Precise focus and a symbol of support: a German gift to Kyiv journalists

The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) handed over a new Japanese Canon camera to the Kyiv organization NUJU. The camera was provided by the German Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the Academy of Ukrainian Press, as a charitable donation.

How can this gift from the German government be considered practical or symbolic? Both practical and symbolic.

It would seem that one camera is essential for a public Union that unites more than 3,000 employees from radio, television, online media, and even more so when every journalist today has a modern smartphone for filming. However, no smartphone will provide such a set of high-quality characteristics for shooting as the modern Canon EOS R10 – a light, compact camera with an excellent autofocus system, extremely fast burst shooting, and high-quality 4K video recording. This is about the practical meaning of the gift.

As for the symbolism of the gift, it is no less significant. “A photojournalist in the editorial office is the most important person,” says Alla Maliienko, the first deputy head of the Kyiv organization of the NUJU, who received a camera. “No event will be sanctified without a photojournalist. Without a photo, the newspaper is “blind.”

At the presentation, which took place in the NUJU office, Alla Maliienko mentioned the names of renowned photojournalists in Ukraine and around the world, including Mykola Kozlovskyi, Boris Hradov, Iryna Pap, and Yakov Davidzon. She adds that the famous photo of Yurii Haharin, for which Borys Hradov “caught” the astronaut for a long time, has traveled around the world. And she assures that their colleagues today are no less ambitious, creative, and bright.

Presenting the gift to the Kyiv organization on behalf of the NUJU, Oleksandr Kharchenko, a member of the Union’s board, wished his colleagues precise focus, interesting angles, and creative ideas. There are always enough events for filming in the capital and an organization like the capital’s Union. Alla Maliienko summed up: “Through the camera lens, we say to the world: ‘Look! We exist! We are Ukrainians! We live and fight for the future! Ukraine will be free!”