Ukraine in my Lens: A Volunteers’ Story: Workshop 28th May 2025
A story by Galina and Michael Romalis about their humanitarian volunteer work in Ukraine in 2023 and 2024.
Michael Romalis, OAM and Galina Romalis, PhD live in Perth, Western Australia. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, they did what they could to support the Ukrainian people, and upon retiring in early 2023 they were able to do more.
In August-September 2023, and June-July 2024 they travelled to Kyiv and worked as volunteers with the charity Ukrainian Patriot, organising and delivering humanitarian aid to Ukrainians impacted by the war. One of Galina’s assigned tasks there was to photograph the charity’s work.
Galina Romalis is a retired computer programmer and photographer. She has a variety of photographic interests such as portraits and landscapes, also has a favourite genre – event photography, merging with documentary and travel. Galina says that her images are her way of communicating and therefore she strives to tell a story with every photo or a group of photos.
Michael Romalis served 38 years in the Australian Regular Army and Army Reserve as a logistics officer, as well as 17 years as a Defence civilian. He has done three tours of East Timor with the United Nations. He is a phone photographer and normally refers to himself as Galina’s bag carrier, WHICH IS NOT TRUE!!! She only sometimes lets him carry her tripod.