“Work, problems, being busy from morning until night — all this prevents a person from seeing beauty, looking at the world philosophically, a world that has so many nuances and shades. Outwardly, there is nothing out of the ordinary about these photographs, yet they awaken joyful feelings, not at all because they show happy faces and capture moments of celebration, but because you suddenly become aware of your heart beating with new and eternal feelings; it is brimming with a desire to act and learn more about the surrounding world.
“I would also like to stress that at this exhibit I realized that journalists must not restrict themselves to stories or interviews, but constantly take part in public projects, initiate efforts that can turn an ordinary and at times amorphous Ukrainian into a citizen with a capital C. The Day’s journalists, thanks to editor in chief Larysa Ivshyna, are making a Herculean effort by actively involving photographers, selecting their best works, and presenting them to Ukraine. They deserve praise. They should be thanked, and each of us should ponder our own activities and ask ourselves, ‘What have I done that’s really useful?’”
It was gratifying to hear this statement from Ihor Marshalko, editor in chief of the Lviv newspaper Zhyttia i pratsia (Life and Work) and member of the Dubliany city council, and equally gratifying to see Pylypiuk’s gallery packed with visitors every weekend: students and teachers, young and elderly Lviv residents, who do not miss a single interesting cultural event in Lviv. Pylypiuk even held over the exhibit, not only because it is a good one but because it has given a powerful impetus to his new gallery, turning it into a club of photography lovers, which is what the exhibit organizers had in mind.
Visitors’ comments, expressing gratitude and remarks on the high art of photography, have filled a huge guest book. One entry reads: “I’d like to make Serhiy Vahanov’s photo ‘Beyond Time’ into an artistic tattoo.’ True art sometimes evokes peculiar associations.
Acting mayor of Lviv, Zenoviy Siryk, explored the exhibit and kept recalling his youth, when he mastered the book-printing profession, gradually learning about the world and appreciating its beauty. After finding a 30-minute slot in his tight schedule, he drew his own conclusions as an administrator. He left the gallery resolved that some new museums must be built in Lviv and that better efforts must be made to restore the city’s ancient architecture.
Liubov Sorokina, a TV journalist, scrutinized every photo and said, “Most are distinguished not by a newspaper reporter’s vision but by true artistic synthesis.” Halyna Tereshchuk, a special correspondent of Radio Liberty, spent more than an hour studying the photos and said: “They have inspired me to further work, as though they have sharpened the reality of what is happening in Ukraine on the eve of the elections.”
Meanwhile, life in Ukraine is proceeding at an accelerated rate. Photographers continue taking pictures to submit them to The Day’s next exhibit. They realize that every moment of life is unique, like every individual, and that it is extremely important to capture the most interesting moments for others to see, and to do so in a way that viewers can understand at a glance how precious every moment is. They must be made to see that you have to treasure your dear ones and help them on their road in life; that talent must be treasured because it embellishes the world and makes better sense of everything we do. The Day’s photo exhibit is continuing its lofty mission.
