Would-be Voters Who Will Decide Ukraine's Future Direction

Today is election day in Ukraine at a time when the President and his

Prime Minister, after a long period without an official government,

are going head to head in Parliamentary elections. Here is a group

of probable voters, at a rally for Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich

in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine a few days ago during a 'whistle-stop'

visit by the Prime Minister, who is widely regarded as encouraging

more relations with neighboring Russia and keeping Ukraine out of

NATO, while the opposing parties propose the opposite. Your ratings

and critiques are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly or

very critically, please submit a helpful and constructive comment;

please share your superior knowledge to help improve my photography.

Thanks! Enjoy! John

The unified expression of pride in these beautiful faces is so moving. This is a beautiful job. Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment. Valerie Savoie

These are the 'standins' who are at the front row; the Prime Minister may have been like Bush and stacked (at least the front ranks) with his supporters -- and he probably did. After all the centermost woman has campaign paraphernalia.

 

The Republicans would have done the same and kept all the counter-demonstrators 100 blocks away, and called it keeping with your right to 'petition your government for grievances'. How one anyone can make their 'petition' known when kept away from the leader is against everything I know and the law courses I took -- and of course post 9-11 security takes the blame, but if you have a t-shirt that quietly opposes the president you won't officially (there is a book about it in the hands of the Secret Service) be allowed anywhere near the president or even his eyesight. (the book's revelation was quite a story, as it involved not only the Secret Service but other law enforcement agencies across the country and is or was official US policy for sending all but Bush supporters away . . . far away, to a sort of 'protest Siberia' -- some official site for protesting that no one would discover by accident generally and certain to be far from the eyesight and earshot of anyone covering the President (Bush).

 

But then again, no one in this Ukrainian crowd raised his/her voice against the Prime Minister, who was government leader ending in 2004 when the 'Orange Revolution' resulted in ousting the government.

 

The Prime Minister has worked his way back into power, and today's election is to break a political stalemate that actually has had Ukraine running with a 'rump government' for several months, with the President (one leader of the 'Orange Revolution') having been opposed by his own Prime Minister, who was here at the rally.

 

Politics rears its ugly head, but again, no one protested or raised their voice-- this is a former Soviet republic and in neighboring Russia those who once raised their voices in dissent now have been silenced, and a few have met mysterious deaths -- in a recent case, Russia claimed a solution to a woman journalist's murder, saying those responsible were what the NY Times called 'the usual suspects'.

 

In that event, the murder of the woman journalist, the Russian officials announced it was Chechens (a breakaway Republic), and I think some others, but Western sources announced they were 'skeptical'.

 

But I have no opinion.

 

I just write what I read.

 

The person who got the most enthusiastic crowds for her campaign (I didn't see a personal appearance, but I was gone some time in the US), was Julia Timoshenko, the campaigner whom residents of Dnipropetrovsk kept telling me they favored, and attendance (and enthusiasm) at this particular rally was -- how to say -- thin and unenthusiastic, until the rock concert after the Prime Minister left, and the Prime Minister is not a 'born politician' with 'magnetic charm' either but has a rather wooden speaking style -- he's a guy who it is alleged gained his way to the top through the patronage of prominent people, but I cannot, again, vouch for that, as it's only what I read in an encyclopedia.

 

(How little I know, he could be a saint, though people tell me otherwise, but again, how am I to know . . . ?)

 

These 'babushkij' (plural for babushka -- old woman or grandmother) may not be as old as I, but I am mistaken for 20 years my junior by most people here, because men just don't live to be my age, on average, unless they're pretty weathered, old looking and grizzled. I'm not any of that, but I attribute that to a good life in the West, not to any miracle. (Westerners have a less hard time judging my age, though they underestimate it usually.)

 

And these old babushkij, even recently might have been stunners if they had moved at an early age to the West. When I was in my early '40s, my girlfriend was in her mid-50s and she looked (and acted) great; I never had any regrets because of her age, which I never officially knew (or really cared about).

 

That I now go with younger women because in this country the old women all look aged, fat and or kind of pudgy and grandmotherly, although there are exceptions, and some wonderful ones.

 

Julia Timoshenko, one of the Prime Minister's main opponents for votes looks like the model/actress she once was -- a look that could be trademarked with her head circled atop by braids (and a friend tells me the makeup troweled on).

 

But I have to hand it to the Ukrainians, after just returning from a walk down their equivalent of NYC's Fifth Ave., (Kreschatyk Street) on the night of the election, there was only a handful of people talking politics, and the rest of the entire night's fair weather crowd was devoted to a Sunday outing strolling down Ukraine's prettiest (and widest) street, with traffic blocked for the weekend as usual and an esplanade at once side as wide as the eight-lane street, just for pedestrians and all pretty much filled with people who seemed particularly disinterested in politics and not one demonstration of any kind at all (and there have been in the past some huge ones -- see my photos).

