“There are so many interesting things to see everywhere!”

On Sept. 21, Den/The Day celebrated its birthday by launching its ninth annual photography exhibit at Ukraine House, where visitors viewed works by the best photographers from Ukraine and abroad. This year’s show, Den-2007, was the largest in the history of this exhibit: two halls in Ukraine House displayed 250 works on a variety of topics by 220 photographers.

It was a pleasure to see the undiminished flow of visitors. Some of the guests were well-known individuals, such as Viktor Chernomyrdin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Ukraine, who visited the show last Wednesday.

The exhibit was a pleasant surprise for the Russian ambassador. “I never thought there are so many fine photo correspondents in Ukraine — true artists and chroniclers of our time,” he said in admiration. Chernomyrdin spent a long time staring at a portrait of the French writer Maurice Druon, the author of The Royal Chronicles. “This Frenchman is my fellow countryman. He has roots in Orenburg,” the Russian ambassador explained to the Belarusian and Kazakh ambassadors, Valentin Velichko and Amangeldy Zhumabayev, respectively, who also attended the exhibit. “Druon came to Kyiv two years ago at my invitation. He was the guest of our embassy.” The ambassador then turned to his assistants, “We must send Maurice Druon this portrait. I know for sure he doesn’t have one like this.”

Looking at a picture of Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Kyiv ex-Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko at a subotnyk [voluntary unpaid work on days off], Chernomyrdin commented with his special brand of humor, “As always, everyone has a spade, but nobody is digging.”

He was also amused by the non-political photos depicting funny and touching moments, as well as the brief, aphoristic captions to all the pictures.

“It’s amazing! A photograph not only reflect moments in our life but also tell us about it much more than words can,” Chernomyrdin said, unable to check his emotions. “There is a good reason to thank the newspaper Den and its editor in chief Larysa Ivshyna. I was invited to the exhibit’s opening but unfortunately I was on a business trip in Odesa, but when I came back to Kyiv and found a slot in my schedule, I decided to come because the Den photo exhibit is not to be missed.”

Many photography buffs and our readers were impressed by the show at Ukraine House. Among them were members of the Ostroh Youth Club of Free Intellectual Contacts, who came from Ostroh, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Odesa. “It is often said that our exhibits help bond our country together. The Ostroh Club is another of the newspaper’s projects that step by step help Ukrainians to know themselves,” said Anastasia Miliukova, an Ostroh Club member and a student of Mechnikov Odesa National University. The club’s members believe that this exhibit shows the life they saw in various nooks of Ukraine: “An old woman’s sad eyes are equally sad both in Odesa and Donetsk, and politicians are perceived with the same irony in both Kharkiv and Ostroh.”

Below are some comments from visitors who attended the Den-2007 photo exhibit.

Iryna KOSHKA, stylist and artist:

“I attend this photo exhibit every year. I never come on opening day. I come a few days later so that I can carefully look at all the photos and walk through the halls at a leisurely pace. You could say I am a real fan of the exhibit: I always look forward to it, tell my friends to come, and sometimes I pay another visit just to show them around. I particularly liked the pictures that have an ironic subtext, of which there are many, but what impressed me most was the photograph of some coal miners. This year’s exhibit, as well as the previous ones, sparks very warm feelings. Although there are some sad pictures that reflect our reality, the overall impression is very positive.”

Hennadii MARYCHEV, photographer:

“I look forward to this show and always attend, as I do most other annual shows. I came to see the photographs in order to learn something because I have always done set- piece and art photography, and recently I took up photojournalism. I am still a beginner in this genre and after visiting this photo exhibit, I know what to aim for.”

Nadia YURCHENKO and Svitlana KONDRATIEVA, photojournalists:

“My friend is visiting this exhibit for the first time. She was eager to see what I had described to her so vividly, and now the two of us have come to look at the photos and exchange impressions. I was looking forward to this exhibit after I saw the photograph ‘Winner’ last year, which depicts Yushchenko after the triumph of the Orange Revolution — his face and hands very graphically express his ‘age-old’ fatigue. I like the theme of all the photographs and the fact that you can see a certain content, idea, space, and situation in every still moment. I look at this range of expressions as a professional, and I think this exhibit is a must for photo correspondents who work in all kinds of publications: they can learn much because the works are of a very high quality. Even the layout of the photos is interesting. At first we saw the picture ‘Why Are We Not in the European Union?’ and then we saw pictures of Ukrainian village. These photos in fact answer this question.”

Kostia SUKHAN aged 8, schoolboy:

“The photos are very good. I’ve done both halls, and now I’ve come back to this larger one. When I look at the photos, I feel like taking a camera and photographing right on the street. I’ve never thought there were so many interesting things all around! I’ve always dreamed of being a restorer, but I think it’s time to revise my dreams and life goals.”

Maria CHERNYSH, journalist:

“It was very pleasant and unexpected to see pictures by photographers, a lot of whom I know. Now I regret that I didn’t take part. I will definitely participate next year. It is difficult to single out one work: they are all multifaceted and good in their own category.”

