Schwarzenegger Is My Hero: Athletes from city of Nikolaev in Sergey Melnichenko’s Project

Sergey Melnichenko, 24

Born in Nikolaev (Ukraine), lives in Chengdu (China). Is the member of “Ukrainian Photographic Alternative.” His works were exhibited in Argentina, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Chili. Won Photographer of the Year 2012 in Kyiv, Ukraine in the category “Best Series.”

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“Schwarzenegger is My Hero” is a story of young men from Nikolaev with a common goal in life: to become the best of the best, and they do everything to reach this goal. In the photographs you see young men training in track and field, acrobatics, fitness and bodybuilding. I asked one of the guys to tell me about his hobby. He replied, “Sports are my life. It disciplines you. Schedule and hard work lead you to success. I always wanted to be more than just a philistine. I do my best, because I want to reach the top. Maybe it won’t land me at the pedestal, but I will have won over myself.”

My “models” are naked, because it seems to me it makes them more masculine and natural. This also looks rather ironic.

The series was created in 2012–2013.

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