The Day’s photo exhibit has opened in Drahomanov National Pedagogical University. It offers 200 vivid photos as a present for teachers and students in the first days of spring, a present of fixed moments of the last year in the life of our country. What can be more precious than our life fixed in time? Lina Kostenko once wrote: “It’s not the time that passes; it’s us that pass.”
Viktor Andrushchenko, rector of the university noted: “This may be the first time that such a real exhibit is being displayed at our university. It is real because it shows life of Ukrainian people the way it actually is. It makes it possible to feel a connection between generations and get familiar with Ukrainian traditions.”
Larysa Ivshyna, The Day’s editor in chief, said: “Our exhibit is a creative mix of professionalism and folk art. Press photographers have trusted us for over 10 years already. And those who never considered themselves to be a press photographer become one. For many of those who took part in The Day’s photo exhibit it boosted their careers.
“I love the exhibit very much. I love it when people try to get closer to this or that photograph and take pictures of them with their cell phones. What is the key to success? The key is in the correct loving vision of one’s own country. We select both cheerful and sad photos made by people who have this kind of vision. Maybe that is why our newspaper and the photo exhibit are called alternative television.”
Pavlo Poliansky, deputy Minister of Education, shared his impressions: “Apart from the fact that photography is an art, it is also a [kind of] history. Today many people say that there is a lack of verbal, i.e., oral, history. Images are a part of this kind of history. Emotions are probably the most valuable part of the photos. This is because time will pass and the characters in these photos will be in a different world, while their feelings will be very important for those who will come after them.”
The exhibit was accompanied by the university ensemble of classical music.
COMMENTARY
Oksana SHCHEHELSKA, correspondent, CITY channel:
“If journalists are looking for newsworthy events, they should come here, film The Day’s photo exhibit, and talk to people about their impressions. It can turn into very nice material, and there will be no need to make up any positive news. A photo exhibit is like a documentary about the past year. When you look at it, you revise how we lived and what changed in ourselves. These memories are both nice and sad. It is our valuable experience.”
Serhii SHCHELKUNOV, 5th-year student, Shevchenko Kyiv University, department of Oriental Philology:
“I am glad that there are quite a few powerful, burning photos. For example, there was a photo of kids in a sand box with beer. It is worth more than a dozen of pictures of politicians, because it testifies about the problem of alcoholism among children in our country. By the way, Ukraine is among the countries with the highest rate of children alcoholism in the world. This should be a topic for discussion. In my opinion, the annual photo competition organized by The Day is a firm step forward for Ukrainian photography.”
Viktoria VLADIMIROVA, librarian, Kyiv School No.128:
“I haven’t seen anything like this for a long time. This photo exhibit is interesting because it is alive. There is not a single far-fetched or staged shot. It shows our life in its various colors. I was looking at a photo of an old woman, whose face is densely covered with wrinkles, and remembered a poem written by a high-school student. It was about a mother who had five children but remained all by herself in her old age. Every single day she would go out on a street and looked out just in case somebody would come. She died just like that, on a street. After she died all her children came and took everything there was in the house and left only a portrait of their mother hanging on a wall.
“The photo of that woman is one of the most impressive ones. A person who is looking at it would think right away about lonely old people. The photo that really made me laugh was ‘Country Folk and Town Girl.’ It is a warm, ingenious, and humorous photo. Bravo, The Day!”
These are the first impressions that will probably define the audience’s choice. However, there is still enough time to choose the favorites as the exhibit will be open until March 19.
