Petro Poroshenko’s presidential term is coming to an end. The period of his rule will make it into history at least due to execution of the Association Agreement with the EU, introduction of the visa-free travel with the European Union, development of the army, deterrence against the Russian aggression, and the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. During the five years, the President of Ukraine has always been accompanied by one of his official photographers.
The photographs by Mykhailo Palinchak have been published in The New York Times, TIME, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Le Monde, Paris Match, Spiegel, Stern and many others. His works have been on display at lots of photo exhibitions. For the last five years, he has been taking pictures of Petro Poroshenko doing his daily work, and has made more than 500 thousand photographs in general.
We have asked Mykhailo to select 60 photographs that would show the brightest moments of the term of the fifth President of Ukraine.
“I started taking pictures of Petro Poroshenko in July 2014. I did it together with Mykola Lazarenko and Mykhailo Markiv, the photographer of First Lady Maryna Poroshenko. We always cooperated: it was team work by all the press service, when the outcome depended on each of us.
The biggest challenge of being a President’s photographer is to realize the fact that it is physically and technically impossible to shoot everything that happens around. At the same time, you understand what a great responsibility it is to keep track of the history of Ukraine through the prism of one man. You learn quickly to see the main things, to catch the climatic moments and the most meaningful aspects.”
Short break between several international meetings at the NATO Summit / Newport, Wales / 5 September 2014. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and President of the United States Barack Obama after the meeting in the White House / Washington, USA / 19 September 2014. Speech by the President of Ukraine at the joint session of the US Congress / Washington, USA / 19 September 2014. Examination of fortifications in the vicinity of Kurakhove / Donetsk Region, Ukraine / 10 October 2014. Normandy format meeting attended by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, President of the French Republic François Hollande, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel, and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin / Milan, Italy / 17 October 2014. President of Ukraine meets the plane of the Ukrainian Air Forces with 145 military men rescued from captivity / Vasylkiv, Ukraine / 27 December 2014. President and his wife attend the family of Staff Sergeant Mykola Loziak, the participant of the anti-terrorist operation / Bohorodchany Village, Ivano-Frankivsk Region, Ukraine / 7 January 2015. First Lady Maryna Poroshenko during the recording of the Address of the President of Ukraine dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp / Oświęcim, Poland / 27 January 2015. President examines the ruined house in the city centre hit by Smerch MLRS missile / Kramatorsk, Ukraine / 10 February 2015. President signs the flag of Ukraine during the meeting with the Ukrainian diaspora in Dresden / Dresden, Germany / 15 March 2015. Short stop on the way from Dresden to Berlin / Germany / 15 March 2015. On the Day of the National Guard of Ukraine, the President is having lunch with the graduates of the National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine / Kharkiv, Ukraine / 26 March 2015. Students of V. Karazin Kharkiv National University take pictures with Petro Poroshenko / Kharkiv, Ukraine / 26 March 2015. Meeting with President of France François Hollande / Paris, France / 22 April 2015. President examines the fortification construction site during the work trip / Donetsk Region, Ukraine / 11 June 2015. Telephone conversation in the Normandy format with Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel, President of France François Hollande, and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin / Kyiv, Ukraine / 23 July 2015. View over Mi-8 helicopter with the President of Ukraine aboard during the trip to Sloviansk / Donetsk Region, Ukraine / 2 August 2015. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is speaking on the phone with Vice President of the USA Joseph Biden / Kyiv, Ukraine / 28 August 2015. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg / Lviv, Ukraine / 21 September 2015. Meeting in Normandy format / Paris, France / 2 October 2015. President of Ukraine at the football match between Ukraine and Slovenia / Lviv, Ukraine / 14 November 2015. Meeting of the President of Ukraine and the Pope / Vatican / 20 November 2015. Meeting of Petro Poroshenko and Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden / Kyiv, Ukraine / 7 December 2015. President attends the 44th separate artillery brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Ternopil, Ukraine / 11 January 2016. President of Ukraine enjoys sakura blossom / Kyoto, Japan / 5 April 2016. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Ihor Rainin (as of the time the photograph is taken; R.) area heading for the plane / Chuhuiv, Kharkiv Region, Ukraine / 14 May 2016. President is examining newly-built Berdiansk and Akkerman armoured boats joining the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Odesa, Ukraine / 3 July 2016. