There is a new exhibition that has opened next to the Magnezit Cultural Center. It is called The Photo Studio of Oleg and Vera Panov – The World of Little Photographers, and is part of the outdoor exhibition cycle Satka: City Code.

The exhibits are photos taken as part of studio classes as well as photos showing various themes such as landscapes, people on the streets, animals, kids playgrounds and sports training grounds, mass celebration events, hidden parts of the town, and anything the photographers found interesting. 

This is the first serious exhibition experience for the pupils of the studio, aged 13 to 19. Some of them started doing photography quite recently while others have had this hobby for some years. But each of them has participated in various competitions already, such as the contests “The Photocross”, “The Strategy of Choice”, “The Portrait with Artificial Light” as well as “A Fascinating Portrait of the Native Land”, a contest organized by the Magnezit Museum and the Satka District Development Assistance Fund, etc. 

‘Despite their young age, the girls catch the emotions of adults and children and convey their moods in a not immature way. Every frame has a clear composition as if made by a professional artist. The photographers that took the pictures know how to make natural colors serve their goals, enhancing emotions through the color palette,’ maintains Diana Gurova, the supervisor for the exhibition project Satka: City Code. – Vera and Oleg Panov are opening the world of photography to children, helping their potential to manifest itself, helping them express and fulfill themselves by exploring forms of art that are new to them, see the world in a whole new way and, of course, find new friends. 

Visitors to the exhibition will also learn that the photo studio came into existence back in 2018 by pure accident. There was a photography school at the Raduga Supplementary Education Center for Children. The school was near closure because the teacher chose another career. The director of the center suggested that Oleg and Vera start teaching classes to the kids. 

‘Teaching our profession to kids was new to us, photographers with many years of experience. But when we learned that, because of their teacher’s leaving, the kids, who loved photography, would no longer be able to continue with the classes they enjoyed so much, Oleg and Vera decided to give it a try and undertook this important mission by opening a photo studio where the pupils and the teachers later became one family,’ Diana continues. ‘The loving mentors are always with their pupils. They are always ready to support the kids’ artistic ardor, explain their mistakes to them, and give some advice. The atmosphere during classes is always most friendly, allowing both serious discussions and friendly jokes. The studio has become an important part in the lives of Oleg and Vera. 

‘Working with kids gives you a better understanding of how different we are in how we feel and see things, how different our personalities, our pace of life, our tastes and other things are. We, the teachers, learn a lot from our pupils. Simplicity, spontaneity... We have a family here rather than a school. We are learning together, talking about photography, playing, celebrating holidays and birthdays, having tea... We are friends,’ Oleg and Vera say. ‘Besides, the main thing for us is seeing each kid's talent grow and develop. This means so much: we can feel that we pass on something important, necessary and useful and that we give the kids a part of ourselves. And this pays off. The hardest thing of all is to let them go when they leave here to study in other cities. We hug every time they come for holidays and visit our studio. Then we are together again: delighted to see them, to reminisce together, to know of their new events and victories and, of course, to see their photos!

By the way, we get to explore the world of the little photographers through quotes of the young artists as well as through their photos. This part of the exhibition is a real surprise to the girls since they didn’t know why their teachers had them fill in a questionnaire form once during class, asking them to answer questions focused on thoughts, goals and dreams of the young photographers. Every kid’s message has touching memories, serious plans for the future, romantic moods, and, what’s the most important, they reveal the kid’s inner world, which is talented and filled with light and happiness.

Source: Magnezitovets. Photo by Vasily Maksimov.