On March 29 The Day ’s photography show opened at the picture gallery of Kamianets-Podilsky’s Museum of History. As was to be expected, the event drew a capacity crowd. Among the many visitors were intellectuals, government officials, amateur and professional photographers, lecturers, civil servants, schoolchildren, and students.
Reminding his guests that this is the third photo exhibit taking place in old Kamianets (the first one was held in 2003 and the second in 2005), Deputy Mayor of Kamianets- Podilsky Oleh Demchuk drew their attention to The Day’s inspiring endeavor. “Exhibits like this have become important events in the cultural and civic life of Kamianets and have created an unforgettable impression. Today the administrators of the museum are flooded with interesting and unique proposals. A nice exhibit of the works of local photographers just took place in our city. We are all deeply grateful to your editor Larysa Ivshyna for her great work and keen desire to reach out to the hearts and minds of the public through the art of photography. The current exhibit is beyond compare. The next step is to set up a city photography club,” Demchuk said.
The opening ceremony was not a revelation for most of the participants, who are longtime fans of The Day and aware of its high-profile cultural projects. But they lacked personal contacts with the organizers. To rectify this situation, they patched in a phone call from Larysa Ivshyna.
“I am very touched by such lively interest in the photo exhibit in the city that we love so much. One of the reasons why all The Day’s journalists love Kamianets-Podilsky is that it is a real Ukrainian fortress — in the finest spiritual sense and exalted sense of this word. We already have such good relations that even now, from a distance, I can feel that you will like our show. We did it with love together with those dedicated photo correspondents throughout Ukraine, who, as you see, have been entrusting their works to us for 10 years.”
The best 96 photographs, which were displayed on the old walls of the picture gallery, made their presence felt. The visitors, who had already had a peek at the pictures listened to the editor speaking from Kyiv:
“This time around we are presenting a new look at our beautiful, unexpected, and absolutely unknown country. To understand it better, we should travel more and organize fantastic tourist seasons, the way Kamianets city executives know how to do them.”
“I would like all those people who came to see the exhibit to read The Day and send in their pictures. They should love Kamianets and tell others to travel across the country and visit this beautiful city on the Smotrych River.”
It seemed as though there were no distances in space. The most illustrative and characteristic instances of time are on the photographs. The residents of the “Ukrainian fortress” kept trying to get a closer look to understand the obvious and hidden reasons why, as the editor once said, “the best people win here, not cronies.”
“Here you have an opportunity to express your preferences as viewers,” Mykhailo Anosov, acting mayor of Kamianets-Podilsky, told the audience. “The photographer who wins the most votes will receive a prize. We just consulted each other and have decided that it will be a prize from City Hall, similar to the one that The Day awards to a participant. Our city administration is a partner of this event. The photographer whose work is voted for by the public should come to Kamianets, dive into its atmosphere, and fall in love with the city. We will cover all hotel, meals, and excursion expenses. I have not made my choice yet because the exhibit is as multifaceted as life itself. All the pictures deserve attention. Not a single one is superfluous.”
Somebody at the show pointed out that it would be difficult to vote for a single picture. Some visitors said that the array of photographs makes their heads spin. Others praised the newspaper where these photographic masterpieces were first published.
Oleh BUDZEI, regional historian:
“I saw the two previous Day exhibits in our city. They were top- notch. But you can still see progress. I deliberately came half an hour before the opening to have some quiet communication with this art. I loved everything. There are extremely different photographs here: lyrical shots, pictures that depict the daily grind, political photos. It is also very important to select the right caption. You can have a good photograph, but a wrong caption will spoil it. All the captions are very apt and to the point. Cancan. The Weak Link, where Viktor Yushchenko is surrounded by his political supporters. Iron Felix. Every picture makes you stop and provides food for thought. It is not just a frozen moment, because it was frozen very subtly and professionally. There is a lot of irony and warmth here. Every picture bears the seal of an all-out spiritual effort. Look at Ponomariov. ‘Am I really getting married?’ is a rhetorical question suggested by the photograph. I would like this photo show to come often to Kamianets, and it would be good if it included some pictures by our local photographers. We must have an opportunity to see masterpieces.”
Pavlo BILOUS, city councilman:
“I am a photographer myself — more amateur than professional. I was laughing so loudly in front of some pictures that people were giving me dirty looks. I think I will vote for The Mayor’s Spiritual Guru. I was deeply moved by the picture of the first ball at an orphanage. The photo where an old woman is reaching for a glass of water brought me to tears. This show arouses such different emotions! The political satire is unsurpassed.”
Anastasia SIMASHOVA, student:
“I liked The Day’s photo exhibit very much, first of all, because of the problems that they raise. The portraits of people, not only famous ones, are very interesting. I like the angle at which a moment is captured. I will probably always remember the portraits of Ponomariov and Depardieu. In general, the works struck me by their ability to embrace a wide range of social problems. The times are difficult, but one should be able to find some good points.”
Mykola VASKIV, professor:
“It is my subjective opinion that the range of themes for this photo competition is constantly expanding. The theme of the Holodomor is constant; that touches a deep chord; also the roots of Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian nation, starting from the pictures of remote villages. Look at those old women, who must be over 70 or 80. Their faces show profound wisdom, and philosophical and real-life experiences. The Day’s customary subject — the world of childhood — is also stunning. We all come from the world of childhood. Maybe some of our prominent politicians once splashed around in water, like those three kids are doing in a village puddle. You can see politics, medicine, education, and even glamour.
“The pictures depict a highly multifaceted life, even though it is impossible to embrace all of it. I am pleased that glamour occupies a modest place, the way it should in our life. As for politics, there is a fair share of irony — good irony, not only the kind that rejects everything. It calls everything into question, but also proves that a funny thing can hide something serious and deep-seated. Those big politicians are ordinary people with the same emotions, feelings, and worries that all of us have. We can also see some moments of history that we have already forgotten, like the picture in which Kliuiev boasts ‘how we made short work of them,’ or the political triumvirate of the previous Verkhovna Rada.
“What is the message of this photo exhibit? I think the message is that what these photos show may be forgotten soon, but our memory will always retain the implicit subtext — human essence in general and the essence of Ukrainians in particular. We have The Day’s editor to thank for this. We know very well that other projects could bring in more profits today than the dedicated work of organizing photo shows and publishing books. We must give the newspaper credit for persisting in its attitudes and refusing to give in to the fickle vagaries of the world.”
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After the opening ceremony, visitors continued to flock to the photo show. Valerii Klymenko, the head of the organizational and supervisory department of the Kamianets-Podilsky City Council, commented on the impact of photography on public awareness. “The tourist season is starting. We are waiting for tourists from all over the world. I am convinced that guests of our city will not bypass this show,” he predicated. A longtime friend of The Day, Klymenko knows what he is talking about.
