Book Graphics by Mykhailo Boichuk and Boychukists

Abstract

The article is devoted to the graphic design of books of the representatives of Mykhailo Boichuk’s school in the Ukrainian art of the first part of the 20th century. At that time, Mykhailo Boichuk became the founder of a new artistic trend in Ukrainian culture, called “neo-Byzantism”. In Stalin’s time this trend was renamed as “Boichukism” because the connection with Byzantium was perceived by the Soviet authorities as a relic of feudalism hostile to the Soviet state system. Mykhailo Boichuk himself and his leading pupils (S. Nalepinska-Boichuk, I. Padalka, and V. Sedlyar) were shot as “enemies of the people” in the bloody year 1937. All that was associated with their versatile art was ruthlessly destroyed. How ever, books cannot be completely destroyed, as they circulate. Thanks to the book graphics of Boichukists, first of all, today it is possible to demonstrate their search for the national style and especially the creative method of the school, and also the evolution of their creativity, uniqueness and their connection with the European artistic movement, in particular with Polish artistic culture, their use of new graphic design techniques and contribution of this Ukrainian school to the pan-European development of book graphic design. And although the author of this article has already published the scientific monograph “Boichukists’ graphics” (Kharkiv – New York, 2002), it has not focused on the European context of this phenomenon. The rapid development of Ukrainian literature can be seen between the 1920s and early 1930s. There is an urgent need to add artistic decoration to books. Original schools of Ukrainian book graphic design are formed following the principles of Boichukism – of Sofia Nalepinska-Boichuk in Kyiv and of Ivan Padalka in Kharkiv. The decline of zincography in Ukraine and the need to give the Ukrainian book a national character prompted Nalepinska-Boichuk to refer to the old Ukrainian engraving. Nalepinska-Boichuk builds her school, reviving the art of woodcutting. Padalka and his students turn to linocuts, using the technique in the book business. Another student of Boichuk, Vasyl Sedlyar, mastered the ink and brush technique. Boichukists’ book graphic was imbued with the spirit of the changes that took place in the book design in Europe and preserved the national originality.