Lethargy “Medicine”

On October 2-10 the Ukrainian Home opened its doors for all the volunteers to see the 12th International Photo Exhibit of The Day. For some a trip to the Ukrainian Home in late September or early October has become a pleasant tradition in the twelve years of the project’s existence, some come to see The Day photo exhibit with the entire family, some came here for the first time.

All our visitors embody thorough and energetic work on creating quality social sensibilities. The Day’s photo exhibit is one of the most significant instruments for this. On the opening day the chief editor of the paper Larysa Ivshyna emphasized that the social significance of the amateur photos is no less than that of professional shots.

Every year the quantity of people interested in the trends in Ukrainian photojournalism, which The Day presents, increases. This year over 700 people came to the Ukrainian Home just for the opening of the 12th international photo exhibit. Each of them got something meaningful out of it.

For us the most valuable thoughts about the country, society, life, and ourselves are those which the visitors share with us after seeing the photos, write down in the guest book, send in letters to the editor, or communicate to the journalists of The Day. Candid and natural, albeit indirect, conversation helps create a meaningful social dialog about the spirituality that lives in Ukrainians. Inna Novak, the deputy of the Kyiv local council, neatly noted, “this project attracts more and more people each year and that is how it will create a chronicle of Ukrainian life for many years.” That is why we attract our readers to this “discussion,” by publishing the most interesting thoughts of those, who visited The Day’s photo exhibit.

At the same time we want to draw participants and winners of the photo exhibit closer together. We continue introducing our readers to people who presented the brightest, deepest and most interesting works.

Valentyna RUDENKO, Secretariat of the President of Ukraine, ex-deputy, director of documentaries that have won international acclaim:

“Most of all I liked Polissia Lady with Blackberries.

“It is a woman in a vyshyvanka that picked up blackberries a moment ago. Her hands are black from the berries but her face is glowing. I want to say that it is not a photo but rather a sheen of light. There is a phrase in a famous song, ‘A moment between the past and the future.’ This is a moment between the past that already passed and the future that has not come. This moment is real life. And only a photo can capture it. That is why it is so important for me. I love photos a lot. I have come to your exhibit for many years now. And I am very grateful for it.

“Very often we lock up what we have inside. We preserve our internal light. When we look at a photo, very often we see a person in his moods, thoughts. And that is how the inside world is shown. I call it nerves over the coat. People have such a condition.

“There are very beautiful landscape and report photos but there are some, when you look at a person, you think: that is exactly the case when the nerves are on the surface. You can see what the person lives now, what he thinks, if he is achieving something, is glad or depressed. That is why I love photos. And I am extremely thankful to The Day for this exhibit. Every time you come and reveal our nation and our country. We are so different, but so good and beautiful people.”

Iryna DOROSHENKO, Ivan Franko Theater actress:

“It is my first time at The Day’s photo exhibit and I am impressed with what I have seen: each photo is a mini story of life, the nature and destiny of our country. For example, Veronika Borkovska’s Patient brings out the whole gamut of emotions. We can see a cute little baby that is taking a nap with a smile and embracing a white cat. Both of them are satisfied and it seems that you hear the baby’s snuffle and the four-legged friend’s purring. They are fine and comfortable together and they feel the world’s harmony. It is a very optimistic piece.

“There is a picture of my friend, the sportswoman (The Winner) Olha Korobka (silver medalist of the 2008 Olympics), who is called ‘the strongest woman in Europe.’ Olia is wonderful, bright and funny, not starry at all. We recently got acquainted. My husband was a doctor in the Ukrainian weightlifting team. Olia manages to win medals, set records, but outside she remains a feminine and attractive woman. You know, it was difficult to choose my favorite but, probably, I liked The Amazonian the most, Olena Levchenko’s work from Slavutych. There is some charm in it. I was looking at it and I remembered how we rehearsed the Little Marriage Crimes play with my colleague Oleksii Bohdanovych. We went to Poland on the invitation of the director Krzysztof Zanussi. Once after the rehearsal he offered us to go to an orphanage for blind children. He gave them three horses and explained that he read somewhere that the horses help the blind to orientate better, and while riding a horse you do not feel limited in movement. In general, communication with horses has a positive influence on the children. In the picture a girl is hugging a horse and she sits on it without a saddle. It is quite dangerous but there is triumph in her eyes, that she fought down her terror and backed a mature horse. I look at the girl and I envy her. I adore horse riding but because I am busy I do not ride frequently. My grandpa taught me horse riding in my childhood. Maybe this skill will come in handy in my profession...

