Yuri Kozyrev

Yuri Kozyrev, , (born 1963 in Moscow) is a Russian photographer who has been a professional photojournalist since 1990. For an extended period, he worked in Baghdad for Time. He is now based in Moscow.

Career

Kozyrev graduated from the Moscow State University School of Journalism in 1986. He has covered major conflicts in the former Soviet Union including two wars in Chechnya. In late 2001, he documented the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan. For most of the past eight years he has been in Iraq where he has covered both sides of the conflict. "In extreme situations you get to see human nature and genuine human emotions in all their intensity," explains Kozyrev, conscious of the constant danger he FACES when covering war zones.

Kozyrev explains he was inspired by Red Army photographer Yevgeny Khaldei. He considers himself lucky to have been able to start working as a photojournalist in Russia with opportunities to cover conflicts in the Soviet Union or the Chechen War. As a result of the political and social conditions, it was a interesting period for journalists.

In a recent interview in Moscow, Kozyrev explained how important it was for him to follow his intuition and to become well acquainted with the place where he was working. In Iraq, for example, he spent a lot of time with locals who became close friends, even roommates. Interestingly, he commented: "I do not live with the Americans but by myself, in the city. This is a matter of principle. I do not want to be seen as an American photographer, photographing for the American press. No, rather as a Russian photographer, photographing for the American press, living independently".

Awards

• 2008: Main Frontline Award, spondored by Canon, for his photographic essay on the Iraq War.
• 2006: Infinity Award for Photojournalism.
• 2003, World Press Photo: 1st prize, General News stories
• 2004: World Press Photo, 2nd prize, Spot News stories.
• 2002: The Overseas Press Club's Olivier Rebbot Award for "The Iraq War".

Exhibitions

• "Inside Iraq", Visa pour l'Image, Perpignan, France 2008
• "Iraq: Witnessed", War Photo Limited, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2007
• "Iraq 2002-2006", The Center of Photography of Lectoure, France, 2006
• "Chechnya 2000", Moscow, Russia. 2000.

References

ru:Козырев, Юрий