The ultimate strength test: Saving Ukraine’s tiniest victims
World-champion powerlifter Anna Kurkurina is an angel for animals and the subject of Long Lead's first photo essay.
Long Lead’s latest production profiles fitness influencer and record-setting powerlifter Anna Kurkurina, a woman dedicated to rescuing homeless pets displaced by war since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
It’s a true multimedia experience. Photojournalist Maranie R. Staab captured intimate video and photos over the span of a year, highlighting Kurkurina's day-to-day struggles and triumphs. From capturing displaced pets on the streets of Mykolaiv to preparing breakfast for her many furry houseguests, Lifting Ukraine is rich with tender moments of a woman caring for her community against the backdrop of war.
Learn more about Maranie Staab’s experience reporting “Lifting Ukraine” in the latest edition of Depth Perception.
Kurkurina is a humanitarian powerhouse both in and outside the gym. In addition to rescuing and rehabilitating pets, she juggles teaching all-female fitness classes, providing strength training to folks with cerebral palsy, and tapping her massive social media following for supplies and resources to continue her animal-rescue efforts.
This production is special for another reason: Lifting Ukraine is Long Lead’s debut photo essay. Incorporating a classic photojournalistic approach visually layered in a complex and compelling way, this production christens our new visual-forward multimedia platform.
After months of curation and careful design with our partners Decimal Studios, we’ve developed a dynamic platform that truly puts imagery first — a feat which newsrooms have struggled with for decades in the digital space. Whether you’re immersing yourself in the story on desktop, mobile, or tablet, you’re in for a treat.
In true Long Lead fashion, we saw an antiquated newsroom norm — digital photo essays where images are small, uniform, and flanked with ads — and flipped it on its head. We hope our new platform enriches the user experience, and even more, I hope it piques the interest of photojournalists with longform photo essays they’ve been unable to find the perfect home for. If that’s you, pitch me. Let’s tell visual stories better.
So long for now,
Sarah Rogers
Creative Director, Long Lead