УКРАЇНСЬКА АКАДЕМІЯ МИСТЕЦТВ: ІСТОРИЧНИЙ ПОСТУП (1917 – 1920)

Abstract

The aim of the research is to reveal the preconditions, history of the opening and functioning of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts (hereinafter – UAA) – the first institution of higher art education in Ukraine in 1917 – 1920. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity in the assessment of historical events and phenomena, systematics and comprehensiveness, which together allowed to reveal the subject field of research. The scientific novelty of the article is that despite the presence of historical and artistic explorations about the UAA, its functioning during 1917 – 1920 is a relevant poorly studied subject of special complex historical and art studies. The general scientific significance of the study of the history of the UAA is in the reconstruction of the complete, holistic process of organization and activity of the UAA as the first artistic institution of higher education of the period of national and cultural revival of 1917 – 1921. A wide range of historiographical and source base of the researched problem by domestic and foreign scientists during 1917 – 2020 has been analysed. The role of the Ukrainian Central Council, the General Secretariat of Education, the artistic elite in the establishment and activity of the UAA has been characterised. The normative and legal bases of its organization by means of the analysis of statutory documents have been traced. The main directions of work of the first professors (M. Boichuk, M. Burachek, M. Zhuk, V. Krychevskyi, F. Krychevskyi, A. Manevych, O. Murashko, H. Narbut) and rectors of the UAA (F. Krychevskyi, O. Murashko, H. Narbut, M. Burachek,) have been determined. The information on the art exhibition of the first professors of the UAA, organized on the opening day of the Academy, December 5, 1917, has been given. The work on the creation of the National Art Gallery at the Academy has been indicated. It is claimed that almost the entire revolutionary period (1917 – 1921) has been marked for the UAA by difficulties of the organizational, material, educational and methodological nature, which negatively affected the course of the educational process. The Conclusions. It is concluded that despite the short academic status of the UAA (1917 – 1922), in the extremely difficult revolutionary, military and political, socio-economic conditions, the academy was formed as a leading centre of national and cultural revival in Ukraine, the centre for consolidation of artistic intelligentsia, it gained popularity among the general population and it gained prestige in the artistic environment of the European countries. The foundation for the development of the Ukrainian culture, laid on the initiative of the creative intelligentsia, continued to develop even in the chaos of the civil war and revolution. The UAA, which began its activities so brilliantly in 1917, was subsequently subjected to devastating blows from the Bolshevik political system. First of all, the most talented leading pedagogues felt distress. The financial insolvency of art schools forced their leaders to resort to self-financing through the organization of production workshops. Turbulent revolutionary events later led to destructive processes in the UAA. Key words: Ukrainian Academy of Arts; art institution of higher education; fine arts; national and cultural revival; Ukrainian revolution.