Kyiv artists, musicians get creative during coronavirus quarantine

On a warm day in March, Kyiv photographer Kate Kondratieva was looking through pictures on her phone, reminiscing about the good times, the times before coronavirus. She was in despair.

Kondratieva, 26, had her schedule packed with photo shoots. She spent much of her time at studios. But that was her life before the quarantine. Now, deprived of her main source of income, the photographer has to find new ways to keep working.

She came up with a new plan accidentally. Abruptly, she found a screenshot she had made during a video call with her friend. She noticed how beautifully the sunlight fell on his face.

Suddenly, Kondratieva realized she could launch a new type of photoshoot while staying at home — a virtual one, in which she would capture screenshots during video calls with clients.

The idea went viral. In about three weeks, Kondratieva had over 25 online photoshoots, mostly with people who had chosen to remain abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukrainian celebrities like music video director Alan Badoev and singers Ivan Dorn, Nadya Dorofeeva and Volodymyr Dantes.

“It’s a nice way to continue working under the new circumstances,” Kondratieva told the Kyiv Post. 

Quarantine and social distancing aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in thousands of photo shoots, exhibitions, concerts, parties, music shows and other events being cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

But Kondratieva and dozens of other Ukrainian artists and musicians have adjusted to the new reality and continued creating, but from home. 

Sudden changes 

The quarantine took most Ukrainian artists by surprise. Kondratieva was no exception. 

Working as a photographer for nearly seven years, she could not imagine her life without it. 

“As soon as the quarantine started, I decided that it was an opportunity to learn something new,” Kondratieva says.

For her, that desire to learn lasted for only five days. Then she started experiencing fear and despair. She wanted to continue being a photographer, but also realized that  “photography is not what people are thinking about during a crisis.” 

Luckily, she found a way out.

Now, Kondratieva says her schedule is even more packed than before the quarantine. She prepares for each photoshoot carefully: She asks clients to show her their locations, helps to pick up the most suitable clothes and tells them where to put their phone or laptop to get the best picture. 

“Before quarantine, I never loved photography this much,” Kondratieva says. “When I realized I no longer could do it due to the restrictions, I also realized I couldn’t stop doing it.”

Along with photographs, Kondratieva also interviews people on how they are coping with the quarantine and posts photographs together with the stories. 

“I realized that I was interested not only in photography, but also in people,” she says.

Daria Kolomiec

Kyiv DJ and radio/TV host Daria Kolomiec was among Kondratieva’s first clients. Kolomiec, 31, says she was inspired by the photographer’s work and her idea. 

“It’s so fascinating that people continue creating even during the quarantine,” Kolomiec says. 

Kolomiec herself didn’t stop working during the quarantine. As a well-known DJ in Kyiv, she usually has dozens of events every month. In December, for instance, Kolomiec had events and performances every day, and sometimes even twice a day. 

But with the coronavirus outbreak cancelling music shows and parties, Kolomiec needed to change and evolve, to find a new way to connect with the audience. 

“I wanted to continue doing what I love, sharing music. So I started looking for tools to do it from my apartment,” she says. 

Kolomiec decided to host live-streaming music shows from her home in Kyiv. She uses her Instagram account for streaming. In total, Kolomiec has already held over 20 online performances. 

“I realized that I have everything needed for live streaming. I have the equipment and people willing to listen,” she says. 

Apart from the DJ sets, Kolomiec started posting podcasts on her website and has even launched her own music app called “Music 24/7,” which allows its users to listen to songs selected by Kolomiec non-stop. The app is free and available for iOS and Android. 

Even though Kolomiec lives mainly on her savings now, she doesn’t want to stop playing music and sees a need to invest even more in her creativity. 

“If I stop doing this, I will lose my mind,” Kolomiec says. “For creative people, when they’re not doing their thing, it’s like taking air from them,” she adds. 

Denys Polyakov

Another Kyiv DJ, Denys Polyakov, a regular at the capital’s Crest electronic music nightclub, says none of the DJs was prepared for the quarantine. The 23-year-old says that, at first, he did not even believe that the clubs could be shut down. But his performances eventually got canceled. 

However, Polyakov was not upset. He knew that DJs are creative enough to find a way out.  

He was right: Crest has launched online music parties broadcast live on their Facebook page. In the videos, several Kyiv well-known DJs perform their electronic music sets. 

“People miss parties and clubs miss their guests,” Polyakov says. “In this case, an online party is a good option.”

Crest has already hosted two online parties. Admission to the live streaming music shows is free and the audience can dance and enjoy the music from anywhere.

Although DJs have found a way to keep playing their music and to be heard, they don’t earn money from online performances. For that reason, they have also launched a fundraising campaign to support DJs during the quarantine.  

DJs aren’t the only ones mastering digital performances nowadays. Ukrainian singers and bands have also taken to different live-streaming apps to hold their performances and online concerts. 

Jamala

Ukrainian singer Jamala, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, had an online music show on March 24 in which she performed her most popular hits. 

Jamala says she is used to being active every day, so she can’t wait for the quarantine to end and to start living her life to the fullest again. Now, however, to keep in touch with her audience, the singer records covers of world-famous pop hits every week, including the song “No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish or “Circles” by Post Malone. 

Jamala and the musicians accompanying her are located in the different parts of the city, but that doesn’t stop them from making music. Covers by Jamala and her online music show are available on her Instagram account and Youtube channel. 

Literature, art 

It isn’t just musicians and photographers showing resilience in the face of quarantine. The visual arts and literature community is also finding ways to keep working.

For writers, the Book Arsenal festival is at the center of that effort.

Founded in 2011, Book Arsenal is the largest annual literary and art fair in Ukraine. It aims to bring together publishers and fans of literature from all over the country. The festival features readings, discussions and performances. In March 2019, Book Arsenal was even declared the best literary festival at the London Book Fair International Excellence Awards. 

This year, the festival was supposed to be held on May 20-24. Eventually, it was postponed until the end of August. However, that hasn’t stopped Book Arsenal from supporting Ukrainian authors. 

The festival organizers have recently announced a new online project: Literature for Export. It aims to establish direct contacts between foreign literary agents, publishers interested in translating Ukrainian books and Ukrainian publishers. The goal is to increase interest in Ukrainian literature abroad.

Apart from that, many Ukrainian publishing houses are supporting authors by launching online book presentations, as well as online discussions with authors. 

Most Kyiv galleries and museums have created online art exhibitions — the only way they can now reach their audience. Kyiv’s Pinchuk Art Center, for instance, launched online lectures on photography and contemporary Ukrainian art, talks with Ukrainian artists and art classes for children and people with disabilities. 

Kyiv-based artist Marina Borodulya, 35, says she was planning to have exhibitions in Ukraine and Italy this spring and summer. Now, all of them are either cancelled or postponed. But Borodulya sees the quarantine as extra time to revise her works and to create even more. 

“Whatever the situation is in the coming months, I will continue doing what I have planned,” Borodulya says.  

DJ Kolomiec agrees: “It’s not the time to give up.”