SERGIY TYMOSHENKO

We take pleasure in introducing an experienced holographer from Ukraine, now living in Canada - Sergiy Tymoshenko.
We are displaying several holograms from the studio where Sergiy used to work, together with his brother Andrey and a team of other excellent holographers. We are extremely impressed with the unusual brightness and clarity of their holograms. Just recently we had a conversation with Sergiy.

Here is a part of it:


Can you tell us please, how did you start your career in holography?
I graduated from the Radiophysical Department of Kiev State University in 1988. Since then, I have worked in the Laboratory of Applied Holography (later - UNESCO Coordinatory Centre for Applied Holography) of the Ukrainian Academy of Science in Kiev (Vladimir Markov was the Head of the laboratory). It was a small but very aggressive team of enthusiastic personalities (historians and physicists). We used to work days and nights.

I understand that with such hard work, you had some sort of success, which would help you to keep going?
Holography was at the beginning of its popularity. We opened an exhibition of holograms featuring unique objects from our Gold and Treasure Museum. That way it became possible to exhibit the treasures everywhere, without any harm to the actual artifacts. The exhibition had great success in Kiev.

Very interesting. I wish we could have all of these holograms in our gallery... and, what next?
Next, we arranged a mobile version, traveling by train and bus - to bring the exhibit wherever it was requested - a sort of Museum-of-Treasures-on-wheels. No need for security, guarding, special conditions etc. - everybody could have a look at incredibly realistic 3D copies of priceless Scythian ornaments made of pure gold. At the same time it also became possible to make holograms right at the place where the objects were located - we created a mobile lab which was able to go to archeological excavations.

What an excellent idea! I don't think there is such a mobile lab existing in Canada or the US...
Would you be interested in running such a thing here, in North America?
Absolutely. If anybody is interested in this project, I would be happy to participate. I created several holographic labs from scratch, and I can help to build budget-wise holographic studios...

Tell me, did you have any feedback on your work from other countries?
We gave plenty of lectures combining a historical and physical approach. We also implemented another significant feature of display holography - holographical interferometry - a powerful and harmless method of nondestructive control of museum exhibits. Our activity became internationally known. I myself participated in the preparation and arranging of an exhibition in Spain (1989-1990) and Austria (1990). Dozens of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and ancient ceramics (up to 5000 years old) passed my holographic table. My duties were to make master holograms and then copy from the masters 2nd generation holograms - ready for an exhibition. On the exhibition site I acted as scientific consultant, doing lectures about the principals of lasers and holography - how holograms are made, why the image is 3D, etc. We maintained classes for those who wanted to make holograms by themselves.

I also heard that you have worked together with Ms. Casdin - Silver, a prime name in the world of holography?
In 1989 I worked together with Harriet Casdin-Silver - the famous American holographer. I was her head technician. We arranged an exhibition "NEW WORKS FROM THE USSR". It was shown at the museum of Holography in New York (HOLOSPHERE 1990,vol.17, nos. 2-3). All of them were white light reflection (pseudo and orthoscopic images) holograms on Russian PE-2. I also cooperated with Paul M. Hubel from POLAROID. We made true color holograms on regular PE-2 using Ar+ and He-Ne lasers. Our holograms were also represented in many International holographic exhibitions (Great Britain, Finland, Poland, Argentina, Germany, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, USA, Canada (Ottawa and Montreal in 1988).

Yes. I visited the exhibition in Ottawa! I remember that there were just a few holograms which impressed me really deeply. One - the famous "Forks" by Ms. Casdin - Silver, and several Russian holograms! So, some of them were from your studio! I did not dream then, that we would became friends...
Anyway, to get back to the end of this conversation - what would you say was an anecdotal, or just an interesting moment in your career?
On August 1995 a hologram from my lab was presented to American President Bill Clinton when he visited Kiev. It was the image of a Scithian golden necklace (I believe you should have the picture).

And now, you live in Canada and what are your plans for the future?
I am trying to maintain contacts between our lab in Ukraine (my elder brother is still working there) and holographic companies or museums in North America. I am also open to any form of cooperation in North America in the field of holography...
Thank you very much, Sergiy, for your time...
Not at all, it is my pleasure.