The exposition of the online exhibition “Lockdown Spring in Kropyvnytskyi” to Journalist Day in Ukraine consists of more than 30 press photographs captured byMerited Journalist of Ukraine Ihor Demchuk. The photographs show the life of Kropyvnytskyi town during the lockdown,which was set in Ukraine on March 12, 2020, to prevent the spread of acute respiratory disease Coronavirus COVID-19.
    Face-mask requirements, social distancing, disinfection, and other epidemic-prevention events, almost deserted streets, empty station, and buses without passengers, closed municipal markets with no sellers and buyers, posters with a social ad about the necessity to stay at home. This is the photo chronicles of the current reality of the inhabitants of the town. Anyway, lockdown is not forever. Life goes on – famous tulips are blossoming in Dendropark, and a happy family is glad to welcome four girls!
Journalist Day in Ukraine is a professional holiday for journalists, correspondents, and reporters. It is celebrated according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine from May 25, 1994, annually on June 6th. On this very day in 1992, the Union of Journalists of Ukraine was accepted to the International Federation of Journalists, which is the largest world organization of media professionals.
    Demchuk Ihor Mykolaiovych – Merited Journalist of Ukraine (2017), a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (1993) and National Union of Photo Artists of Ukraine (2005), a laureate of the Award named after V.Vynnychenko of the newspaper “Narodne Slovo” (1999), the Regional Journalist Award in the nomination “press photography” (2005), Municipal Award among Photo Artists named after Vasyl Kovpak (2018), awarded Golden Medal of Ukrainian Journalism (2010). Was born on July 04, 1962, in the town of Brody, the Lviv Oblast. Graduated from Lviv State University named after Ivan Franko, the Department of Journalism (1984).Worked as a press photographer of TASS – RATAU, Ukrinformin the Kirovohrad Oblast (1984-1995), a special correspondent of the regional newspaper “Narodne Slovo” (1995-2019), and since 2020 – a press photographer of the regional socio-political newspaper “Kirovohradska Pravda”. A participant of the national and regional photo exhibitions.
    The following exhibitions of the author’s photographs were presented in O.O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum: “Stop and Admire” to the 145th anniversary of the architect Yakiv Pauchenko (2011) and within the museum art project “At the Crossroads of Yelisavethrad-Kirovohrad” to Town Day (2014-2018), which became the basis for the publication of a photo album “The city of five names. At the crossroads of styles and epochs. Architectural images of the city of Kropyvnytskyi captured by Ihor Demchuk”. – Kropyvnytskyi: “Imeks-LTD”, 2018. As part of the authoring team together with the leading researcher of the museum, Merited Artist of Ukraine Andrii Nadezhdin and the director of the publishing house Tamara Samyliak became the laureate of the Regional Award in Fine Art and Study of Art named after Oleksandr Osmerkin in the nomination “study and history of art” (2019).
    The photo exhibition “Lockdown Spring in Kropyvnytskyi” was an impromptu as well asa sudden lockdown. It was organized by Ihor Demchuk and the museum. The exhibition is not simply a documentation of the events but a herald of the victory of the best human features – kindness, sincerity, faith, and optimism.