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http://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh202227376

Published on-line: 30 April 2022

The Filatov’s Palette

Iu. M. Zukhina, Head of the V.P. Filatov's Museum

 

TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Zukhina IuM. The Filatov’s Palette. J.ophthalmol.(Ukraine).2022;2:73-76.  http://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh202227376

We hope that for our readers a new section, The Filatov’s Palette, will become a source of new knowledge that will facilitate findings of the wonderful aspects of Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov’s personality, and enable enjoying the atmosphere of relationships between the persons that were influencing in some way the formation of his life line.

While paying homage to forerunners and pioneers, we believe it is appropriate or necessary to let the journal cover the circumstances and events related also to our contemporaries who are guided by the examples of Filatov’s closest colleagues while trying to multiply their original talents.

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I began painting at the age of forty. Certainly, I could become a painter … It doesn’t mean that I could become a great painter, but it means, without a doubt, that I could transfer all my feelings to painting.

There is a famous saying of Kozma Prutkov, ‘one cannot embrace the unembraceable’, and it is likely that I was quite right in having given my life to medicine.

I, however, do not know what I could do with science without painting …

The time that I have spent for art and especially for painting was not spent in vain, but was rewarded with comforting my psyche and improving my general condition and mental attitude.  

Painting and poetry were a factor for my research; I was getting joyful and cheerful for me impressions from wherever I could…

It was not uncommon that I was solving some science problems by painting visual images for myself …

V.P. Filatov

Our ophthalmological journal was established by an initiative and efforts from Academician V.P. Filatov, and it is likely that the epigraph of this article will be a surprising finding for our readers.

Many visitors of the Filatov’s memorial museum begin making an intimate acquaintance with his personality by being asked a question: 

“What do you know about Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov?”

And most of them respond similarly to each other:

“Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov was a world famous ophthalmologist”.

This is certainly true, but I would like every visitor to find out that V.P. Filatov was not only an outstanding scientist, researcher, religious and public figure, but also a talented painter, poet, prose writer and musician…

It is very important that his life sets an example that can encourage also our contemporaries to make new advances.

 

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“Would you like to listen to my new verse that I wrote this morning?” Iryna Leonidovna Tret’iachenko, who has come for treatment from the town of Vilnogorsk, Dnipropetrovsk region, asked in a low voice. 

“Certainly! Why would you like to read this verse?”

“Actually, I have written many verses, because I do this every day on the request of Iurii, a friend of mine. Then I read this verse to him by phone. For some time I felt myself depressed, and Iurii understood it even remotely. His friendly pieces of advice about writing verses helped me to regain almost forgotten confidence and peace of mind.

And it is at the museum dedicated to V.P. Filatov, a person of many talents and many interests that I would like to read my today’s verse before reading it to Iurii.”

Sun in my eyes

Early in the morning I see the sun,

Although the sky is cloudy

And the rain is hitting the window,

The sun is in my eyes.

I switch on the light in my soul,

And I’m not afraid of being wasteful,

I spill happiness and joy,

And make fun of fear.

An envious person cannot stop saying:

“Oh, her life is so easy!”

His hatred eats him from inside,

While goodness brings life!

Take a new day as a gift,

And meet it with a smile,

Open your heart to happiness,

Today you are a super star!

Therefore, we, the listeners, not only have heard a touching verse, but subsequently have found out an amazing history of Iurii Shapoval, a young man from the town of Vilnogorsk, Dnipropetrovsk region.

He used to be a bodyguard, but has lost his vision due to excessive physical exercises and over-training in weight-lifting and wrestling.

Iurii not only does not give himself up to despair, but also gives moral support to people in dire straits, particularly to those with serious health problems. His voice never makes you feeling blue. A person feeling himself depressed may be advised to call Iurii to become charged with positive emotions.

One should just listen to the brave man’s story about his recent mountain hiking!

He also happily tells about doing sports, e.g., boxing.

Iurii also told us another amazing story about Natalia Loginova, a young painter from the town of Vatutine, Cherkassy region, who paints but practically, cannot see a world around her.

Not only Iurii has suggested us to get acquainted with Natalia’s paintings, but also asked how he could help her if the painter’s dream of an exhibition became a reality.

He even asked how many frames for paintings, what frame dimensions and how much money for these frames will be required for this purpose, because he wanted to pay for these frames from his disabled person’s pension.

Certainly, this could not leave anybody cold.

Natalia Volodymyrivna Pasyechnikova, Director of The Filatov Institute, President of the Ukrainian Society of Ophthalmologists, Corresponding Member of NAMS of Ukraine, Dr Sc (Med), Professor, Honored Doctor of Ukraine, got acquainted with paintings by the talented artist, and offered her full support for organizing an exhibition and publishing these paintings.

Later it was found that the head of the institute and the painter shared the same name.

With regard to the name (Natalia): the Church of Saints Paul and Nataliia (now the Church of Saints Adrian and Natalia) located besides the school for blind people at the Frantsuzkyi Boulevard was consecrated in early 20th century, and Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov was a parishioner of this church.

