Famous Ukrainian cameraman, Yuri Harmash, about some similarities of Maidan, Armenia and Ukraine Famous Ukrainian cameraman, Yuri Harmash, (in the photo) is also an active citizen, he believes that the intelligent person should be next to the people. In the conversation with “Aravot”, referring to the so-called “pocket” intelligent persons, our interlocutor said, “Unfortunately, this disease, more precisely, malignant neoplasm, is everywhere, including in Ukraine. These rudiments that are the peculiarities of the Soviet power are still ongoing. Nomenclatures, and subservience exists everywhere, I do not even want to talk about it.” During our conversation, there was a reference to the Ukrainian Maidan, and Yury Harmash is the author of documentary. He had photographed more than 5000 photos, in his own words, passed virtually the entire Maidan. “A lot of people think that Maidan is just tents … Actually, Maidan is the spirit of the people. After the Orange Revolution, everything ended a kind of inglorious, I will not detail why, and for what reason. That’s another topic. I did not believe that the people would again unite as one and would stand up. I cannot say that I’ve been too Maidan activist, but as a photographer, I have passed the entire Maidan, and have watched all the speeches, I have made 500 photos of Maidan. When I find a sponsor, I will publish the album. By the way, when an exhibition of 50 best Maidan photos was opened in Kiev, my photo was one of these 50,” mentioned Mr. Harmash. He also added that the photo is now with Paulo Coelho. “I am happy that Maidan happened. Of course, now it does not exist, it could not be forever as a natural phenomenon, but ideologically, it continues in the hearts of Ukrainian people. We believe that we will win. Now I pray to God that Russia does not make its troops enter Ukraine. Ukraine can solve its own problems independently. Ultimately, we won the oligarchs and corruption, which so extended, from which it is impossible to get rid of in one to two days, months, and years. Corruption is deeply rooted in us, especially in our legal and governance systems. We are fighting, it’s encouraging, and the lie that Russian mass media divulge is just incredible. A lot of things has happened in my eyes, I have heard with my ears, but everything is presented differently in Russian media news. I am trying not to watch Russian channels. Now I’m in Yerevan, I do not understand Armenian, and I have to watch Russian channels. When I turn on Russian 24, or “Rossia Planeta” channels, I feel sad. How zombie are the Russians and southeastern Ukrainians … Not to speak about impartiality. Although, our media are also to blame, we lost the information field. I communicated with a lot of Armenians during the days of “Golden Apricot” film festival, it was pleasant that everyone understands what has happened to us. Do you remember our young pilot woman, who was taken captive by the militants? She did not betray the homeland, and did not reveal any secret. The whole world has seen this video, but the Russians claim that she did not have a passport, and has become a cause for the death of a Russian journalist. While everyone knows that the Russian Channel One operator, Anatoly Klyan, was shot dead not by a gunfire, but the heart attack. Ukraine has also declared that it ensures the safety of accredited journalists working in combat operation site. In the morning, I read on the internet that the terrorists were firing in the direction of Russia and it is presented that they are our troops. I am surprised at the world community, we substantiate by the facts that they are not our troops,” resents the famous cameraman. He had prepared a unique huge poster, the entire Maidan was “collected” in the form of mosaic on Taras Shevchenko’s portrait. It was handing in the site of operations during the days of Maidan. Our interlocutor, being a staging cameraman at Dovjenko Film Studio since 1972, filmed more than 20 feature films and over 30 television movies, in addition to active photography, he also teaches at the Operating Department of University of Culture in Kiev. Talking about his teaching principles, Yuri Harmash noted there are two key moments for photographer and video-operator, one is technical, and the other is creative, you cannot teach creating, but it is possible to “train” the technical part, although now, the electronics is “thinking” instead of a man. Harmash is eager for his students to first and foremost study the masterpieces and high values of the world film, music, fine arts and other fields. He says that Maidan has been a wonderful school for them in terms of photographic practice. As a lecturer, for the sake of security, he had asked the youth to refrain from working there, but the students, in secret from Yuri Harmash, have taken wonderful photographs in Maidan. The famous filmmaker is proud of it also. The filmmaker regrets that the old is not preserved both in Ukraine, as well as in Yerevan, the historic buildings were sacrificed to elite new buildings. We also talked about the creative unions. He also says that they are Stalin period structures. He believes that the Ukrainian film union has not yet exhausted itself. Its Cinema House is a place for meetings and discussions, and supporting one another, whereas their Writers’ Union is in death agony. Gohar HAKOBYAN Photo from Yuri Harmash’s Facebook page
