New York photographer Carol Kitman, 96, died March 3rd in the Bronx. Her chance encounter with twin Ukrainian immigrant brothers in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach in 1980 launched a decades-long project capturing their lives from childhood to national prominence. Alexander and Eugene Vindman, who became prominent critics of President Trump, were the subjects of her extensive documentation. Kitman photographed them through bar mitzvahs, weddings, military careers, and the political scandal that thrust them into the spotlight during the first Trump administration. Her son confirmed her death at a retirement home.

Kitman's project began when she noticed the identical boys in blue sailor suits with their grandmother. Speaking Yiddish, she connected with the grandmother, whose son had died of cancer, resonating with Kitman's own family history as the daughter of Jewish immigrants. She followed them energetically through storefronts and later their lives, becoming deeply involved beyond photography. She hosted them for holidays, attended graduations and weddings, and captured their promotions to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Alexander Vindman testified about the Trump-Zelensky call, while Eugene Vindman raised legal concerns, leading to the brothers' removal from the National Security Council and their military retirements in 2020.

Through it all, Kitman documented their journey. The affair brought the brothers national prominence; Eugene won a House seat in 2024, and Alexander is running for Senate. Kitman, born in Brooklyn to immigrant parents, picked up photography after her husband abandoned his own career. Her pictures appeared in major publications, but she remained especially drawn to immigrant stories, a passion reflected in her lifelong documentation of the Vindman twins. She is survived by her children and grandchildren.