Works of Palekh miniaturists of the Soviet period in the field of design of art postcards (Palekh and postcard)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the phenomenon of art postcards in the Palekh lacquer craft in the 1960s - 1980s – a little-studied field of folk art of the late Soviet period. The subject of the study is the analysis of over 20 sets of Palekh art postcards that were widely popular among art connoisseurs, including works by K. S. Bokarev, B. N. Kukuliyev, A.M. Kurkin and E. I. Pashkov. The purpose of the article is to show the importance of studying this topic on a wide range of material attracted by the author for the knowledge of the history and artistic specifics of the Palekh lacquer craft in the XX century, as well as for the successful revival of these traditions in our time. Using the method of comparative analysis, as well as iconographic and historical-systematic research methods, the author emphasizes the importance of the chosen topic, pointing out that, unlike all other types of artistic products of the craft, it was the Palekh postcard, published in millions of copies, was a truly folk product, which was found in almost every house in Soviet times. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the very attempt of a comprehensive analysis of this topic; in particular, the author points out that the main genres of postcard products of the craft in the 1960s - 1980s were illustrations of Pushkin and Russian folk tales, as well as epics and ideologically significant texts. The main conclusion of the article is the justification of the importance of graphic works by Palekh miniature painters for understanding their overall creative evolution.