 

No one seemed to have the election on their mind, except for the 'usual suspects' gathered at one corner of a main park, but even after arguing loudly, they shook hands -- a good sign, for them and for Ukraine.

 

In fact, at this writing, things seem to be looking up for Ukraine, and slowly have been for a long time, and the only question now really is how or whether the government will be accused seriously of corruption and whether its government will lean toward the West and NATO or the East and Putin's anti-NATO policies.

 

Whatever they do, it has been so far a good day for democracy in Ukraine.

 

(probably more than you wanted to know, but then I'm 'on the scene' here in Ukraine where events in the recent past toppled their fractious government, and the government is just emerging from a crisis of leadership vacuum, because it has been operating outside its charter -- no valid elections and no parliament validly elected until today and the government operating by compromise agreement.

 

So, that's the way it is this Sunday, 9-30-07 in Kiev, Ukraine.

 

(Your comment suggested that others might be interested in the 'outcome' for democracy in Ukraine, which these women symbolize--thanks so much for commenting.)

 

John (Crosley)

As of just after midnight, in this plurality race for control of Ukraine, this candidate, Viktor Yanukovich's party seems clearly to be ahead with 38% of the vote -- it would take more than a casual coalition of opposing parties (which is doubtful) to defeat this Prime Minister's parliament from taking control of the country. It looks probably that Ukraine will drift more into Russia's influence, if so, and out of the present reach of NATO.

 

Part of this had its origin in Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, putting the clamps on it's 'brother's' natural gas supply which petroleum poor Ukraine uses to heat itself in the winter on January 1, 2006, raising the wholesale prices on gas through Ukraine on one day by more than 200%, as I recall.

 

The message was that if Ukraine were not in Russia' sphere of influence, then the Ukrainians could just 'cut bait'. If they weren't Russia's partner (its then leader having announced and proposed Ukrainian membership in NATO while being on Russia's doorstep, this set alarm bells off in Moscow.

 

Moscow didn't like the idea of an 'Orange Revolution' -- what country that has lost more men in World War I and World War II than any other country to think when a President as stubborn as George Bush decides he's going to promote new missile installations in Eastern Europe at a time of detente, while announcing they're to defend Europe/the USA against Iranian missiles . . . which don't yet exist, it's agreed.

 

Russia is separated by no natural barriers from invasion by other lands, and its nuclear deterrent prevents anyone from messing with them. But Putin, a former KGB (FSB) leader, being presumably a patriotic Russian and responsible for Russia' security against any future problems, and knowing Russia is one day going to be a rich nation based on its world leading petroleum reserves, wants to make sure its neighbors (Ukraine for instance) are in its sphere of influence. If I were a leader, I'd want that too.

 

It appears so far that this election was free -- I don't speak Ukrainian/Russian, but walking on Kiev's main street with a native revealed almost NO discussion at all about politics on this, the election day.

 

The leader of the 'Orange Revolution' governed what some say was ineptly and others charge corruptly, despite promises to the contrary, but this is beyond my ken; I do know that the leading (plurality winning) party took advantage of dislike for the present President and his influence with pro-Western leanings, though America is immensely popular in general with Ukraine (or to say, Americans are immensely popular, whether or not they like the country, USA).

 

Although it has been charged that Yanukovich was a criminal (he disputes this claiming, I am told, claiming an aquittal for which paper documentation is scarce), and others have charged (see Wikipedia) that he came to power through powerful patronage, the country grew rapidly during his leadership, ending in 2004 with the 'Orange Revolution' and has been a little (not a lot, but a little), more stagnant since then. Corruption charges also were made during his last leadership, but then Ukraine suffers from the Soviet/Russian disease -- a culture that is based on taking what you can and when you can, including bribes that are common to traffic policemen as well even as public school and university teachers (to buy grades, something that is widely known, publicly acknowledge and efforts even are under way to 'legitimize' that practice (buying grades).

 

Imagine, in the USA, buying an A for all your courses, then applying to Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale.

 

If anybody found out, you'd end up in jail; in Ukraine I am told by students it is common practice, since professors hold futures in their hands and are paid so poorly.

 

But I had a Russian wife before brain cancer came, and she told me that everybody steals from everybody else to pay back their best friend who lent them the money last winter so they didn't starve to death.

 

Such things as corruption and even thievery are somewhat relative when starvation (literally) comes knocking at the door, it seems.

