Catch The Hero

I hail from a small, provincial city in Ukraine and was raised amidst the final years of the Soviet era. This period played a significant role in my pursuit of identity, with varying ideals clashing visually and leaving a lasting impact on my psyche.

This project examines themes of layering divergent ideals and their subsequent loss. I am studying the archetypical personas of the bygone era and attempting to reimagine them with the lost utopian meanings.

I emulate the idealistic characters of my childhood and attempt to envision myself in these invented roles in the present day. However, these personas no longer hold any sway as it is now only a mental exercise.

It seems reminiscent of a hero’s game: This account reveals the journey of an inner hero attempting to navigate their way through the relics of the past and present, living in an era where history is disregarded and values are distorted.

Pavlo Borshchenko (1988) is an Ukrainian photographer currently based in Warsaw, Poland. Works with the theme of the Soviet heritage and its impact on post-Soviet society using the photography medium.