Donbass Chocolate 1997

"Donbass Chocolate" (1997) by Arsen Savadov is a provocative photograph that contrasts the traditionally masculine world of coal mining with the elegance of ballet. The image features a group of coal miners, their bodies covered in soot, standing in a stark industrial space, while a male dancer in a tutu kneels in the foreground. The juxtaposition of the miners and the dancer creates a powerful visual statement about masculinity, labor, and artistic expression. Savadov's work often explores the themes of social class and identity in post-Soviet Ukraine.