Chechelnyk and Olhopil are a small city and a town, respectively, in the Vinnytsia region, which are located closer to Moldova, or more precisely to the so-called “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic,” than to the city of Vinnytsia itself. However, one is hard-pressed to find any pro-Russian sentiment there, despite the proximity to the separatism reactor, which proves once again that no separatism appears anywhere unless Russia invades the place first.
Starting on August 18, Den’s photo exhibition is working there for the seventh time. Some may wonder why has Den arrived precisely in Chechelnyk and Olhopil after touring such cities as Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, etc.? “The provinces is a mental, not a territorial, notion,” explained regional councilor and CEO of Olhopil agro firm Pavlo Kalenych.
A good manager is the most fitting and concise description of Kalenych, who did a lot to get Den’s photo exhibition to the region. He is a true Ukrainian farmer for whom, in contrast to the introduced stereotype, public concerns are his own. That is why he takes care of cultural activities in his district as well as of its infrastructure, although he could stick to his business as it is helpful on its own, since he provides jobs to several hundred local residents.
Photo by Borys Korpusenko
“Den fights on several fronts. The photo exhibition is only one of them,” said this publication’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna at the opening of the event. “This year, we held the 15th Den’s Summer School of Journalism. Every contribution of ours is worth being part of the nation’s cultural policy, because they attempt to rethink history of Ukraine. We are already preparing a new book, which will be presented at the Lviv Book Forum in September this year. It is called The Crown, or Heritage of the Kingdom of Rus’. The book has not yet been published, but people are already making prepayments for it, which testifies to the trust our readers have in Den’s projects. It is enough for them to see the cover and find out about the title of the book, and they then make an order, because they have read the previous books. We have been receiving feedback from our readers, publishing their responses, letters, and opinions, so in this regard, we feel confident enough, because we have something to talk about with people. Were it otherwise, then we would not have anything to show as we tour the country. As things are, we bring to people all over Ukraine what we have created in a year. It is important for us to realize how far people are ready to carry this line further, and I want to say that every year, they are more ready for this than before. Now people are becoming more open to new knowledge. Yevhen Malaniuk once said that if Ukrainians would not read, they would be gone with the fierce wind of history. These words sound very harsh, but everyone must draw conclusions for oneself: our troubles come because we often enough read wrong things in wrong ways. Most importantly, even when we read right things, we failed to do as advised by these books.”
Photo by Borys Korpusenko
The Vinnytsia region offers sincere Ukrainian hospitality with set tables and open-minded conversations. Besides, it has that spirit of healthy adventurism with local-flavored humor, which is probably part of the local mentality. How else would you explain the myth that Alexander Pushkin described Olhopil in his works? Interestingly, even connoisseurs of the famous poet’s works believed in it. Thus, the joke turned into an interesting myth and was perpetuated in a monument to Pushkin erected in the center of Olhopil. It will be supplemented by a monument to Taras Shevchenko and the heroine of his poem Kateryna. The latter two monuments have already been erected and will be unveiled soon.
Photo by Artem SLIPACHUK, The Day
Journalist and documentary photographer Ruslan Hanovskyi said after reviewing a few photos: “They are heartrending. We humans destroy what we created with our own hands. Therefore, the war subjects as shown on these pictures will unfortunately remain relevant for a long time. These photos reach one’s soul through the eyes. That is why they are heartrending. We will have to work on reuniting Ukraine for 50 years. Why will it take so long? Because we need to see a few new generations being born which will forget the Soviet period, the time of occupation, the time spent under the influence of imperial propaganda, and will be brought up under exclusively Ukrainian influences and made aware of the value of statehood.”
Photo by Artem SLIPACHUK, The Day
So, Den’s Days continue in the Vinnytsia region. The photo exhibition can be visited at the Chechelnyk Raion House of Culture (29, Heroiv Maidanu St.) till August 27, and then at the Olhopil House of Culture till September 3.
