Question of <I>The Day</I>

Viktor SKOMOROKHA, Chairman of the Constitutional Court;

“The photo exhibition is very interesting. An extremely unbiased look. For example, the photo ‘Options’ (showing Viktor Medvedchuk and Leonid Kravchuk — Ed.): the politicians seem to be sitting quietly in the corner, but the lens caught their gestures and thoughts... And the photo of Beniuk! Fantastic! Also impressive are the landscapes. The photo exhibition creates quite an impression, as does, incidentally, your daily – in my opinion, the most readable, very professional, and impartial publication. May I take this occasion to wish you a sharp pen, an unbiased lens, health, prosperity, rich sponsors, and many years. As to the photographs, I liked best the snapshots of Beniuk and, associatively, the landscape ‘A Fog Over the River’.”

Volodymyr SEMYNOZHENKO , Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for Humanitarian Issues:

“This is an exhibition of true professionals, in fact a photographic art exhibition. No wonder, for today the genre of photo pictures must be equated with that of a newspaper, and Den’/The Day excels precisely in the presentation of information. The contents should be matched with photos of the same level. Today, when the information sphere is so packed, deep, and varied, it requires more than words: it is high quality and skillfully made photos that help the public get access to important information.

“In my opinion, this is not just an exhibition of what Den’/The Day has been printing. This is an attempt to draw Ukrainians’ attention to the artistic genre of photography in general. I wish the next Den’/The Day exhibition would not confine itself to the pictures printed in the newspaper and go beyond the bounds of this room.”

Yevhen MARCHUK , Secretary, National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine:

“I think this year’s exhibition is even better than the last year’s in terms of content and artistic skill. But last year, too, there were some no less successful works. I feel this year’s items were carefully selected. It is encouraging that the exhibition shows not so much politics as the everyday life of ordinary people. On the other hand, politically-colored pictures, for example, ‘The Choice Has Been Made’ (with Anatoly Kinakh — Ed.), show passions running very high. I am convinced the Den/The Day photo exhibition is a good tradition. This shows in a way that the trade of photography masters is, so to speak, thriving. The range of interests is widening, mastery is improving, photos (for instance, of Kofi Annan on the bank of the Dnipro or Ostap Khmil) are very expressive and can be viewed as self-sufficient pieces of art, even if one does not know the history of their origin. This demonstrates the high skills of not only those who made the pictures but also those who selected the photos for the exhibition. It also shows the growth and dynamic level of the editors.

“It is the photo of Ostap Khmil that struck me to the depths of my spirit, calling up some associations, because it deals with the destiny of his own and of many others injured in the Lviv tragedy (air crash during an aerobatics show — Ed.)... The picture was made by a true professional. I think the author made many photos, but the fact that he picked out precisely this one testifies not only to his high professionalism but also to his humanity. I saw additional proof of high mastery in the photo showing Yushchenko with Poroshenko behind him – it is difficult to overestimate this photo’s psychological impact, for there is a serious implied meaning behind the composition... Or take the photo of a wide-eyed Ihor Yushko snapped by Den’/The Day’s photo correspondent Mykola Lazarenko.

“Many photos exude warmth. For example, the picture ‘True Holy Simplicity’ (the photo shows a truly saintly little girl touching the cassock of a serious priest — Ed.). Photos like this engulf your heart with love and tenderness, so rare in our times. Every exhibit is interesting in its own way. And what a brilliant stroke: four people’s deputies with mobile phones! In general, situational photos are also extremely interesting because they can tell so much. A good picture can sometimes put across more than any text. Glances, poses, gestures, mise- en-scenes... All this amounts to a philosophy, behind which one can read or, more precisely, see so much.”

Dmitry KISELIOV , editor-in-chief, ICTV information service:

“You can really feel Ukraine here. When you bustle around every day at the editorial office, read the journalists’ written texts about Ukraine’s political life, and look through the Internet, you get the impression that everybody has gone crazy. The point is you have to deal with a lot of political games rather than politics. Conversely, this exhibition reflects the life of society and ordinary people – it is undoubtedly far richer, more interesting, beautiful, noble, and amusing than the politics into which we volens nolens dip each day. These photos beam with an energy that helps one live and work. In other words, you can see a different Ukraine, not just a country populated by strange characters.

“I saw a Ukraine braced for a leap forward, with all difficulties that this implies. Take the jump over the fire on St. John the Baptist’s Night (‘Ivan Kupala Leap’ by Serhiy Starostenko, Kyiv, second prize, 2002, — Ed.): I think it the best photo. This is my personal point of view. The picture of a Sknyliv boy’s blood-spattered face may of course be the grand prize from the viewpoint of his parents (‘Ostap Khmil. Sknyliv’ by Yevhen Kravs, Lviv, grand prize, 2002). But this is a tragedy. I would like to see a different Ukraine, not the one we saw at Sknyliv. I want to see it in a jump, in flight. I can see this flight in the photo ‘Ivan Kupala Leap.’ And I would like to believe that Ukraine has already passed its darkest hour and this leap portends the dawn. This dangerous leap over fire will end in a soft landing, as this photo vividly shows. It is not simple to jump due to some excessive flesh, but still... Ukraine looks quite elegant even judging by this picture.

“To celebrate the newspaper’s birthday by staging a photo exhibition is an idea that has been 100% successful. The newspaper can be said to be making a leap, to return to the same metaphor, over the political posturing, over all the perversions that we have to face here, and thus rising to the next stage, the next level of reflection and consciousness, bypassing all the dirt that catches your eye and is even offered you. To my mind, this is an absolutely cosmic feast, it is in these surroundings that you feel the energy of Ukraine as a whole, its common people, and its intelligentsia. This is an inspiring look.”

Yevhen HOLOVAKHA , Doctor of Philosophy, chief research associate, Institute of Sociology, Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences:

“We have long been working with Chornobyl disaster victims, so I was struck with the ‘Squatters’ photo series. The photographer managed to display the inner condition typical of this category of people.

“Why does a newspaper need a visual image if it usually tries to influence its readers’ minds and hearts with words? The point is that a picture can show reality better and in a more versatile and varied way – with all the subtleties that the word is sure to lose. A picture does this with a deeper and livelier emotion. The photographic reality shown at the exhibition seems to be far truer than what we see in our real everyday life.”

Volodymyr FESENKO , political scientist:

“The Den’/The Day photo exhibition presents different faces of Ukraine. The most gratifying fact is that these faces are not only political, although this is my line. What is on display is life of this country in its most diverse manifestations – from the most commonplace to the most unexpected. It is especially pleasant that all these photos are very warm. What we see here is not just a black- and-white approach that makes us split our personality and overstrain but a life that exudes warmth even through the black-and-white photographs.

“As to the photos of Ukrainian politicians, this is always interesting, especially when the photographer is ironic. I liked very much the picture of four young Kharkiv-based deputies, whom I tentatively call the Kharkiv new wave, simultaneously speaking on their mobile phones. Well, this is a life that requires uninterrupted communication.”

Natalia MALIMON , journalist:

“When I hear someone say there are no irreplaceable people, I reply that there are indeed no irreplaceable ones but there are inimitable ones. It seems to me the Den’/The Day team consists of this kind of inimitable people, starting with editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna. It must be through her effort that one team has gathered such original and unique people. If you look through other newspapers, you will get the impression that all the articles were written by the same author in the same style. Conversely, each Den’/The Day writer has a face and an opinion of his own. This is very important for today’s press. The photos are extremely interesting, with their quality ever rising. It’s a wonder that such unique things could be found in everyday life.”