“Together we can do anything,”

Last fall I was lucky to visit Den’s photo exhibit in Odesa. I remember how my moods swung, depending on the photo I was looking at. Each work carried its own, special emotion, which enveloped each visitor. At the opening of the exhibit at the Odesa Literary Museum on November 21, 2014, Den’s editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna remarked: “Ukraine’s main problem is its mass degradation and barbarization. People have ceased reading intelligent books, so they must at least see intelligent photos. Those affected will turn to intellectual literature.” It seems that I was “affected.” Moreover, Den fully satisfies the demand for intellectual read.

Among the most striking photos is Oleksandr Kuzmin’s Maidan. January 27, 2014. A young man lies on the ground, maybe he is wounded. Around him are heaps of tires, sacks, and remains of a barricade. The boy is wearing a balaclava, and we can only see his eyes. But we need not see anything else, because next to him sits a girl whose hands he is holding in his and who he is looking at. His eyes are smiling. The girl’s face is almost hidden, but I think she is happy, too.

It is very important that at such a difficult time there is room for sincere human feelings. What matters is that Maidan will be remembered not only as a bloody confrontation of the people and the regime, but also as a platform where aggression, carnage, and death could not crush love, friendship, and the national spirit.

THE RESULTS OF VOTING FOR THE BEST PHOTO IN CHECHELNYK AND OLHOPIL: 1st PLACE – OLEH NYCH’S VICTORY DAY, 2nd PLACE – MYKOLA TYMCHENKO’S FAREWELL, 3rd PLACE – YEVHEN MALOLIETKA’S PATROL

However, love, friendship, and the national spirit do not grow on an empty place. Human spirit needs to be cherished, and I think Den does just that. I thank the editorial board for cherishing human spirit via your photo exhibits, intellectual texts, and just by communicating with readers.

My grandma recently said that people have already got used to the war and take it as part of life. We are no longer deeply shocked by the number of casualties, we are no longer surprised at new bombardments, and we are helping the army less. Maidan is fading into history, and the Heavenly Hundred is mentioned more seldom. Den’s work forces people shrug off this newly acquired adaptation model. On the contrary, the photo exhibit is the most efficient way to wake up human feelings and remind that war is still going on in Ukraine, our military die under the rain of bullets, and we must never, never get used to this.

While visiting some friends in Chechelnyk near Vinnytsia, I learned about Den’s exhibition. I was able to attend the closing of the exhibit and immerse myself in the beautiful world of photography. Now I am particularly interested in the “concept of image evolution,” proposed by Den on the example of photos of 2000 and 2014. Two very similar photos, which still express two very different ideas. I mean Oleksandr Svystunov’s Lionka Polityka and Serhii Kharchenko’s Artur Stepanenko. Both pictures feature men with a tattoo on the shoulder. The first reads Floor it, but with measure! The second is the Ukrainian trident with the motto Freedom or death. It is easy to see how, over these 14 years, people’s consciousness switches focus from personal to national. The message of the second photo acquires nation-wide scale, because in this historical period the notion of freedom depends on each and every citizen.

I was not the only one in whom the exhibit inspired such intense impressions and reflections. Visitors both in Chechelnyk and Olhopil, which on July 24 took over as the host of the exhibit, gladly shared their impressions in the visitors’ book. Reading them makes you realize that Den’s photos are not just a great opportunity to spend your free time. The exhibit made the visitors feel the country’s sharp pain, and at the same time it left a ray of hope, shining in children’s happy eyes and reflected in lovers’ feelings. All entries in the visitors’ book were absolutely positive: people were extremely grateful to Den for this moral experience.

Traditionally, visitors voted for the best photos. The winner is Oleh Nych’s Victory Day, with Mykola Tymchenko’s Farewell as a runner-up. Yevhen Malolietka’s Patrol is third. We thank Den for the impressions and look forward to the next meeting.

IMPRESSIONS

Anhelina PIANISHCHUK, school-leaver (2015), Chechelnyk:

“This has been my third visit to Den’s photo exhibit. Each time I found the photos diverse and thrilling. There we can see ourselves, because these are not photos from a staged session. They reflect the artist’s vision of daily life.

“I liked this year’s exhibit the most. At the same time, it is painful and sad. Last year I went to school in the US, so I could hardly feel all that pain war has brought with itself. Talking to my parents about the events in Ukraine, I often cried and worried myself sick about our country’s destiny. Seeing the photos from the epicenter of the warfare was like living that year over and over again and seeing the war for myself.

“Beside the war images, I found a lot of photos with patriotic subject matter, which inspire pride and excitement. This is exactly what I like: a harmonious vision of Ukraine, even in a time of trial. My favorite is probably Oleh Nych’s Victory Day, I voted for it as the best photo. It raised a wave of gratitude to World War Two veterans, who are forced to see and endure the horrors of war again.

“I want to thank everyone who organizes Den’s photo exhibits every year. Thanks to them, even we in our tiny town are able to experience something beautiful.”

Sophia KOLISNICHENKO, middle school student:

“This is the second time I have visited Den’s photo exhibit, two years in a row. Each photo leaves unforgettable impressions. This year, almost each photo touched me and triggered reflections. I think I could gaze at these photos for hours on end, again and again. I am looking forward to the next exhibit, with all my heart!”