“I have never seen such emotional works before”

Petro is a several-generation Uzhhorod dweller. His parents, he himself, his son, and grandchildren were born here. Here he first fell in love, took the paintbrush, and met Gobika, his muse and keeper of his family and talent. Is this perhaps the reason why many of his canvasses depict Uzhhorod? He paints the places where he used to run barefooted in childhood, the streets along which he walked to school and met his friends. Besides, he wants to preserve the spirit and face of the old elegant Uzhhorod, not yet disfigured by modern-day pseudo-architectural innovations. We met the master at the exhibition hall of the    Transcarpathian Yosyp Bokshai Art  Museum, where the Photo Exhibit “Den-2014” was being mounted.

I know you are deeply worried about what is going on in Ukraine. Your work Glory to Heroes proves that you did not stand clear of the bloody events on the Maidan and in eastern Ukraine.

“I think about this whenever I get up and go to bed. We did and do watch the events on Kyiv’s Maidan at the time and in the ATO zone now. Maybe, this is why my heart is aching, for I can’t look without tears in my eyes at what is happening now. As for the picture, it must be a godsend. I pondered on what to paint for the Day of the Artist exhibition. And it seemed to me that painting something neutral was a sin. Incidentally, I intend to make a series of portraits of these heroic guys.

“There were so many artists on the Maidan, including a Transcarpathian. I was even envious – you, potbellied, are sitting on the sofa instead of going to the Maidan. I can’t understand why nobody has been punished yet – so many people were killed, but nobody was held responsible. And our boys are standing in the field in the cold and in the heat and dying for Ukraine…”

You are Hungarian. Why do you worry so much about Ukraine?

“I am a citizen of Ukraine and, although I am Hungarian, I would never leave Ukraine. My brother lives in Spain and invited me to move there. The great artists Bokshai, Erdeli, and Szeman could have lived wherever they pleased, but they lived, painted, and won fame in their own land. I am convinced that you can’t possibly become a true artist unless you are a patriot and love your native things.

“I’ve got a lot of teachers, but, first of all, I’m grateful to Karl Balla, the art school director. I could not but make an artist in such a triangle of painting geniuses. I saw Manailo, Bokshai, and Gluck every day, for I lived next to them. Sandor Petki and Anton Kassai also resided close by. When I went to school, I sat at the same desk with Fedir Manailo’s daughter Katia. She was the prettiest girl not only in the school, but also in Uzhhorod. She would often say to me: ‘Drop in to the studio and see the old man.’ But I was in awe of those people and was afraid even to approach them.”

AUTUMN IN THE OLD TOWN

Art critic Mykhailo Syrokhman has dubbed you “the last romantic of Uzhhorod.”

“I like to paint the old town very much, for I grew up here. I like wandering down these little streets and the climbing up the Castle Steps. There’s a fantastic aura there. There must be not a single nook which I haven’t visited and painted. God gave me the ability to find the right color and composition, but the main thing for a painter is to have a soul and a heart, for this will make your works positive.”

You are a frequent patron of the art museum…

“Yes, when I am not en plein air but at home, I come here almost weekly to see what is new here. This time I was lucky to see the Den’s Photo Exhibit a day before its official opening. Frankly speaking, I have never seen such emotional works before. It is a true social, cultural, and artistic event in the life of Uzhhorod and Transcarpathia as a whole. I read in the press that this exhibition in Odesa, Cherkasy, Poltava, Lutsk, and the neighboring Lviv had made a lasting impression on visitors. But to read about and see a ‘live’ exhibit is too great a difference, and I want to express my deep gratitude to all those who gave Transcarpathians a chance to see these not only highly professional, but also very expressive photo masterpieces. Moreover, the exhibit’s current theme is very close to me and has something in common with my oeuvre.

“I am convinced that as many Ukrainians as possible must see it in all the regions of this country. I am personally going to advise all my colleagues, friends, and acquaintances to find time and see it. It is very good that there are people and even collectives in our cynical and mercantile times, which will not allow people’s conscience to dull. And society must duly appreciate their efforts.”