“I am glad that Without Dovzhenko by Yurii Ivanov won the grand prix of the exhibit. In it my colleague Larysa Kadochnikova (the legendary Marichka from Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) from the Lesia Ukrainka Theater is pictured. At future exhibits I want to see more pictures of children, our future, and also culture and art figures, wise, good and eternal… By the way, the birth of a play or a film is the most interesting process. And the photos from behind the curtain and on the film set show the actors and directors unexpectedly foreshortened…”

Eduard MYTNYTSKY, art director of Kyiv Left-Bank Drama and Comedy Theater:

“I try not to miss The Day’s photo exhibits. New Vision of an Old Problem by Yurii Sokura caught attention by its suddenness, but mostly by its associativity. At once you understand the person’s mood, which reached this level of sepsis and joke (quite a mean joke). Not only did he shave the ‘hammer and sickle’ on the back of the head but also dyed it with red-orange paint. Several Soviet generations lived under the crimson banners with the hammer-and-sickle symbols. The ‘haircut’s’ interpretation is surprising as well — it is on the back of the head, the spot where dissidents were shot… I am interested in the senses the photo activates. For example, a couple of Ukrainian oligarchs: Pinchuk and Akhmetov (Why is There No Optimism visible? by Ruslan Kaniuka). It is interesting to look at the people, who sway the destiny of our country, to think how they reached levels that are unattainable for mere mortals. In Kotliarevsky’s Natalka Poltavka, the landlord Vyborny says some wise words, ‘Cunning comes from the mind.’ It is difficult to follow the smart, if God did not give you a brain, no matter if you follow or not — you would not become rich.

“I am not just a reader of The Day, but an admirer and a well-wisher of your paper. Its versatility attracts me. There are different opinions presented in the pages, you can see the life of the country and the world. I thank the team for their work. The photo exhibits give an opportunity to gather various people, who are not only interested in today’s, but also in tomorrow’s Day.”

Maria PINCHUK, 1+1 group representative:

“Kostiantyn Hryshyn’s Inspiration, which was awarded by the 1+1 Channel, is an embodiement of a wonderful and bright moment. Inspiration is what we need for creative work and for any other work in general. Hryshyn’s work possesses such creative search and energy, necessary for the creation of something beautiful in the world. In general, all the works are good but this one is exceptional for me. And this year I saw an inspired country, bright in joy and bright in sorrow; this is a country that has inspiration, hope, a future and good perspectives.”

Ihor SLISARENKO, anchorman:

“This photo exhibit is unique as we can see Ukraine, the nation, without any hype. Today I saw our country a bit upset, a bit confused, but not in despair, not in hopeless sorrow, with restrained optimism and great hope at the same time. That is how I saw Ukraine. I saw simple people with wonderful faces in different situations, in times of misery and euphoria, and normal joy. And it inspires. What did I like this year? There are very few faces of politicians, fortunately. In previous years there were many photos of the politicians who appeared in sarcastic, grotesque circumstances. We made fun of them. The works caused ironic laughter. This year there are few such photos. But there was real Ukraine that works, grieves, laughs, hopes, believes, helps itself and others. Through such light gloom the exhibit gives great optimism.”

Andrii SENCHENKO, lawmaker:

“I came to this exhibit from parliament. Looking at what is happening there, I often think that there is no future for the country. At the same time looking at the faces on these photos I understand that there is a future.”

Ihor SMESHKO, Head of Power and Honor All-Ukrainian Civic  Organization, Ph.D. (engineering), professor, colonel general:

“I am happy that each year I come to the photo exhibit of my favorite newspaper. And each time the exhibit gives me a feeling of hope that our nation, which has waited so long for happiness to come to our land, has a great future. I particularly liked the combination of hope in the eyes of the youth and great dignity in the eyes of the older people. It is difficult to even say something because little moments of the life of our country are perfectly selected and everything was done with such great love, with the pride of our country and with hope that we will definitely be stronger, happier, wealthier and more democratic. It is one of the best exhibits that I have seen in Ukraine, and it gives what is most important — hope, love and faith.”

Iryna KLIUCHKOVSKA, director of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Relations with the Diaspora of the National University Lviv Polytechnic:

“The main idea of this year’s exhibit is that Ukraine is eternal. Here along with older people, who are just about to leave for eternity, are very young faces and even a baby that has just been baptized. For me this is evidence of Ukraine’s indestructibility. Only such a unique newspaper could create such a photo exhibit. You know, sometimes, when I am preparing articles or speeches, I cannot find some material or fact. In this case I search The Day using the Internet and, usually, I find the answers. I express my deep appreciation to the chief editor, all the employees, talented journalists that can summon up the best potential of Ukraine. Thank you.”