“For people to know our history”

Den’s photo exhibit “Ukraine’s Family Album” has been open in Sumy for almost two weeks. The visitors keep thanking the authors for the pictures which are true to life, find response in their heart and soul, and reproduce today’s history and the personalities of the heroes of today. Until now, the exhibit has been seen by some three thousand of Sumy residents.

“Unfortunately, we do not have enough room for all the 350 winning photos that make up the exposition, so we handpicked 164 best works from the top ones,” explains Olena Opanasiuk, head expert with the Sumy Promotion Agency, adding that “there were very many excursions from around a dozen secondary and vocational schools. In general, there come middle to high school kids, they love the exhibit. You could see their patriotism is not misplaced.”

Tetiana CHANTSEVA, math teacher at School No. 8, shares her amazement after seeing the pictures. She visited the exhibit with her middle and high school students. “We took pictures next to the exhibited ones, left an entry in the visitors’ book and voted for a lot of your photographs,” smiles Chantseva. “My personal favorite, which I also posted in social networks, is Oleksandr Rodomanov’s Never Give Up and Nom de Guerre: Mars by Yurii Velychko.”

NOM DE GUERRE DIP. PLATOON COMMANDER, WORK BY YURII VELYCHKO, IS A FAVORITE AMONG THE SUMY PUBLIC / Photo by Oleh DEMIANENKO

“The children were simply glued to some pictures, so we are planning to hold a separate discussion on the subject,” shares Tetiana KALASHNYK, teacher from School No. 6. “The exhibit is really very topical. This cross section of life over the past year is a little painful and bitter, the war has slashed and maimed people’s fates. The exposition reflects this. At the same time, the artists glimpsed something beautiful: some really unexpected moments and angles.” Kalashnyk says she would try to find time before the week is out to come and have a good look for herself.

Svitlana BONDARENKO, teacher from School No. 11, tells about the students’ need to discuss what they have seen. “My junior high students are extremely pleased and delighted. There are powerful works covering a variety of themes. The children chose very many pictures featuring our troops, as well as those with little kids and animals. What I remember most vividly is the photo of cadets, one of whom holds his little brother’s hand, Vitalii Nosach’s A Brother for a Brother. We are thankful for this exhibit. We discussed it both at the gallery and on our way home.”

In Sumy, visitors are actively voting for the best photo, filling several questionnaires out at once. The winner of viewers’ sympathies will be determined after the closing of the exhibit. At the moment among the leaders are Yevhen Malolietka’s The Heart of the Carpathians featuring Lake Synevyr, Hlib Tsukanov’s Choose Me, Yurii Velychko’s Nom de Guerre DIP. Platoon Commander, and Anastasia Ivanova’s Beside a Friend’s Grave.

In Den’s visitors’ register the guests leave their heartfelt wishes to the paper’s office. Here is one of them, made on January 24: “I wish Den, its journalists, and editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna good health and inspiration in the further, sacred efforts for the good of Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!”

Words of gratitude and touching emotions are addressed to the authors of the photographs:

“Thank you for the great exhibit. It is really necessary for people to know our history. These images impressed each and every of us. Respect! School No. 4.”

“Thank you for the interesting photos, full of emotions which echoed in our hearts. Regards, School No. 8.”

“It is symbolic that Sumy became the second city, after the capital, to host this International Photo Exhibit. The photos are simply striking. I am sure that the pictures reflecting the painful ATO (or more precisely, war) themes will be never forgotten. Of course, the exhibit owes its tremendous success to photographers from all over Ukraine. My sincere gratitude for their masterly work,” wrote Ivan Boichenko.

People have all sorts of reactions to photos of Ukrainian politicians, volunteers, landscapes, and highlights from ordinary people’s lives. It is only the pictures of the heroes defending Ukraine’s integrity and independence in the east that bring tears to their eyes.

Vira Stetsenko, a visitor, says: “All the works are wonderful. But I cannot help crying when I see the photo Beside a Friend’s Grave: it is terrible that his friend is gone. The Vicious Circle cut me to the quick. It seems like our Ukraine still cannot break out of a vicious circle. I mean our government: we do not have a leader who would break the situation for the better. If you look at Poland as it was 20 years ago, they broke their old system up completely, they undergone difficulties for a reason. They had to suffer for some time, but now they live better than we do.”

“This is a very, very interesting exhibit. I was most struck by patriotic photos: the boys went through hell and yet they are smiling,” says another visitor, Liudmyla.

“Little did I know that we will live to see the war. There used to be a lot of students from Russia in Sumy, they made friends here and visited each other, and now it pains me to see what is going on now,” shares another Sumy resident, Larysa.

The main mission of Den’s 18th International Photo Exhibit is attracting people’s attention to the current events and invite them to interpret them.

Dnipro will be the next city to host Den’s photo exhibit, from February 10. Please follow our announcements.