, third plan. The first plan may be blurry. And then, if the foreground is blurry, the viewer will have to move to the foreground to get behind to go on a quest information that may be further ahead. So we'll just maintain it a little bit people at a slightly longer time For the image. Beauty, I think, of photography and photojournalism, it is that through the beauty and power of our images, In fact, we can touch a greater number. At a glance, Someone can truly be struck by a situation. One can capture a reader's attention on an article because of the image It's very beautiful or very strong. Because, attention, we still need to create images that are beautiful, but which bring information. We found this deal to get them to take us. while the entire press is stuck. They are taking us on a little tour of the city, They show us the bombings. The people who stay here, They organize themselves among themselves. Always human solidarity, That's extraordinary. They moved their kitchen outside, Anyway, there's no water, no electricity, no heating anymore. And there she is, It's an outdoor community kitchen. in a city such as those found here, in our towns and suburbs. They are always quite extraordinary moments of meeting, with all these people organizing like this, who save one another. Always inclined to see the good side of humanity. I am leaving this place. and I found a gentleman with a white lab coat and I grab it and say But what are you doing, who are you? He told me, "I am a doctor." I said to him, "But where do you stay?" He told me it's down in a basement there, beneath the hospital. Total black. I'm lighting up with my smartphone. He opens one last door, cave And there I see that old gentleman under his blankets Who's there. I said to him, "But why is he here?" Because he is dying, because nothing can be done about it. And we're off. I shut the door and I say to myself this type after his life, What life he has had, He'll die there like a rat. deep in his hole, alone Then it's the entire humanity that collapses. It's complicated when one finds oneself facing Those moments. Always this dilemma with me to tell me But press, make these images. And often it is very complicated because I'm all restrained. Somewhere I reinforced my own self-censorship so much in this life of a photojournalist because it also allowed me to preserve the dignity of people of these monstrous scenes I have witnessed. I protected myself because I have no trouble looking at myself in the mirror in the morning. Because I've always precisely paid attention to people. The only problem is that And I shouldn't have done that I should have made those images; they were difficult. who were in quotation marks. If the American soldiers when they arrived at the camps in 1945 in Poland, in Germany if they had said the same thing to me No, that's horrible, I don't take photos like that. and well it wouldn't have visual testimonies today and there would still be people today saying It never existed. Of course It is our role as photographers to show and to document precisely atrocities all the more war crimes such as those that had been committed there toward the civilians around Kyiv. After that, I think it is also our responsibility precisely in order not to show too much or do it with modesty. In any case, I know that the limit I set for myself from the outset It's never the faces whether it be a Russian soldier or a Ukrainian one a civilian or anyone else The face is not shown. And I think there are two types of photography What are we going to do in a moment like this? They are very close-up photographs. where we are actually going to do very meticulous work almost mechanical but where do we know that these images we're going to keep for ourselves They could be documents related to war crimes. It can be documents if one day there is truly something to report or to prove. So here it is, regarding the atrocities I'm the one making the images, anyway. So there are different ways to do it It can be with some distance. or perhaps taking some details. I think violence can also be portrayed that way with very gentle things It can be represented by a portrait, by a testimony It can be represented by a suggestion. And it's indeed a good idea to suggest it anyway. and show it through other things besides violence because otherwise we get used to violence One has a habit. Therefore, it must become increasingly shocking. Therefore, we must find other ways to depict violence as well. What needs to be shown is the violence of war. and the violence of war is not simply someone dead It's someone who was living and who lived within the context in which We are all evolving today and in the photo, I think that by taking a step back trying to fit in within normal life where the tree, the house what might have happened before We end up recounting things that are much harder Well, there you have it—a dead man. what is truly shocking It's that this person is lying down in a garden. in his garden Someone took a bullet to the head. I have seen many dead bodies. I've discovered quite a few wars And I have absolutely no idea how to handle all these images and all these atmospheres I lived an experience perhaps a bit traumatic in Yemen where there was a little girl who had received a bullet to the head and who had been left alone on a surgical site finally on a metal stretcher like this table who was about ten years old who was going to die but was not dead and who had his eyes wide open and who was hyperventilating and was all alone in fact, in a large room There had been bombings. and