The exhibition “Velyka Perspektyvna Str. – from St.Elisaveta fortress to Guardian Angel of the town” is a result of mutual work of the museum and a well-known Kirovohrad photo journalist Ihor Demchuk within the framework of an art project “At the crossroads of Elisavethrad - Kirovohrad” initiated by the museum to the Town Day. The project is aimed at presentation of Kirovohrad streets in photographs showing succession of the language of architecture from the town foundation to the present as an indissoluble history of formation of an integral urban environment recreating life of inhabitants and guests of the town in order to awake interest to our past.
   Demchuk Ihor Mykolaiovych – a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (1993), the National Union of Photo Artists of Ukraine(2005), laureateofthe Award named after V.Vynnychenko of the regional newspaper “Narodneslovo”(1999) and of Regional Journalism Award in the nomination “photo journalism”(2005), awarded Gold medal of Ukrainian Journalism (2010). Born 1962 in Brody, Lviv region. Graduated from Lviv State University named after I.Franko, the Department of Journalism (1984). Worked as a photo correspondent of TARS-RATAU, Ukrinform in Kirovohrad region (1984-1995), since 1995 – photo correspondent, special correspondent of the regional newspaper “NarodneSlovo”. A participant of all-Ukrainian and regional photo exhibitions. Such photo exhibitions as “Stop and admire” to the 145th anniversary of Elisavetgrad architect Ya.Pauchenko (2011) and “Dvortsova Street – the past and the present” (2014) within the framework of a museum art project “At the crossroads of Elisavetgrad – Kirovograd” to the 260th anniversary of the town, were shown at O.O.Osmerkin Art-Memorial Museum.
   Velyka Perspektyvna Str. had different names – at first Moskovska-Perspektyvna, during times of military settlements – Mykolaivskyi Ave, since 1860s VelykaPerspektyvna, during Soviet times – Karl Marks Str. In 2011 by the decision of Kirovohrad Town Council the street was given back its historical title. In fact, traffic was set by St.Elisavets fortress – a unique fortification building of XVII century, which is included to the List of cultural heritage of Ukraine, where now a Memorial complex Fortress rampart is situated. There is also a huge pantheon to the fallen in the World War II and Alley of fame to servicemen dead in war zone of antiterrorist operation, which was opened in 2015.
   In 2004 the street was crowned by a monument to Guardian Angel of Ukraine – a memorial to the 2000th Nativity of Christ and 250th anniversary of the town. In 2014 the memorial was supplemented by the church of Annunciation. Together they form Independence Square where VelykaPerspektyvna Str. takes its start.
   According to the needs oftime the street suffered various alterations. Classicism and neobarokko Soviet Empire and constructivism, which grew into a modern hi-tech, have created a unique fusion of history and culture of architectural thought over two centuries.
   In the author’s works of Ihor Demchuk VelykaPerspektyvna Str. is presented as an image of the future hope, as a world where our contemporaries preserving achievements of the past, searching for the way out of complicated labyrinths of the history, are creating new Ukraine.
   The exposition of the exhibition also shows format photo installations-collages of town sceneries of the streets of different years, beginning with the early XX century, Soviet construction, Nazi occupation, socialist 1960s – 1980s and till the present. The collages were made by Merited Artist of Ukraine A.Nadezhdin. The collages are special emotional emphasis which helps a viewer to make a journey through time and feel an interesting history of one of the central town streets.