Untitled

It is cloudy with a large tree in the middle of a field.

Born 1943 in Kyiv. Lives and works in Kyiv.

1962 - graduated from the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", and from 1980 to 1982 studied at the Institute of Journalistic Skills in Kyiv.

He worked as a photographer for various technical organizations, and from 1978 to 1996 at the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture.

Since 1996 he works as a freelance photographer.

His exhibitions were held in Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia, Lithuania and the United States.

"Was born in the first half of XX century.
Educated on his own mistakes.
Was shooting with different stuff.
Was exhibited if someone invited."
Oleksandr Ranchukov

In 2019, Alexander Ranchukov passed away.

Ranchukov was sometimes himself surprised by what his camera saw, by its sudden sarcasm.

Towards the end of his life, he would run away to the forest more and more often — he hid there from the city that was falling into pieces itself and was destroying the idea of harmony in the photographer’s mind. Working at the research institute for theory and history of architecture, Ranchukov took photographs of Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine far and wide: facade details of old buildings, views of the streets and squares. When several years ago I visited him at home, we took a long time to look at Kyiv’s photographs — he noted bitterly: this house isn’t there anymore, this street isn’t there, in this place everything is different.

One time, he showed his photographs to the students of one of Kyiv’s universities: all of them were born in Kyiv and thought that they knew and loved their native city. As they looked at his works, they suddenly asked: what is this city? Ranchukov was astonished: “This city isn’t there anymore, and neither are its citizens.” He gathered the photographs, said goodbye, and stepped outside to smoke. Only one person spoke at Ranchukov’s funeral — it was Oleksandr Gliadelov. He said a short phrase: “The old Kyiv that Ranhukov loved and photographed had died, and Ranchukov went together with it.”