Young people 'revive' historical images

Established in 2021, after four years of operation, the Skyline group has continuously strived to restore historical photos. For them, each restored photo is not only a combination of technology and art, but also contains a lot of passion, meticulousness and inner concerns.

And then, behind each photo are untold stories, endless memories and tears of those who have spent their whole lives searching for their loved ones. During the Youth Month of 2025, team leader Phung Quang Trung was honored to receive the award "Outstanding Young Face of Vietnam 2024".

The young people in the Skyline group are always working hard to improve historical photo restoration projects.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Phung Quang Trung, head of the Skyline photo restoration team, shared that in the early years of its establishment, it took 8 to 12 hours to restore a photo, requiring patience and meticulousness. In particular, when recreating the images of heroes of the resistance war against the French, the Skyline team encountered many difficulties, because the witnesses were all elderly, many photos had to rely on the memories of relatives and patchwork descriptions from the family... Travel expenses were also a big obstacle. When they did not have the conditions, the members used their own money to do it, but their hearts were still filled with happiness, because they understood that they were doing useful work for the community...

Mr. Phung Quang Trung asked a question at the forum "Voice of Youth - Action of the Union" on March 13, 2025.

Talking about the memorable journeys he had taken, Mr. Phung Quang Trung said that one night at the end of October 2024, while driving the group back from Lao Cai after a mission to support flash flood victims in Nu village, Mr. Trung received a special call, a "plea" from a martyr's family in Bac Giang, hoping he would help restore the photo as quickly as possible.

On her hospital bed, the heroic Vietnamese mother kept calling out the name of her fallen son. The family desperately wanted a photo collage of the mother and son reunited to comfort her in her final days. Despite being exhausted after a long journey, Trung continued to stay up all night, devoting all his heart to completing the photo.

The photo was sent by the family of Mrs. Trieu Thi Sung in Bac Giang province to inform Mr. Phung Quang Trung of the good news.

“The photo was like a miracle. Seeing her son, my mother gradually recovered, started eating, talking and even walking. Hearing the news, all my fatigue suddenly disappeared. I suddenly realized that what I did was not just a photo, but also a source of life, a continuation of the sacred motherly love. On the occasion of Tet At Ty 2025, the family held a birthday celebration for my mother. A moment that perhaps even Trung did not expect that he had contributed to creating,” Phung Quang Trung happily shared.

Having just joined the Skyline group since July 2024, Mr. Luu Hoang Vu (23 years old, Thai Binh province) quickly caught up with historical photo restoration projects, despite the initial difficulties... "There were urgent projects, we worked day and night, there were also projects that took half a month to be satisfied and completed... As a freelance worker, there were many times when I also encountered financial difficulties, but with the encouragement of the members and team leader, all difficulties were gradually overcome, we continued the journey of restoring many valuable photos", Luu Hoang Vu confided.

Mr. Luu Hoang Vu (left) and his group presented photos to the family of General Vo Nguyen Giap.  

The project in Ha Tinh in December 2024 was a memorable milestone, the first major project that Luu Hoang Vu participated in with the group. After traveling a long distance from Hai Duong to Ha Tinh in the bitter cold, all fatigue seemed to disappear when witnessing the emotional images at the ceremony. Despite the cold rain, the hall was still packed with people. The moment he received the photo of his "intact" son, waving goodbye, the heroic Vietnamese mother with trembling hands, stroking his face... was deeply engraved in the young man's mind: "Not only me, but everyone in the hall at that time was moved, burst into tears, tears kept falling... At that moment, I realized that the work I was doing was not only recreating images, but also a bridge between the past and the present, between those who sacrificed and those who always remember them", Luu Hoang Vu emotionally recounted.

As one of the first founding members of the Skyline group, Khuat Van Hoang (22 years old, Thach That district, Hanoi) is proud that his group is increasingly implementing many meaningful projects, paying tribute to historical witnesses and families of martyrs who heroically protected the nation's independence.

Mr. Khuat Van Hoang (in black shirt) presents the restored photo to the martyr's family.

During the photo restoration journey, the thing that young Khuat Van Hoang remembers most vividly is the image of a heroic Vietnamese mother in the photo restoration project in Hai Duong. The mother only had one simple wish: to see the image of her son who died for the Fatherland and keep it with her. A very small wish, but it was what the mother had waited for her whole life.

“We rushed to finish the photo and brought it to the house to give as a gift. But when we just walked in the door, the space was strangely quiet. Looking around and not seeing my mother, I asked softly, then was stunned when I heard the answer:

'Mom left… three days ago'.

The whole group stood still... We finished the photo, but we didn't have time to hand it to our mother... For the first time, we felt so deeply that sometimes, not everyone can wait for us to finish our work. We reminded each other to move faster, do more because time doesn't wait and also because there are things that if missed, can never be returned," Khuat Van Hoang emotionally said.

Sharing with reporters about the completely free projects, Mr. Phung Quang Trung frankly said: "Skyline Group does not call for donations because we do not consider this a charity activity, but a journey of gratitude, a responsibility, a gesture to honor the heroes who sacrificed for the country."

In addition to restoration projects, the Skyline group also commercializes some works of historical value. Typically, the 1988 military rank award photo or the photo of Uncle Ho with other leaders, which were taken by young people and donated to many museums. In addition, they publish publications for those who want to preserve historical photos in their families.

The emotional moments during the martyr photo presentation ceremonies are unforgettable for the young people.

“All of them aim for a single goal: So that memories never fade, so that gratitude is always remembered through each generation. After the publication of the restored photo publications, many people have proactively sent more money to support the group to continue implementing upcoming projects. For example, on the upcoming trip to Quang Tri, the Skyline group will allocate all funds from the sale of publications to give gifts to experts and relatives of martyrs. This is also a way for the Skyline group to create sustainable resources, helping the gratitude work spread more strongly,” Mr. Phung Quang Trung shared.

People still say: "If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together". In order for the group to develop more strongly and carry out more meaningful projects, Mr. Phung Quang Trung hopes to find people who share the same passion to spread good values ​​together. These are companions, people who are not only talented but also have a heart.

“We always hope that through the articles and stories shared, we will inspire and arouse the enthusiasm of young people, thereby making them willing to join us in the journey of spreading love. When there is more cooperation, this work will become more meaningful, helping more people,” Mr. Phung Quang Trung confided.

In addition, the leader of Skyline group hopes to receive attention and support from localities so that the photo restoration work can spread more widely, so that these activities are not only personal, but become a large, sustainable movement with far-reaching influence.

Skyline group together restores photos for families of victims in Nu village (Lao Cai)

In the coming time, the Skyline group is “cherishing” many meaningful projects, aiming to pay tribute and preserve the precious historical values ​​of the nation. One of those plans is to restore all images of the armed forces heroes in Hai Duong province, to present to museums and national historical sites. This is not only a way to remember those who sacrificed for the Fatherland, but also contributes to preserving heroic memories for future generations.

In particular, on July 27, War Invalids and Martyrs Day, Skyline plans to organize a large-scale program in Quang Tri, which was once a fierce battlefield during the resistance years. The group has coordinated with the Quang Tri Provincial Youth Union to collect a list of heroic martyrs, carefully studying each case to ensure the most thorough and meaningful implementation.

“Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces are two places that witnessed the fiercest battles in history. Through this project, stories about the heroic sacrifices of soldiers will be engraved in the hearts of everyone, so that the past will never be forgotten and the values ​​of peace today will be more precious,” said Mr. Phung Quang Trung.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/nhung-nguoi-tre-lam-song-day-nhung-hinh-anh-lich-su-20250322180448414.htm