And recently, a new Church of Saints Volodymyr and Liudmyla located besides the Filatov institute (including the Memorial Museum) has been consecrated.

Curative bell chime is heard over the Frantsuzkyi Boulevard …

With regard to the patronymic (Volodymyrivna), as they say, this demands a great responsibility for personal activity, especially at the institute named after Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov.

We believe that establishing a new section entitled The Filatov’s Palette will continue the traditions preserved by an entire constellation of Filatov institute’s scientists like Valerii Victorivych Vit, Stanislav Andriiovych Iakymenko, Nadiia Fedorivna Bobrova, Valentyna Grygorivna Golovchenko, Olga Viktorivna Tiagai and many other talented scientists, and we hope to tell our readers about them in the following issues of our journal.

This section is also devoted to Natalia Borysivna Kovalenko, a talented person with a sensitive soul whose years of efforts resulted in a new impetus to the museum activity focused on commemorating Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov. Nataliia Borysivna could not meet him in this life, but, when asked why it was the Filatov’s personality that had fascinated her, she used to reply:

“At one time Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov helped me very much, and he continues doing this now.”

A broad circle of social communication and personal experience give grounds for believing that the above opinion may be shared by other people.

It is symbolic that before passing away, Natalia Borysivna had a dream to publish a new book entitled ‘Pages in our history’ …

Therefore, with the aim of maintaining the traditions of our predecessors, we would like to add new pages (including those related to art) to this history …

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While looking at Natalia Loginova’s paintings, one may ask oneself: is it really possible so accurately to reproduce the colors of the world that you practically don’t see when you have a magnifying glass and a brush in your hands, and when you need to bend your head over the paper in such a way that you almost touch this paper with your nose?

When being jokingly said ‘what a wonderful nose you have, your pictures are so beautiful’, Natalia responds with an open-hearted smile; it seems that she never feels sad.

It is noteworthy that she has recently completed a course of art therapy, and is sincerely pleased to use her art, music and poetry skills, and helps other people who need moral support feeling themselves special.

Those who already have seen the art works by Natalia Loginova noted her nuanced approach to the perception of reality, which is reflected in her paintings. Her art works are filled with not only external light, but also with inward Light. This was said by not only distinguished and experienced art professionals, but also amateur painters.

All of them were united in their desire to make the paintings by Natalia Loginova open to wide public.

Mykola Mytrophanovych Vylkun, Honored Artist of Ukraine, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, and an old friend of the Filatov’s museum:

“I really like her landscapes; they are filled with light and joys of life. Paintings by Natalia Loginova have a correct and natural illumination. Natalia’s works have accents and a foreground, the artist uses a correct formula, with every square centimeter of the pictures thoroughly worked on. These works contain interesting coloristic fusions filled with optimism. The main thing is that the painter has her own style, which is especially important, because almost all painters strive to find a personal style, but, unfortunately, not everyone succeeds in this endeavor”.

Galyna Illivna Korol, a costume designer:

“A variety of colors and light in each painting are the main features of Natalia Loginova’s art works, which enable to compose a portrait of this optimistic person. It is as if Natalia’s paintings are nurtured. They express amazing feminity, lucidity, and nuanced light sense”. 

Valerii Pavlovych Garia, designer and painter, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine:

“Natalia Loginova has found her unique art style. Each picture of this talented painter expresses originality and has an individual logic. What the painter transmits is a special intact state existing in her ideas; she invites us to visit her world apart. Natalia composes plots which are not repeatable and cause a feeling of harmony and our sincere response. The components of the picture of the nature are the same as real components, but their state is very special, and, what is most important is that they are primeval. Her pictures cannot be confused with those of other artists”.

Viacheslav Mykhailovych Lirnyk, musician and amateur painter:

“The painting output of Natalia Loginova has folk roots and is like a world of colors breaking through. Her perception of surrounding reality is festive, lively and exciting, and the pictures reflect the painter’s amazing inner world, ideas, and hopes. Viewers of the pictures by Natalia Loginova noted that these art works had a therapeutic effect on them and that they would like to see her pictures at home or at work, not only hanged on walls, but also placed near computers and have them published in a desk calendar, notebook, etc”.

We would also like to share with our readers the information on the international exhibition that took place in Paris in 1954. Even Pablo Picasso was not left indifferent by the artworks by an idiosyncratic painter, Kateryna Bilokur, which were exhibited there. Let us hope that it will be possible to relate his below words also to Natalia Loginova, a talented painter: ‘If we had a painter of such mastery, we would make the entire world talk about her’.

Certainly, a popular quotation by V.P. Filatov, “Everyone should see the sun”, has a much wider meaning than the capability of a person to see the surrounding environment. It is likely that V.P. Filatov implied also the Inward light that a human being needs so much.

This is confirmed by the life stories of our heroes.

 

P.S. We would be grateful to our readers who work or worked at the Filatov institute for the comments and data (e.g., those from family archives) associated with Academician Volodymyr Petrovych Filatov, to add colors to the Filatov’s Palette.