We are standing before one of Steve McCurry’s unforgettable portraits.
This photograph is part of a series documenting Afghanistan’s mines.
The country is rich in mineral resources, many of which remain largely untapped—a harsh land where people live in great poverty.
Here, we are at the entrance of a coal mine. The man in the photograph had just finished his twelve-hour shift underground.
McCurry recalls: “Of all the things I might have expected, I certainly didn’t imagine that the first thing he’d want, stepping into the sunlight, would be a cigarette.”
And yet, here he is—his cigarette lit, a wisp of smoke rising.
His gaze radiates strength and dignity; the light in his eyes seems almost hypnotic.
His story tells of a man utterly exhausted, yet unbroken by the hardships life has imposed on him.
This is the spirit of the Afghan people: proud, resilient, and unwilling to surrender their dignity, even in the most difficult circumstances.