DENYS KRYVYI: FIGHTING FOR HIS UKRAINIAN LANDSCAPE

Ukrainian Jersey City, a non-profit organization supporting the people of Ukraine, announces the opening of the photography exhibition Denys Kryvyi: Fighting for His Ukrainian Landscape. The exhibition will feature stunning, rarely-seen images of Ukraine's nature and wildlife captured by photographer Denys Kryvyi.

A one-time fundraiser exhibit and PANEL DISCUSSION will occur on September 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C., at the Ukraine House and from September 23-25, 2024.

An award-winning naturalist photographer known for his work for National Geographic, Denys Kryvyi enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a volunteer in the early days of the war. In May 2023, he perished in battle near Bakhmut while rescuing a wounded comrade. To preserve his legacy, Kryvyi’s widow and founder of the SAYO foundation Halyna Volhyna has been sharing his art with the world.

Kryvyi’s photography shows Ukraine's natural beauty—from peaceful forests to flowing rivers—striking a sharp contrast with the images of war and destruction frequently seen in the news today.

"This exhibition is a poignant reminder of the personal sacrifices made by Denys and countless other talented Ukrainians who have fallen while defending their home. We invite everyone who cares about Ukraine's future, seeks peace and wants to understand the global impact of this devastating war to join us" says Oksana Condon, Co-founder of Ukrainian Jersey City.

The exhibition will include a panel discussion on the broader impact of the war, featuring insights from Penn State University scholars Calvin Norman and Catherine Wanner.

The conversation will highlight the far-reaching effects of the war, such as the destruction of the Kherson Dam and the fact that thirty percent of Ukraine's territory is contaminated by landmines, causing immense destruction to its natural habitat. The war also threatens Ukraine's agricultural output, a critical issue for global food supply since the country is a major exporter of farm products.

Denys Kryvyi: Fighting for His Ukrainian Landscape.

• Washington, D.C.
• September 23
• Ukraine House | 2134 Kalorama Rd NW, Washington, DC 20008
• Hours: 10-11:30 am

Contact:

Oksana Condon | www.ukrainainjc.com | 312-804-2645 | [email protected]

About Denys Kryvyi: Denys Kryvyii (Денис Кривий) was a Ukrainian nature photographer. He was born on October 19, 1988, in Cherniakhiv, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, and studied history at the Pervomaisky Institute of Mechnikov National University. Since 2013, he worked with National Geographic Ukraine.

Kryvyi specialized in landscape, animal and aerial photography. He received numerous national and international photography awards, including two FIAP Blue Ribbons—an honor awarded by the International Federation of Photographic Art for exceptional photographic achievements. He joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the summer of 2022 and was killed in action in Bakhmut on May 11, 2023.

About Ukrainian Jersey City: Founded in 2020, Ukrainian Jersey City promotes Ukrainian arts, culture, and community. Since the war’s outbreak, the organization has expanded to support Ukrainian refugees, orphanages, and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. For more information, please visit ukrainianjc.com.

About SAYO: SAYO is a humanitarian foundation dedicated to sharing Denys Kryvyi’s artwork and supporting relief efforts in Ukraine. Founded by his widow, Halyna Volhyna, SAYO continues to raise awareness and funds for Ukraine.

About the panelists:

Catherine Wanner is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History, Anthropology, and Religious Studies at Penn State University. Her research focuses on the politics of religion, conflict mediation, ecocide, and trauma healing. Her recent works include Everyday Religiosity and the Politics of Belonging in Ukraine (Cornell, 2022) and Dispossession: Anthropological Perspectives on Russia’s War Against Ukraine (Routledge, 2024). Wanner has received multiple accolades, including the Distinguished Scholar Prize from the Association for the Study of Eastern Christianity and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Association of Women in Slavic Studies. She is currently a Senior Advisor for the Religion and Inclusive Societies program at the United States Institute of Peace. She was the Petro Jacyk Distinguished Fellow at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute for 2023-24.

Calvin Norman is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Forestry at Penn State University. He focuses on forest management, wildlife, invasive species, climate change, and silviculture, and is a Certified Forester. He also works as a consulting forester. Originally from Wisconsin, Calvin earned his Master of Science from Clemson University, where he specialized in managing Chinese tallow trees, and his Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Wildlife Resources from Michigan Technological University.

Oksana Kukurudza (panel moderator) is a first-generation Ukrainian, a Ukraine advocate, and a finance professional supporting financial services companies in digital transformation. Her career includes public accounting at Deloitte & Touche in Boston, Torino, and Kyiv, followed by 22 years at Accenture, where she was a Managing Director specializing in post-merger integration and finance transformation. She is currently writing a narrative non-fiction book about her mother’s experiences as a forced laborer in Nazi Germany, titled A Sunflower Bends But Rarely Breaks.

Host or Publisher Ukrainian Jersey City