 

There are many familes in Russia and Ukraine which exist in lean times on a sack of potatoes, and when summer comes, dachas are so popular (unheated usually) as vacation homes because they provide an opportunity in almost all cases to grow a vast amount of vegetables, including potatoes . . . and those vegetables include many hardy variteis that will keep into winter when other pickings are slim (I've lived with such people, and it's potatoes three meals a day, with a little onion. . . . And as one in-law told me in Russia, 'meat is for holidays' though large amounts are on supermarket shelves (usually as sausages or deli items such as pre-cooked cutlets, all of which presently are too expensive for the less rich Russian/Ukrainian citizenry.

 

It's just that meat is too expensive for the poorercitizens -- Russia has grown greatly recently (more than Ukraine) in its wealth, but inflation has robbed poorer people of buying power even as they get larger salaries and pensions.

 

Makes one respect the US Federal Reserve, the primary mission of which is to keep inflation in check as well as ensure an orderly national (US) money supply.

 

John (Crosley)

A marvelous portrait of a true supporter. Her attentive posture, fixed eyes full of gleaming hope and slightly open mouth as if validating what she hears with a "yes" contribute to the optimistic mood of this composition. This is brilliant John. Congratulations!

This is a surprise ratings hit.

 

I don't rate it as highly as others, but intellectually I can understand why it rates so highly -- the seven or so faces and sets of eyeballs, plus my getting low and taking such a photo from a low perspective, plus the seriousness of the prospective voters -- with whom the candidate had 'packed the house' (front row only)

 

In reality, though Yanukovich, the candidate got the plurality, I understand the rest of the factions have or will form a coalition so he does NOT have power -- a big surprise to me.

 

And it turns out that the model-actress and very beautiful but now aging Julia Timoshenko who is very popular hereabouts is a native daughter of Dnipropetrovsk, and people like her very much, but say bad things about her husband, who people think is not so honest as she. . . . but there were bad things also said about her, and I have no way of knowing the truth -- Yanukovich was said to have been arrested and convicted of assault and robbery in times past, but he claims acquittal, but couldn't produce the paperwork . . . . mysteriously.

 

 

The Kyiv Post said he suffered from a 'thug image' that he couldn't shed, but he's very popular along the Russian border where there are more Russians than Ukrainians, and here in the center, it's mixed, and racially mixed with my models often having Russian mothers/fathers and a Ukrainian other parent, AND I usually can tell from looking at their faces who are 'pure' Ukrainian and who are mixed parentage --it surprises them because often their friends cannot tell the difference. Around here, Russian is spoken, but in Western Ukraine, Ukraine is spoken or at least vehemently promoted by many.

 

So, it looks, unlike what I wrote above, that this woman and her cohorts voted for the man who LOST the election, but I'm a week out of date on the news (novosti), so anything is possible. In any case, I take no sides.

 

I'm even an admirer of the local militia (cops) who people tell me are corrupt, but they saved me from a big jackpot and treated me as visiting royalty, so I have no complaints. And they were SOOO worried about how a westerner would view them; -- little old me. They did something for me in a dangerous situation that earned special merit . . . contrary to what locals tell me about them (and cops all over Ukraine). Cops generally are NOT someone people instinctivcely think of calling unless there's something really major, unlike so many of us in the US who were taught 'if you're lost, go to a policeman, he'll help you because police are our friends' but I didn't grow up in Oakland or South Central L.A., where other advice is given.

 

I don't know that 'brilliant' for this photo is the proper word; I'll accept it however, as I'm happy to receive a find compliment.

 

It's very good in color, also.

 

Thanks Adan W.

 

John (Crosley)

God knows I am far from being an expert when it comes to photography and I have yet to master the technical details. I will never comment on a photo's technicalities because it's best to keep your mouth shut if you don't know anything. But when it comes to how a picture subjectively engages me by connecting me to it then I will say something. The brilliance in this shot in my humble opinion is based in its palpable emotions. You feel for the characters here, especially for the woman right in front. People are listening and some seem to be smiling. You also add an element of mystery. There is someone holding a picture of the candidate but we cannot see his face because it's been cropped out. It's teasing because you play with our curiosity. The two ladies looking at you establishes a more personal link with this picture engaging the viewer further.

Good critical analysis.

 

The candidate's photo was cropped by the photographer when he took the photo -- intentionally cropped, as this was not about the candidate but about 'followers' (of almost anybody) . . . and his being cropped out in the viewfinder makes this more 'universal' which was planned.

 

John (Crosley)

beautiful image. Very good expression. Regards

Thanks for the compliment.

 

John