"My photographic approach was that of a traditional documentary photographer, using available light and a 35mm camera. By gaining the trust of my subjects, I was able to capture their silent daily struggle to preserve their humanity in the face of largely inhuman conditions. The glaring ethnic discrimination that was at the core of the Bulgarian labor troops is ever-present in the pictures, but my primary motivation was empathy for these young men, whose main fault was being born at a particular place and time."

Garo Keshishian about Labor Troops