Ongoing project
"Due to the collapse of the governing coalition during the 2024 German government crisis, the federal elections were brought forward. For my latest story, I am traveling across various regions of Germany, engaging with diverse political and social groups to capture the pulse of the nation during this pivotal moment."
Selected stories
Alice Weidel on Her Far-Right AfD Party’s Rise
Berlin, Germany - "Exclusive: Alice Weidel on Her Far-Right AfD Party’s Rise, Elon Musk’s Support, and the German Election." - TIME
"Surviving in Isolation, Where the Steppe Has Turned to Sand"
Kalmykia, Russia - In the Russian republic of Kalmykia, the encroaching desert has transformed the landscape. “Nature,” one farmer said, “is forcing us to leave.” - The New York Times
"How to Vaccinate a Siberian Reindeer Herder"
Yamal Peninsula, Russia - "Covid has reached even the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic. So vaccination teams are following, and finding ways to inoculate nomadic herders." - The New York Times
"Fighting for Redemption"
Bangkok, Thailand - A former organized-crime enforcer in Bangkok, Chalermpol Sawadsuk embraced Muay Thai in prison and now fights legally for a living. - The New York Times
About
Maxim Babenko, born in the North Caucasus, Russia, is a documentary photographer. In 2015, he graduated from Spéos Photography School in Paris, France. His work spans across Russia, the Caucasus, the Arctic, Siberia, the Middle East, North America, Africa, the Balkans, and Asia. He has covered major events such as the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, the Crimea crisis, the war in Eastern Ukraine, the Nepal earthquake, and the COVID-19 outbreak in Russia, among many others.
IIn 2015, Maxim Babenko was shortlisted for Magnum Photos' 30 Under 30 list of emerging documentary photographers and nominated for UNICEF’s Photo of the Year. The following year, he was a finalist for the Il Reportage Photojournalism Award and selected for Transmission pour l’Image in Perpignan. In 2018, he was chosen for The New York Times portfolio review and nominated for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass. In 2020, he received his second nomination for UNICEF’s Photo of the Year and became a finalist in the Young Russian Photographers competition. In 2021, he was nominated for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award, and in 2024, he was named a finalist in POYI Asia (Issue Reporting Picture Story) and was selected to participate in the Hamburg Portfolio Review.
A frequent contributor to The New York Times in Russia and beyond
Work has been published in TIME, The Washington Post, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Der Spiegel, The Daily Telegraph, Liberation, The Guardian, Newsweek, WIRED, and many others.