Lidia ZARYVCHATSKA, advertising manager of the magazine Nerukhomist:

“I work nearby, and when I found about the photo exhibit, I decided to pop in during my lunch break to take a look. Although it was a weekday, there were a lot of visitors: this means that people find it interesting. They want to see beauty, they are ready to wonder, admire, and feel. As I walked down the halls, I felt grateful to Den for organizing the exhibit and to all the photographers for their painstaking work and professionalism.”

Oksana Anatoliivna, Kateryna Antonivna, radio employees:

“ Den is one of our favorite newspapers. It is wonderful that it carries topical articles and every Thursday — a weekly program of cultural events. This is one way of staying in touch with readers. Some of the most interesting articles are those by Prof. Kulchytsky. Every year we attend the annual photo exhibit on the newspaper’s birthday. This year the exhibit’s ‘repertory’ is more diverse — there are fewer political photographs and more of those that show real, everyday life. I think this is a positive change because people are tired of politics, fed up with the atmosphere of political squabbling that can oppresses them. On the other hand, photos that show a frozen moment in the lives of ordinary people not only in Ukraine but all over the world help people feel the joy of living. We liked the black and white photos very much, because they are executed well and professionally, as well as the picture ‘A Lion Cub from the City of the Lion.’ It’s a good exhibit because it gives your soul a chance to run riot.”

Oleksandra MAZUR, student:

“It struck me that this exhibit is devoted to a clear-cut theme. Perhaps this is what distinguishes it from the previous shows. Even the contest’s grand prix was awarded to a photo about the Lviv tragedy: it is instantly clear what worries Ukrainians and causes them the most profound anguish. The pictures convey all these emotions and allow you not only to see but to experience what you cannot always see in real life. I very much liked the democratic nature of the contest: the exhibited works include pictures by both professional photographers and talented amateurs. I love photography. I am a beginner in this field, and when I was looking at these pictures, I felt a desire to change the genre and show mine next year. Naturally, I will invite my friends to the exhibit so that they can see my works and support me.”

Alla POTIEKHOVA, publisher of Gallery Magazine:

“I liked the pictures so much that the first thing I did was to ask if I could buy a catalogue. I would use the term ‘timely’ to characterize the exhibit. It shows that we still have a hope for the future. I recently visited the Venice Biennale. When I was coming out of the Ukrainian pavilion, I felt oppressed and dispirited. But after visiting this exhibit, I felt an emotional upsurge because the pictures are full of humor and a positive spirit, which means there will be progress. I’d like to thank the photographers and organizers for the impressions they have given us.”

Taras ROMANCHENKO, aged 11, schoolboy:

“This is a wonderful exhibit. I would have never thought that there could be so many funny moments in life. But there are also some sad pictures. What I especially remember is the photograph of the old woman who still feels pain about her dead brothers, sisters, and children — victims of the Holodomor. My mother and I once accidentally witnessed a similar scene, and now we can see one at the exhibit. This is the second Den exhibition in a row that we are visiting. We look at the photos for a long time and share our impressions. Mom wants me to be as good a photographer as the ones who took these pictures, but I’m just learning and taking pictures of what I like — nature, animals, and people. Maybe I’ll try to send my pictures for next year’s contest.”

Ivan KAPSAMUN, undergraduate at the Political Science Department, Institute of Social Sciences, Mechnikov Odesa National University:

“It is a great honor for me to visit the annual Den photo exhibit for the first time. Den is not just a newspaper but a series of projects devoted to the historical and contemporary development of Ukraine. I would say that the pictures that I saw today are a frozen moment from Ukraine’s real life. The exhibits that Den holds in other cities were just part of the overall Kyiv show. When you enter the hall, you understand that these are the realities of our everyday life, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but in general you feel as if you were in the thick of many events. You can see that there are so many things in our turbulent daily life, which you don’t notice. But when you look at these pictures here, you realize that the most important message is to make us think about the life we are living.

“I don’t think I’m the only one with a ton of impressions. All the members of the Ostroh Club who were invited by the newspaper are feeling the same thing. We have gathered in the capital of Ukraine for the first time. The city impresses us with its might, beauty, and spirituality. We were very surprised by the variety and themes of the photographs, comments about them, as well as the presence of VIPs and the possibility of meeting them. These kinds of trips are very useful and productive for the Ostroh Club.”

Olha BURLAKA, undergraduate at the Political Science Department, Institute of Social Sciences, Mechnikov Odesa National University:

“It is difficult to say why photography has such a poweful effect on us. Can you remember your favorite family pictures mounted in a frame or carefully glued into a photo album? They show dear faces, important events, celebrations, or just a moment that was accidentally captured on film. These pictures are us. They show our life. Every exhibited photo is a fraction of an immense mosaic. Looking at one, you can philosophize a little, feel sad, or laugh at your own ways. These pictures reflect all of us, Ukrainians: our culture, politics, and everyday life. This only adds value to such photo exhibits, which allow us to see ourselves the way we are.”

