You're reading: Lifestyle Blog: Photographs of Ukraine’s EuroMaidan on display in Russian Hermitage

The modern art exhibition Manifesta opened in St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum at the end of June. That would be nothing special as Hermitage tends to host many world art events, though this one looks like a nightmare of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Manifesta exhibition, a part of Biennale Art Festival, meant to be presented in Russia’s main museum included photographs of Ukraine’s EuroMaidan Revolution made by 73-year-old Ukrainian Borys Mykhaylov.

Originally from Kharkiv, Mykhaylov lives in Berlin and is a photographer of standing reputation, respected and well-known in the European Union.

The selection of his photos named “Warfare Theatre. Second Act” represents the EuroMaidan Revolution in all its aspects, including life of people in a tent camp, panoramas of Independence Square and the portraits of the activists who overthrew President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 22.

Still, is it a good idea to taunt Russian President Vladimir Putin this way?

“It is quite enough to watch TV to comprehend that we are working in the country that doesn’t have democracy at all,” Kasper Kening, the curator of Manifest exhibition, said in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper.

The photographer says his pictures are historical, not political. “There is everything there. There are bums and rich people and different flags. There is pain and just as Salvador Dali had it – a foretelling of the Civil War,”  he told Russian BBC service.

And though several world artists have posted a petition on change.org  demanding the postponement of the  Manifesta exhibition until Russian armed forces will be withdrawn from Ukraine, Kenning says he is going to ignore that.

“My contract allows me free art unless it contradicts the laws of Russian Federation,” he told The Village. “We have big possibilities and it would be a mistake to see them only as a chance to make political statements,” he said, insisting that art will triumph politics — or at least help Russian art lovers understand Ukraine’s political terrain better.

Russia’s State Hermitage Museum. June 28 – Oct. 31. $10

Kyiv Post staff writer Denys Krasnikov can be reached at [email protected]