NEWS AND VIEWS: Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange: opportunity to expand one's horizons (05/18/97)

NEWS AND VIEWS

Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange: opportunity to expand one's horizons

by Michael Stevens

The Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange program with Ukraine, in which I participated, allowed me to experience a curriculum that was not available at the University of Maine. The education practices in the United States focus primarily on theoretical knowledge, whereas in Ukraine the focus has a practical, hands on approach. The knowledge that I gained from this experience far outweighs any shortage that I experienced.

Initially the differences in academic studies between the U.S. and Ukraine created conflicts for me. At the Institute for Industrial Arts in Kharkiv, each of the departments are kept somewhat segregated. Students who study in the stained glass department do not take restoration classes. The segregation of studies is also imposed on the field of study. Art students do not take physics or other science classes that do not have practical use in the making or restoring of art. The students of art restoration do take some chemistry, but it is so limited that any theoretical explanation is lost.

There is an advantage to such a single focused study: graduates from the Art Institute demonstrate an artistic ability seldom reached in our system of art education.

One of the greatest parts of this exchange program was the integration of the daily life and the local culture that was different from my own. Instead of viewing a culture from a distance, I was able to experience the positive and the negative aspects that exist in a society.

True independence is not only political freedom or economic, but the freedom of will. The Ukrainian people appear to be caught somewhere between political abandonment and a manipulative capitalist system. The population has been so deprived of everyday comforts that bombardment of advertising by a free market economy encourages poor choices. It saddened me greatly to see individuals with little money sacrifice essentials to purchase products that will allegedly make them more like Americans.

The cultural experience was like a two edged sword. On the one hand I enjoyed learning first hand about the heritage and the way life - outside the United States, on the other hand, I was saddened by how dysfunctional the country I was visiting seemed. Most apartment buildings don't have functioning elevators - walking 10 flights of stairs twice a day grows old rather quickly. Hot water does not exist in the summer in most buildings. But the most depressing feeling was to know that I was better off than most of the population, because I did not have to worry about employment, food and clothing. Living in Maine, a person is not used to seeing little children begging all day just to get enough money to buy a loaf of bread.

Despite the very visible economic difficulties, people exist with a love of life that people in the U.S. may never find. I met so many wonderful people; they all welcomed me with a sense of everlasting friendship.

My Ukrainian restoration professor, Tetyana Krasnova, is involved with a foundation that supports the education of Ukrainian children in the traditional styles of performing and visual arts.

I was able to attend several performances. The children are very talented; each performer evoked an emotional fervor that charged the audience. It was refreshing to know that some people are passing down the traditional Ukrainian heritage. I would hate to see a culture lose its heritage for the sake of becoming contemporary. Too much of the traditional Ukrainian culture has been diluted by the Russian culture.

In my studies of art restoration at the Kharkiv Institute for the Industrial Arts I was able to participate in the restoration of a 19th century icon. I was able to utilize my knowledge derived from organic chemistry. There are many chemicals that aid in the restoration of paintings, with ethanol being very useful in removing dirt from the varnish layer and removing thick areas of oil buildup. The more complex chemicals consist of phenol and certain ketones that aid in the destruction of microorganisms.

In order to restore a painting back to its original appearance, chemical analysis is used to determine the type of ground that the paint lays in. The use of UV light analysis aids in the discovery if the painting has been altered in any way. Roentgen analysis allows for the inspection of the layer beneath the ground layer in order to view the original cartoon of the artist.

Each process in restoration is very time consuming and must not be rushed. Acting with haste can destroy the piece. In the restoration program at Kharkiv Institute, a self-motivated person could get a lot accomplished. However, there tends to be a lot of waiting around for materials. There are only enough tools for one or two students, with the entire department of 20 or so students having to share everything.

It is ironic that one professor's salary in this country could support the department in Ukraine for an entire year. Most equipment and tools are over 30 years old. Amazingly enough, even though there is so much disorder and lack of funding, the students create the most amazing works. The ability of the students is extremely advanced.

I feel very grateful for having had the opportunity to participate in the cultural exchange. Not only was it socially fulfilling and educational, I was able to learn something I plan on using in my career. I highly support the continuation of this exchange program, which would allow students to not only learn what is in a textbook, but also to see how other cultures approach education and learning.

Michael Stevens is a student at the University of Maine in Orono.

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