Serhii STUKANOV, graduate student at Donetsk National University, majoring in Social Philosophy and the Philosophy of History:

“The magical ability to snatch a single unrepeatable moment from the never-ending flow of time may be the essence of the art of photography. Although there is no doubt that it is impossible to learn about life without feeling it in motion, it is equally obvious that it is impossible to understand certain states of things that make up movement without stopping time. The Den photo exhibit on Sept. 21 was a wonderfully opportunity to see some fragments of the life of our entire country. These fragments, which have strangely come together in our minds as a radiant mosaic, tell us things about modern-day Ukraine that are usually missed. For example, every instant of life is filled with inimitable meaning and sense, and all you have to do is see the color of a pair of eyes, hear the sound of voices, discern the surrounding world, and, after all, ‘rediscover’ oneself.

“The exhibit left me with a lot of impressions. But the most striking thing was the eyes of the people in the photographs. In a surprising way, a picture can express the most deep- seated feelings of the photographed person when he or she is looking into the camera lens. When I was looking at the photos, I often had a profound sense that those feelings are still pouring into my eyes and my heart and soul, this time from the photographic paper, from the wall. Here you see a not-so-young man yelling political slogans with rabid fervor. You have to see the expression on his face to understand how important this shouting is to him. Another picture shows soccer fans whose faces show many irrepressible emotions: from naive joy and utter brazenness to something that borders on feverishness, if not craziness. And here is a ‘new Ukrainian,’ pardon the expression, a potbellied guy wearing an embroidered shirt and sun glasses, with a ‘vanity bag’ in his hand, who is visiting Sorochyntsi Fair. No comments, so to speak. Another picture depicts the clear and serene eyes of an infant being baptized, the eyes that still carry the reflection of a truth not yet corrupted by earthly evils.

“So much for words. You simply have to see these photos, feel and reflect on them.”

Olha RESHETYLOVA, Master’s in Political Science, National University of Ostroh Academy:

“The years of collaborating with Den teach one to stop wondering. When you know the hectic rhythm of the editorial office and the inexhaustible creative potential of the editor in chief, you become used to the fact that every new and more or less grand project of this newspaper is always a response to the challenge of time. But the photo exhibit, which has already become the newspaper’s ‘in thing,’ has surpassed all expectations this time. These photos are a painful and biting indictment of politics as a hackneyed popular joke. When a picture is a portrait, we can see the feelings of the two people on both sides of the lens. Stepping from one photo to another, you begin to understand that the daily routine keeps you from seeing that you live in a country where one minute politicians are planting tree saplings in public and the next they are signing an order to fell entire forests; where old, worn-out people still find it possible to show joy and optimism; where high-placed officials desperately cling to their chairs; where even children are interested in politics but politicians take no interest in children; where it is considered a feat to bow to a war veteran if you are the president.

“The Ostroh Club is always glad to support any initiative launched by this newspaper. Each one of these contacts is another chance to pull the thread of unity across the country. We are grateful to Den and Larysa Ivshyna for this opportunity. And we will now bring the warmth and impressions from the exhibit to Ostroh, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Odesa.”

Volodymyr PANCHENKO, professor at National University of Kyiv— Mohyla Academy:

“I will use two key words to express my impressions of this exhibit: optimism and irony. Today it would be hard to take Ukrainian reality without irony, especially when it comes to politics. This time there are fewer politicians in the photos, but there are a few, and I would strongly advise them to see themselves in the photo exhibit’s warped mirror. In my opinion, this tongue-in-cheek approach is very characteristic: it signals that society is distancing itself from the political ‘carnival’ and that the everyday life of ordinary people and the upper crust are parallel worlds that will never intersect.

“I was most interested to see pictures of our everyday life. It is here that a certain reckless Ukrainian optimism rules the roost — contrary to the dramas that you see on the faces of old people: one of the last residents of the once famous town of Trakhtemyriv or an ailing woman reaching for a piece of bread. Most of the works are a brilliantly caught moment, not the skilled work of a professional — so be it. The captions to the photos are very important: they offer a key to the subject. Take the boy who is so doubled up with laugher after playing a prank that the top of his head is touching the ground. He looks at us, with his legs wide apart, and sees everything upside down. This is what makes the photograph. ‘I see it this way,’ is the witty title of the piece.

“‘I see it this way’ is a kind of epigraph to the exhibit. It creates the impression of the inimitability of every moment that is presented like a gift here and now — to you and me. I will confess that when I left Ukraine House, I wished I had brought a camera: I was starting to look at everything through the lens of a camera. I missed two great photo ops. Well, tomorrow I won’t go out empty-handed.”

Ruslan KUKHANCHUK, amateur photographer:

“I’ve been hearing about this photo exhibit for a long time, but I managed to visit it for the first time this year. I loved what I saw. The pictures even inspired me to take part in the photo competition. I noticed something special about the show: in the photos taken by our compatriots, life is literally burgeoning. These pictures exude reality and creativity. The captions are very witty. Sometimes, after reading them, you begin to look differently at the same picture. In general, the exhibit gives rise to a lot of positive emotions and makes you smile.”