The Kharkiv School of Photography – in pictures

The Kharkiv School of Photography evolved from the late 1960s to 2010s in the industrial and educational centre in eastern Ukraine, notable for a sensitivity towards experimenting with the photographic image, and reflections on the social and political reality of the Soviet and post-Soviet eras.

Heavily bombed by the Russian army, several photographers of the group still remain in Kharkiv, as others managed to escape leaving their archives behind. An operation to preserve these documents is ongoing

Main image: Alternative, 1985. Photograph: Evgeniy Pavlov/Alexandra de Viveiros Gallery

  • Ukraine-Russia/Volleyball, 1992

    Viktor Kochetov creates work with his son Sergiy. They are well-known for hand-colouring black and white prints in the tradition of luriki — enlarged, retouched and often tinted photographic portraits.
    Ukraine-Russia/Volleyball, 1992

  • Working Woman, 1978

    A large number of prints in the works are single or double panoramas featuring sceneries of Kharkiv, its outskirts and other locations to which the photographers were sent on assignments.
    Working Woman, 1978

  • Healing Muds, 2008

    A young Ukrainian photographer currently living in Germany, Sergiy Lebedynskyy founded the group Shilo in 2010 with Vladyslav Krasnoshchok, Vadim Trykoz and Oleksiy Sobolev.
    Healing Muds, 2008

  • Healing Muds, 2012

    A curator and collector, Lebedynskyy’s collection became the core of the Museum of Kharkiv School of Photography (Moksop) founded in 2018.
    Healing Muds, 2012

  • Untitled, c. 1995

    An active participant of exhibitions since the late 1980s, Sergiy Solonsky drew the public’s attention with his collages in the Bestiary series. Solonsky’s compositions develop the principle of ‘module collage’, which is based on creating an image by repeating one and the same element.
    Untitled, c.1995

  • Untitled, 2010-2018

    From the Bolnichka series. Bolnichka is a diminutive form of Russian bolnitsa (hospital). A maxillofacial surgeon in the Kharkiv state emergency hospital, Vladyslav Krasnoshchok was first drawn by the idea of chronicling routine life of colleagues as a part of his own story.
    Untitled, 2010-2018

  • Untitled, 2010-2018

    From the Bolnichka series. Lasting for 10 years, the series expanded into a candid narration about the underside of the artist’s native city he was pretty familiar with, having stitched thousands of traumas after fights or accidents.
    Untitled, 2010-2018

  • Untitled, 1985-1988

    From the Archival series. Evgeniy Pavlov is one of the founders of the Kharkiv School of Photography.
    Untitled, 1985-1988

  • Untitled, 1985-1988

    From the Archival series. Pavlov experimented with a wide range of techniques – from colour slides and overlays to collages and hand-colouring.
    Untitled, 1985-1988

  • Untitled, 1985-1988

    From the Archival series.
    Untitled, 1985-1988

  • Witches’ Sabbath, 1988

    Part of a group show of artists belonging to the Kharkiv School of Photography. Roman Pyatkovka’s erotic scenes hidden in the interiors of Kharkivian kommunalkas (community apartments), refer to a thirst for escape and freedom.
    Witches’ Sabbath, 1988

  • Alternative, 1985

    From the Montages series.
    Alternative, 1985
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