“WE HAVE A HABIT: TO VISIT YOUR PHOTO EXHIBIT IN AUTUMN”
Daryna KOBZAR-KRAVCHENKO, teacher at Information and Creative Agency YUN-PRESS at Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth:
“Personally I have been visiting the exhibits of the newspaper Den since my student years, my diploma paper is about this publication. Therefore, Den is very dear to me. I tell everyone about the newspaper, involve children and my environment. For your publication is a demonstrative example of what a journalist should aspire to. Besides, the teachers at the Information and Creative Agency YUN-PRESS are all the time doing something to educate children. Therefore, we have a habit to visit Den’s photo exhibit in autumn.
“This year it is hard to distinguish the most impressive photo. There are very joyful and nice pictures with children. It is interesting for me as a pedagogue to observe which pictures ‘touch’ the children. I especially remembered the funny work with a pigeon, Interesting? by Maksym Liukov. I paid attention to the photo with silhouettes of soldiers, For Dinner by Serhii Takhmazov. It has an absolutely incredible play of light. I also liked the photo The Look of People Who Read by Mykola Tymchenko – it shows people who read in the subway.
UKRAINIAN PILOT NADIA SAVCHENKO’S MOTHER, MARIA, NEAR HER PORTRAIT DISPLAYED AT THE PHOTO EXHIBIT. GALLERY VISITORS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND EXPRESS SUPPORT TO THIS COURAGEOUS WOMAN
“After seeing Den’s photo exhibit you make sure: everything will be fine in Ukraine, because it has such a high potential, so kind people, and inquisitive children.”
“I THINK DEN WILL MANY TIMES BRING ITS WONDERFUL PHOTOS TO CRIMEA”
Yurii SMILIANSKY, economic expert of the civic organization “Maidan of Foreign Affairs,” former head of the Institute of Economics and Management of the Crimean Humanitarian University:
“It is hard for me to choose one, two, five photos, because each one is full of content, it depicts the life of Ukraine in different periods of time. This is the history of our country, where over the past years life, death, war, building of a new state, people’s despair, their thoughts, and dreams have intertwined. With every year passing the number of the photos increase, so the archives are filled, and people have more chances to visit such exhibits. We can often see photos from the events where you took part or simply were near. You again look at this, but already through the lens, and see what the photographer sees.
“Several years ago we organized a similar exhibit in Yalta. Unfortunately, this is impossible today. But I think things will improve and Den will many times bring its wonderful photos to Crimea.”
“I VERY MUCH LIKED THE PHOTO REAL APOCALYPSE. IT’S ABOUT UKRAINE”
Vladyslav SKOROPLIAS, an employee of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine:
“I very much like Den’s photo exhibit. It’s not the first time I’m here, but this time I have come with my wife. A photo is a part of our life, a moment taken from life. Let’s say it’s preserved time and space that will stay with us when we move. In the future our descendants will look and understand how we lived, what kind of time it was. Looking at the pictures, I was listening to the EU radio, the programs about the tragedy in Paris. It supplements the picture and makes the effect stronger.
DEN’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LARYSA IVSHYNA AND BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER JEFFREY DONALDSON. THE PHOTO EXHIBIT’S FOREIGN VISITORS NOTED THAT IT GIVES A TRUE PICTURE OF SENTIMENTS IN THIS COUNTRY AND CAN REPLACE A LARGE NUMBER OF ROUNDTABLES
“I very much like the photo Real Apocalypse. It shows storks on a field ablaze. I think it’s about Ukraine, because we are living in a real apocalypse: the war, political passions, and impoverishment of people.”
“YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE CONCENTRATION OF PROGRESSIVE THINGS”
David STULIK, EU Delegation to Ukraine Press Officer:
“Our target audience includes youth and children. We support various projects that involve children. Recently we have held the European Children’s Film Festival. Children are our future, whereas youth is a concentration of progressive things and development. Therefore, we want to be associated with the young population. It was the hardest thing to choose concrete photos. The works are very nice: bright, emotional, you cannot tell they were taken by children. Adult photographers have an ‘agenda’ based on their experience, they have biases, likes or dislikes, whereas the children’s photos don’t have any of this, they are emotional, pure, and light.”
“THIS IS A LIVING HISTORY”
Kateryna HLASHKO, assistant of curator at Pavlo Gudimov Art Center:
“Any initiative connected with art and culture life must get a worthy appreciation. Of course, we, the workers of culture, support our colleagues. I chose a child’s work. As I look at the photo, I cannot understand at once that it was taken by a nine-year-old child. It is an ordinary everyday plot, which actually shouldn’t attract a child, and the child also caught it so aptly. I mean Hlib Tsukanov’s photo Stubborn Horse. We have a living history: the children, the stubborn horse, everything is presented with utmost possible sincerity, there is no artificiality or decorations. This is what won my heart.”
“HERE IS THE BEAUTY, THERE IS THE WAR”
Andrii TYCHYNA, head of the traveling club NAVKOLO.UA:
“There are many great photos, from artistic point of view, and there are many powerful ones emotionally. I was even dazzled, I didn’t know what criteria to take in order to choose the best photo. I chose Oleksandr Klymenko’s photo Gold of Country. This photo the best depicts the feelings you have as you travel across Ukraine. On the one hand, you see its beauty, wherever you cast a look; on the other hand, you think about the war that is near. Here is the beauty, there is the war. In my opinion, this photo depicts best this combination of the country’s beauty and the feeling of closeness of the struggle.”
“PROOF THAT LIFE GOES ON”
Anna STAVYCHENKO, editor-in-chief of the CHERNOZEM website:
“The most enchanting fact is that the photo Cherries by Maria Vovchuk was taken by a young 15-year-old person, but it is clear already that she has her own world outlook and opinion on what photography should be like. We decided to give the prize to her, because you can feel very clearly how strongly she wants to become a professional photographer. This photo is real aesthetics. The exhibit by 100 percent reflects what we see every day and what we live in. It is pleasant that near a huge number of war photos there are pictures of smiling children, touching photos of animals and nature – this is the proof that life goes on. In the background of terrible reality we should always find bright moments for ourselves, we cannot do otherwise.”
