Zaborowski Gate (St. Sophia) 1991

Editor: Here we have Yuriy Khymych's "Zaborowski Gate (St. Sophia)," painted in 1991 using oil paints. I’m really drawn to the almost dreamlike quality of this cityscape; it feels historical yet slightly ethereal. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: The first thing that strikes me is how Khymych invites a sense of almost melancholic nostalgia. It’s as if he is conjuring not just the physical space of the gate and the St. Sophia Cathedral, but the echoes of memory embedded in that space. Those softly rendered blues and golds hint at fading grandeur, wouldn’t you say? What about the dark, skeletal tree branches weaving through the composition? Editor: Yes, they frame the scene in an almost haunting way, and add to that feeling! The stark branches make the ornate detail of the gate pop. Curator: Precisely! It is like time is both suspended and flowing, much like a poignant melody stuck in one's mind. It also strikes me as commentary on Ukraine's journey of reclaiming its cultural identity post-Soviet era, using memory and its tangible architectural past. Doesn't it make you think about the power of places we attach memory to? Editor: I hadn’t considered that aspect of reclaiming identity. That’s really insightful. It does make you think about personal connection to physical spaces, especially historical ones. Curator: And perhaps, isn’t that what Khymych invites us to do? To reflect on how memory, place, and identity entwine and color how we perceive and feel the present? Editor: I see it now! It is more than just pretty buildings; there’s real depth in how the painting evokes something more profound. Curator: Absolutely. It has been said, after all, that all great art contains two things: the vision of an ideal world, and the means to make it real.