Theme photo exhibition "Stop and admire" is exposed in commemoration of the 145th anniversary of Elisavetgrad architect Jakov Pauchenko. The exhibition presents colour art photographs of architectural buildings constructed on the J.V.Pauchenko's projects.
   Pauchenko Jakov Vasilevich was born on March 21, 1866 in Elisavetgrad. He received his first art education at Evening Drawing Classes under Elisavetgrad real school. J.Pauchenko graduated from the School of painting, sculpture and architecture of Moscow Art Society.
   Jakov Pauchenko is one of the architects, who created the unique modern architectural ensembles of the historic city centre of Elisavetgrad. Not for nothing, Regional Award in architecture, heraldy and decorative and applied arts was named after him. The Award was founded in 2002.
   St. Anna's Hospital of the Red Cross (now - Municipal Kirovograd hospital № 2), Golidenberg's electric-water-hospital (now - Municipal Kirovograd hospital № 3), Doctor Vaysenberg's house (now - building of Regional Administration of public health), Doctor Meytus's house (now - Kirovograd G.Neuhaus children's music school), International Credit Bank (17 Lenin Str.), Gostinniy courtyard (now - the building of Security Service of Ukraine), theatre "Illusion" (now - School of Arts), many private houses were built on J.Pauchenko's projects.
   In total J.Pauchenko created more than 20 recorded objects and it's only for 48 years of life. Elisavetgrad newspaper "The voice of South" wrote in 1914: "… a number of buildings created by him, point to his talent as an architect… He was the first to give examples of artistic architecture in our town, and it is his undoubted merit…"
   Jakov Vasiljevich did his best to introduce a spirit of culture and art into provincial town, and his own house (built on the basis of J.Pauchenko's project in 1899, now - Art-Memorial Museum of A.A.Osmerkin) was a base for it. This building had become architect's unique landmark; it is a highly professional example of unification of the leading architecture styles of that time - "brick" and "neo-Russian". The house not only reflected the nature of his creator, moreover it embodied high essence of art - a freedom to choose. Musical and theatrical evenings took place there; projects of future architectural buildings were created in the same house. J.V.Pauchenko's nephew Sasha (future famous painter, professor of art Alexander Alexandrovich Osmerkin) was raised in this atmosphere.
   Jakov Pauchenko died on October 29, 1914 and was buried in Petropavlovskoe graveyard, which does not exists at present. J.Pauchenko's grave had vanished under foundations of new buildings, but his town - in which we live - remained.
   So, the photovernisage "Stop and admire" is, somehow, an invitation to take a walk around the city of Jakov Pauchenko, escaping for a moment from our transient and fussy life, in order to admire wonderful architectural works, enjoy splendid ornaments of the buildings and feel tincture of the past centuries.
   Exhibited photographs are made by Igor Demchuk, a member of the National Union of photoartists and journalists of Ukraine. Photographs in original author's interpretation vividly show style peculiarities fo J.V.Pauchenko's architectural works, underline his creative style, which is characterized by restriction united with a special sense of monumentality, special attitude to architectural detail, preservation of art language principles of the epoch.
   Sense of special "music of stone", potential of photostandard and original exposition search are organically united in Igor Demchuk's photographs, as eclectic and modern historic reminiscences in Jakov Pauchenko's works.
   Carving the fragments of architecture from space of commonness, art photographer Igor Demchuk set us stop and think - what is our modern move into the future, and he makes us realize our attitude to native town, love it and wish to make it beautiful.