The photography exhibition “Iron People,” portraying the human toll of the war during the fourth year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has opened at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul.
According to a statement from the museum, the exhibition was brought to Türkiye through the cooperation of the Dutch and Ukrainian consulates general in Istanbul. It focuses on the difficult struggle of Ukrainian railway workers who, from the earliest days of the war, effectively transformed into frontline rescue personnel.
Photographs captured by Dutch documentary filmmaker and photographer Jelle Krings document the stories of some 230,000 railway workers who have helped transport around 6.5 million civilians to safer areas since the outbreak of the war. Through Krings’ lens, the exhibition highlights how Ukraine’s rail network became a lifeline for evacuation and humanitarian logistics amid ongoing conflict.
In remarks included in the statement, the museum’s general manager, Mine Sofuoğlu, noted that railways have historically played a vital role in sustaining life both in times of war and peace.
“The exhibition powerfully illustrates how the railway evolved from a means of transportation into a line of resistance and hope,” Sofuoğlu said. ”Hosting the exhibition in our rail transport section allows us to build a meaningful connection and humanitarian realities of today.”
Krings also reflected on the preparation of the exhibition, saying he spent much of the war alongside railway workers and their families across Ukraine.
“Bringing their story to Türkiye is a true honor,” he stated.
Reflecting the human dimension of the conflict, the “Iron People” exhibition will remain open to visitors until March 22 at the museum’s Tersane building.
