Dnipro has hosted the Den’s Photo Exhibit in the past week. On the last day of the exposition, the Museum of Ukrainian Painting was still full of visitors. As the event was coming to a close, they shared their impressions with The Day’s correspondent. “Frankly speaking, the impression is shocking,” says Serhii, a person of advanced age. “But I must say as a doctor that shock is sometimes a method of treatment. I think all in this country should see this exhibit. They may also feel a shock, but this shock will help cure the country, people, and nation. I can understand better than anybody else the photographs in the section ‘Overcoming’ about the disabled ATO veterans. My heartfelt thanks to exhibit organizers and the authors of such wonderful works for the feelings these photos arouse.”
PHOTOGRAPH STRENGTH AND TENDERNESS WON “SILVER” IN DNIPRO / Photo by Oleksii LEBID
Many entries have also been made in the guestbook over the last few days. Residents of the frontline Dnipro, many of whom have firsthand experience of the war, share their emotional impressions. For example, “All the photos stir up emotions, but what impressed me the most is a photo with our defenders. I don’t think you can find a better picture. I am grateful for the exhibit and the visualization of our difficult reality. I wish as many people as possible would see these superb photos. I hope this will encourage us all to continue helping the military because it’s hard to win without this. Besides, Ukraine and all Ukrainians need new heroes. I’d like our nation to find new heroes, including with the help of the newspaper Den. Ukraine is sure to stem the invasion of an Eastern horde. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes! Olha Hoiman.”
There were very many intellectuals at the exhibit, who consider Den a publication of their own. “I adore Den, you are wonderful! Thank you for an exhibit that spotlights real life, gives inspiration and a hope for a better future, our victory and revival. ‘Overcoming’ and other series show our men – courageous, strong, and invincible, and women – compassionate, tender, and frail. I expect Ukraine to turn soon into a flowery, lush, and peaceful garden,” exhibit visitor Anastasia wrote in the guestbook.
The Heart of the Carpathians which shows Lake Synevyr / Photo by Yevhen Malolietka
There are also words of thanks to Den’s editor-in-chief and Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov for concrete help in organizing the exhibit. “Grand! Profound! Sensuous! – with tears of sadness, joy, and pride for our native land. Many thanks to the newspaper Den and its editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna for a great deal of creative work and the opportunity to see the entire Ukraine from Synevyr to Avdiivka. I wish you successes and victories. Olha.” “My heartfelt thanks to the newspaper Den and Ms. Ivshyna for their intense intellectual work for the benefit of Ukraine! Our land gives birth to heroic defenders, talented photo artists, and people in love with their country. I can’t even name the best picture – you don’t know where to look first, for it is an imprint of today. An impressive exhibit! Thanks to the museum staff,” says Liudmyla.
The Garden Deprived of Love by Oleksandr Klymenko
“I take a deep bow to Larysa Ivshyna for courageous patriotism and a newspaper that promotes Ukrainian statehood. I also thank Borys Filatov for supplying 200 Dnipro schools with the newspaper’s patriotic literature. Valentyn Holovko, former member of the Dnipropetrovsk City Council of the first convocation, 1990-94.”
The guestbook also has words of gratitude from Dnipro schoolchildren and their teachers, who attended the exhibit en masse: “We express profound gratitude to the newspaper Den for organizing a wonderful photo exhibit. All the photographs impress with their content and sensitiveness. I wish you great successes and further prosperity! Grateful pupils and teachers of Secondary School No. 51.”
A Goose I Won’t Give Up by Natalia Sharomova
The Day’s correspondent has inquired about the opinion of educationists about the campaign “Gift the Den’s Library to the School You Went to.” It will be recalled that Dnipro’s 162 schools and 38 libraries received Den’s Library book sets with support from the city administration. Besides, MPs Viktor Halasiuk and Serhii Rybalka also took part in the campaign and acquired book sets for their alma maters. “Not only pupils, but also teachers are in bad need of these books,” says Iryna Ahasharifova, principal of Education Center No. 104 in Dnipro’s Novokaidatsky District. “I teach world literature and have found a lot of interesting things, such as articles on Gogol. On the whole, we have acquired seven history books. It is very good because our libraries have been mostly supplied with fiction and teaching publications in the last while. I also want to express sincere gratitude for the photo exhibit itself. Words just fail me – tears often welled up in my eyes, especially when I saw the photo Beside a Friend’s Grave, where a soldier lies on the ground next to the grave of his comrade-in-arms. In my view, this exhibit is very timely. In addition, it gave me an opportunity to meet Den editor, a very pleasant person. Give my kind regards!”
“An excellent photo exhibit that left nobody indifferent,” Serhii Burbelo, director of the Museum of Ukrainian Painting which hosted the exposition, says in conclusion. “It attracted people of both the young and older generations. There were also a lot of schoolchildren. People gained very positive and emotional impressions from the exhibit, which the guestbook amply shows. We have already assessed the results of visitors’ vote. What Dnipro residents liked the most is Yevhen Malolietka’s photo The Heart of the Carpathians which shows Lake Synevyr. We were greatly satisfied to cooperate with Den, and I hope the photo exhibit will be held at our museum again next time.” As you can see, Dnipro and Sumy residents have shown the same preferences for the best photograph. But Dnipro audiences had a different opinion about the second and third places. They rated Oleksii Lebid’s Strength and Tenderness as second best, while A Goose I Won’t Give Up by Natalia Sharomova and The Garden Deprived of Love by Oleksandr Klymenko shared the third place.
