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“Land of Silence”: Kyiv Hosts Screening of Documentary on Humanitarian Demining

BAZA Production has created a short film about the people working to clear Ukrainian territories of landmine contamination. On May 30, 2025, a closed screening took place, attended by UNDP mine action partners from over ten embassies and representatives of government agencies, international organizations, businesses, NGOs, and media.

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Partners

The film "Land of Silence" was produced with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funding from the Government of the Republic of Korea, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The film was directed by Viktor Solodukha and Emil Bakhtyiev, with Mykhailo Khoroshykh as producer.

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Our unprecedented experience gained in the process of demining Ukrainian lands will help the international community develop new, more effective rules and standards for humanitarian demining in the future. We thank all our partners who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us to overcome the challenges and consequences of explosive ordnance contamination jointly.
Volodymyr Demchuk
Major General of the Civil Protection Service, Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
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Viktor Solodukha, Emil Bakhtyiev, Mykhailo Khoroshykh

Team

The film "Land of Silence" was produced with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funding from the Government of the Republic of Korea, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The film was directed by Viktor Solodukha and Emil Bakhtyiev, with Mykhailo Khoroshykh as producer.

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Silent Land is an important story about people who have found purpose in demining and risk their lives daily to clear Ukraine of explosive remnants of war—thereby restoring hope and faith in a safe future for the entire country.
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Pavlo Bondarenko, Nataliia Horun, Oleksandr Bonchkovskyi

The film’s main protagonists are Pavlo Bondarenko, Nataliia Horun, and Oleksandr Bonchkovskyi. Pavlo serves as the head of the mechanized demining unit of the State Emergency Service in the Mykolaiv region. He shares insights into his work, which has become his life’s mission. Nataliia Horun is a non-technical survey specialist with Norwegian People’s Aid. Her initial desire to clear her home of explosive hazards drove her to work on demining other territories. Oleksandr Bonchkovskyi is a scientist, PhD in Geography, and the lead scientific advisor for the Ukrainian Researchers Society. He studies soil in various contexts with his team to assess high-risk areas for landmines and optimize the demining process.

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The UN Development Programme works closely with the Ukrainian government in all areas of humanitarian mine action, helping to coordinate national demining efforts and international support. The agency employs innovative technologies - combining satellite imagery, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning - to safely restore agricultural land to productive use.

The firsthand accounts of the heroes in "Land of Silence" shed light on the critical importance of joint efforts and international support for demining initiatives. Each cleared field is a path to a safe Ukrainian land and an opportunity for the residents of the deoccupied territories to return to their homes. The team plans to submit this short film to international and Ukrainian film festivals.