Dubnevich Victor Ivanovich
Oil on canvas
25x30cm
"..they gallop through the forest in the fresh morning air, beating the fountains of shimmering dew under their hooves"
Dubnevich Victor Ivanovich
(43 years old, his horse is 'Zirka', a 3 year-old half-bred racer and 'heavyweight')
"My son got me in to riding horses.
He works as a trainer, him and his mates go across the river, they pasture cows and horses there. You should really see it! It's like a dream scene in the early morning, just as the sun goes up the first rays just penetrate through the morning fog and the forest. The lads go out into the forest looking for the horses - they catch them and ride bear back to the pastures. The horses are let loose in the woods during the night, but they don't go away far.
The boys are incredible, the way they ride those horses - they just gallop through the forest in the fresh morning air, beating the fountains of shimmering droplets of dew under their hooves, filling the morning forest with geeing and neighing and laughter. Then after a wild chase through the forest they take them to the river for bathing. Oh it's a stunning view. There's always about four or five guys out there, they camp there all summer. They have a boat so they come across the river for some provisions. In the evenings you must have noticed there is always a party going on, singing, dancing and all that.
I love it here. I couldn't live in the city. I tried. My wife really wanted to be in the city, you know - work, friends, places to go in the evening, shops. I tried living in the city for a while but I said I couldn't do that. I was born in Poltava region, Zilkivskii district but I grew up in Volinsk region in Novovolinsk - it's just on the Polish border.
My grandad comes from a very ancient family line of Cossaks. He originally came from the Lvivshina part of Ukraine. My mother's family is also from the Cossaks clan so I've got a great history in my family. I guess I could say I am an independent farmer now. I studied to be a forest ranger and worked for a while doing that. Before I moved here to Velikii Pereviz I tried my luck working in Siberea, and all those hard regions: Tiumen, Novii Urengoi, Noyabrsk. It was hard work, -60C or -70 C most of the time - my health now is very unstable.
I have a wife and two sons its great here. I'm trying to keep a good standard of life and improve it bit by bit. I guess I'm quite proud of myself. My son Igor is nineteen now in the army, he is missing the horses though, and the family but he likes it there. It's such a different story now-days comparing to the way the army used to be. It's ok to send your children to the army now. He looks so proud in his uniform with the beret, tassels and golden shoulder-straps: the full parade outfit!
He got me to buy this horse - she is such a beauty. We noticed her when she was a baby. They breed good Arab race horses, some for export in the village 20Km from here. My son used to train horses for them. They slay, or sell to peasants, the horses of mixed breed so we asked the guy to keep this one for us. We waited two-and-a-half years for her. Igor trained her himself. I am still a little weary of riding her, he says I spoil her while he is away. He tells me there couldn't be a better life than out here; with horses and the days when he and his mates take them across the river on to the pastures.
It's beautiful, truly beautiful.
"