for x reasons she was all alone And I didn't take a photo of it; I grabbed it with my hand. And she was looking at me I don't know if she saw me And it lasted long enough until I meet your gaze someone else's and that I say You can't let a child die alone. I regret not having taken a photo. The only respect I could show him It was about taking a photo. to try to convey his gaze and to show that this was war It's a child with a ball in his head, the war and it often happens to me several months after coming across reports again Reissue a report and tell me Wow, I saw that. I saw a child like that That seems utterly absurd to me. completely unrealistic so I really, at the moment A real concentration a distancing I'm not the type to break down in the evening. at all that does not mean that in Ukraine I was starting to have nightmares It was ugly. but maybe that's precisely why that's also why I'm going there to get a firsthand impression that life is not just to buy new sneakers And then try to earn more money and get a new car Everything I've lived through, everything I've seen as horror I know it, I didn't delete it because I can't erase them but it doesn't make my head spin because otherwise I finish at a psychiatric hospital. So I really have this ability I erase but on the other hand, indeed I have little flashes from time to time who arrive day or night but I erase them right away because I know it's not possible I see my children dying as 31 and 26 today so I have certainly postponed All this violence, all these horrors I have transferred them to those who seem to me obviously the dearest beings in the family Me, I'm lucky because I have this family. who was my cement It's obvious that if they hadn't been there I would have gone even further. I would have forced the treaty and I would have gone too far so either I'll be even more here or else I would certainly have gone mad I think it's possible. I feel good being in Paris, with my family I keep thinking how incredibly lucky we are to be in a peaceful country. And then I think of people that I photographed I think of the pains And then I dive into my photos And that's what helps me in fact, to take over normal life but it's complicated because I have many images in mind, but perhaps the last one What I have is a child who is in her room that he shares with his mother and the atmosphere is yellowish It's very outdated; the beds are covered with blankets. hot because of the heating There isn't much heating. And he has a mobile phone. In the hands, the light shines A little of his face, he is playing like any kid with a video game He lived in 500 meters from the front line Before, he used to live on the other side, on the separatist side with his mother, he was very young when his mother was abducted by the separatists and he was taken away with her and he found himself in a cellar with her and she got beaten up in front of him she had a simulation of execution with a revolver, when it goes At school or when he comes back from school, he is afraid. of having lost balls and at the same time he continues As a child, he was there with his mobile phone After 5 weeks in Ukraine Eric Bouvet returns to the newsroom from Polka a selection of about a hundred clichés For this first trip, Vassil slipped it to him Between his fingers, Eric does not admit defeat. Just so you know, I'm about to tell you something you're not in the habit of doing but then I'm off again Yes, but that's exactly what I expected from you. Damn, it's not a surprise I expected nothing less And where is Vassil right now? I don't know, I let them go up north They told me I had it. Two or three days ago, he told me he was resting. and that I am not in a hurry I told him no, just a game He told me, "Yeah, certainly perfect." Not just here There are moments of shock like types accused of being plunderers who end up being how to say, sticky at posts by military personnel And now I don't know if we'll publish this photo. I don't think, by the way, that we'll publish it Me, I'll take her out because somewhere it is also denouncing the fact As everyone knows, there is no such thing as a clean war. Everything is dirty And our role with the photojournalists It's from each photo who is sensitive, difficult Already, debate surrounds us. They're talking about it with the photographer and then it must, the reader Who will take over? He is the only reader. Who will be facing this image? and it is up to us to lay all the facts before him necessary, tangible, palpable and the essential information so that he may accept to look at her and not to answer and turn the magazine or the book depending on its exposure And finally he moves on to something else, so we've lost the reader. If we lose the reader, we've lost everything. A week later Eric was returning to Ukraine. quite cool He had made a promise to himself to find his friend Vassil again and Eric Bouvet He is a man of his word. Well then, here it is I met Vassil again after a month of waiting So no more traces of the Russians They passed through these villages with us. who were released where the Russians left even apparently There had been fighting in certain villages. And it is extremely touching. to see all these people by the side of the road make signs greet them, thank them Give food I've somewhat nicknamed it the little road to freedom. since we are heading northward It brings to mind images from long ago. It's historic. It is a world that is going to change. I don't know if people realize but they are certainly perhaps living the most historic moment of their lives today