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is speaking at the session of the UN General Assembly / New York, USA / 21 September 2016. President of Ukraine leads the Ukrainian delegation behind the scenes at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly / New York, USA / 21 September 2016. Petro Poroshenko is having a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroisman when attending Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv / Kyiv, Ukraine / 6 October 2016. Field briefing of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Minister of Defence of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak, Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Oleksandr Turchynov before the trip to the ATO zone / Chuhuiv, Kharkiv Region, Ukraine / 15 October 2016. Brief rest during the flight to the zone of the anti-terrorist operation / Donetsk Region, Ukraine / 15 October 2016. Several minutes before the telephone conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump / Kyiv, Ukraine / 4 February 2017. Staff meeting on the plane to the Republic of Malta to participate in the Congress of the European People’s Party “Future of Europe” / 29 March 2017. Discussion aboard the plane after the work trip to Luhansk Region / 12 April 2017. Face-to-face meeting of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel in the residence of the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, Meseberg Castle / Gransee, Germany / 20 May 2017. President of Ukraine and President of the Slovak Republic Andrej Kiska participate in the symbolic ceremony of opening the door to Europe at the Slovak and Ukrainian border to commemorate the introduction of the visa-free travel between Ukraine and Schengen countries / Uzhhorod, Ukraine / 11 June 2017. Meeting of Petro Poroshenko and President of France Emmanuel Macron / Paris, France / 26 June 2017. Petro Poroshenko attends Pizza Veterano restaurant during the presentation of the book Fourteen Junta Friends / Kyiv, Ukraine / 5 July 2017. Petro Poroshenko opens the repaired bridge across the Siverskyi Donets River and drives along it with the children living nearby during the work trip to Kharkiv Region / Kharkiv Region, Ukraine / 22 August 2017. On the Tank Man Day, President of Ukraine attends the family of Yevhen Mezhevikin, the tank operator and Hero of Ukraine, and congratulates them on the new home / Kyiv, Ukraine / 10 September 2017. Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in the Kharkiv Airport is walking ahead to meet the Ukrainians rescued from the captivity in the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions / Kharkiv, Ukraine / 27 December 2017. As soon as he returns from Luhansk Region, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has a telephone conversation with President of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan / Boryspil, Ukraine / 16 March 2018. During his visit in Berlin, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko meets President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier / Berlin, Germany / 10 April 2018. Staff meeting at the Situation Centre regarding national information security and counteraction the Russian propaganda, where the President launches the System for Counteraction to the Anti-Ukrainian Broadcasting in the Zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation / Kyiv, Ukraine / 19 April 2018. Petro Poroshenko before Freedom of Speech TV show on ICTV channel / Kyiv, Ukraine / 16 July 2018. President participates in the sacred procession dedicated to the 1030th anniversary of Christianisation of Kievan Rus-Ukraine / Kyiv, Ukraine / 28 July 2018. Parade on the Independence Day of Ukraine / Kyiv, Ukraine / 24 August 2018. Lviv students are making selfies with the President / Lviv, Ukraine / 19 September 2018. President of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Bulgaria check progress of the repair works on the highway from Odesa to Reni / Odesa Region, Ukraine / 5 October 2018. President at the front line of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Shyrokyne, Ukraine / 12 October 2018. President of Ukraine has a meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during his trip to Turkey / Istanbul, Turkey / 3 November 2018. Unification Council of the Orthodox Churches of Ukraine / Kyiv, Ukraine / 15 December 2018. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv / February 2019. Petro Poroshenko during the vote for the draft laws on amending the Constitution on the country’s strategic course at Ukraine’s full membership with the EU and NATO at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine / Kyiv, Ukraine / 7 February 2019. Participants of the Open Dialogue Forum are making selfies with Petro Poroshenko / Kyiv, Ukraine / 9 February 2019. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at the session of the Regional Development Council / Zhytomyr, Ukraine / 11 March 2019. Residents of Baturyn welcome the President of Ukraine during his work trip to Chernihiv Region / 13 March 2019. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko at the stadium of the Olympic National Sports Complex / Kyiv, Ukraine / 14 April 2019. President of Ukraine and his wife Maryna Poroshenko on the balcony of the Presidential Administration are thanking the Ukrainians who have come to support him after the second round of the election / Kyiv, Ukraine / 22 April 2019.
[This publication was created with support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ukraine. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Norwegian government.]
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