Volodymyr Koziuk started documenting thatched-roof houses 30 years ago. First he started painting them, then taking photos of them.

“When I was searching for these houses, everyone laughed at me: ‘What a fool, spending time on old houses,’” says artist and philanthropist Volodymyr Koziuk.

Volodymyr doesn’t regret all the time and money he spent on this multi-year project because he believes it is unique. “Today many of these houses are gone, but there are photos, paintings. They are preserved in many of Ukraine’s museums.”

Thanks to people like Volodymyr, these remnants of the past have been preserved and documented.

This house is over 300 years old. It is one of the two oldest houses in Ukraine.

More photos and the article in Ukrainian can be found at here.