Architecture
Architectural tradition in the land of Ukraine is very old: here the pre-Christian remains of great structural complexes have preserved. For instance, these are Chersoneses and Olvia, the ancient Greek city-states on the Black Sea coast and in Crimea, and others. In particular, it is the Bilske settlement of the 7th to 3d centuries B.C. that scientists identify with the pre-historic city of Gelon described by Herodotus.
The authentic Ukrainian architecture started to form in the 9th to 10th centuries with emergence the Kievan Rus, the centralized power on the territory of Ukraine. Initially, all the constructions, that is, fortifications, palaces, churches, were made of wood. From time immemorial, erected of horizontally laid sections of timber provided with hipped roof the log-structure served as basis. This tradition of erecting log-houses had preserved up to the beginning of the 20th century. Even today, one may observe these constructions used for living quarters, for instance, in Chernihiv.
Concurrently with embracing Christianity the first constructions of Byzantine style appeared in Kievan Rus, which glaring example is the Saint Sophia Cathedral of the 11th century in Kyiv that succeeded to last out until the present, however having undergone substantial baroque remodeling.
The Byzantine style, having found itself in Rus, started to be actively reformed in accord with the authentic conceptions of construction and ornamentation. Resulted by such a reforming the elongated up domes of Kyiv’s churches and specific color array of the paintings, frescos and mosaics appeared.
Following the Mongol invasion construction in Ukrainian land became subject of defense purposes. During 12th to 15th centuries predominantly towered fortresses, fortified monasteries and castles were being built in Kamianets-Podilsky, Lviv, Lutsk, Kremenets, and Bilhorod-Dniprovsky. With their walls high and unassailable, one may see decorative ornament in some of them made in the form of Ukrainian plakhta (right-angled pattern) or embroidery bricked red. Of this, the Khotyn Castle in Chernivtsi oblast with walls 30 to 35 meters high is the best example that preserved perfectly until now.
Fortified monasteries of the 15th century are also remindful of castles. The place of the principal cathedral of the monastery was usually either in the center of the monastery court or within the system of defensive walls. Temples were necessarily adapted to withstand attack since they often served asylum not only for monks but for laity too.
During 16th and 17th centuries, the Renaissance style spread widely in Ukraine. The phenomenon has reflected most vividly in the architectonics of Lviv. The Revival Style ensemble of houses, which dominant feature of the so-called Chorna Kamianytsia – a black structure surrounded by the lighter ones, has preserved almost completely in one of the central squares of this city. Extraneous features of epochs and combination of various styles in the architectural style of the city make it a genuine open-air museum. UNESCO as cultural heritage of humanity registered the historical downtown part of Lviv.
Renaissance arrival was also of great importance for further development of Ukrainian architecture, especially the Ukrainian Baroque style. The Baroque art and architecture that happened to be the climax of artistic efforts in West and East Europe and appreciated highly in Ukraine of the 17th century had combined with local artistry here, especially the one of stonework, creating a new unique style of Ukrainian Baroque. Thanks the active activity of Hetman Mazepa in the field of construction the Baroque style in Ukraine is also called the “Mazepian Style”. Unfortunately, the majority of masterpieces of the Ukrainian Baroque style failed to have preserved; partly it happened because of the Bolshevik policy of “temple destruction” and partly due to specific offshoot of the style – the so-called Cossack Baroque represented by churches made of wood.
In the 18th century, the Ukrainian Baroque underwent changes: the faces were plastered and decorated with modeling which example is the Pokrovska Church built from the design of outstanding Ukrainian architect Hryhorovych-Barsky.
Baroque is the style of architectural ensembles. The majority of the ensembles of Ukrainian monasteries had been formed in different periods, often even in old Rus times, however their final formation occurred during the epoch of Baroque when all the structures were licked into unified stylistic shape. Such are the monasteries of the Dnipro River region and left bank Ukraine, Saint Sophia Cathedral ensemble and Vydubetsk monastery in Kyiv.
Starting with the end of the 18th century Classicism, the so-called its urban style came to Ukraine which characteristic feature was considerable reduction in construction of churches with preference for palaces and public buildings. It was during this period that from the design of Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli the Mariinsky Palace, the present-day residence of the President of Ukraine, was erected.
In the architecture of late 19th and early 20th centuries, the figure of Vladislav Horodetsky became prominent. Kyiv decorated with inimitable houses built in Modern Art and Architecture style (the House with Chimeras), neo-classicism (the Museum of Antiquities and Arts, presently the National Art Museum), neo-Gothic Art and Architecture style (Mykolaiv Roman-Catholic Church, presently the House of Organ Music), Moorish style (Karaite Temple, now Actors’ House) is especially grateful to him.
During 1910 to 1920, the neo-Baroque style, an attempt to combine the traditions of the “high Mazepian Baroque” with the achievements of European Modern Art and Architecture, was widespread.
The Communist regime destroyed quite a few outstanding buildings that later were registered as monuments of architecture (for instance, Mykhailivsky Golden Dome Cathedral and Mykilsky Military Cathedral in Kyiv; Troitsky Cathedral in Hlukhiv, etc.). As of today, some of them, for example, the Mykhailivsky Cathedral, have been restored.
A separate page of Ukrainian architecture one may call its folk kind. Considering wooden monuments are in need of special care, these architectural samples are moved to special preserves. The most famous of them are the Museum of Folk Architecture and Domestic Life of Ukraine located near Pyrohovo village in Kyiv and Shevshenkivsky Hai (Shevchenko’s grove) in Lviv.
Music
Many frescoes at St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv depict ancient Ukrainian musicians, but the story of music on the territory of Ukraine goes back to 20 thousand years ago, when the first music instruments were made of mammoth tusks as found by Kyiv archeologists near the historic city of Chernihiv.
Musicians that lived in the cities were always present at all the ceremonies, processions, and rituals. The folklore, dedicated to calendar celebrations (Christmas, Easter carols) and family rituals (wedding songs) originated in the IX-th century and up to now preserves many archaic features.
Already in XIV–XVII centuries our musicians became famous outside the ancient Ukrainian state. Their names could be found in the chronicles of those times, among the musicians at many royal courts, for instance, at the court of Polish kings.
At that time also arise historic songs and ballads – one of the most picturesque fragments of Ukrainian folk music, a kind of symbolic code of national history and culture. They were composed mostly by Cossacks and about Cossacks. The traveling singers, who were the authors of ballads and performers at the same time, were called kobzars.
This fruitful period in the history of Ukrainian culture was also under the influence of the so-called “Cossacks baroque”, which is the reason why to a great extent Ukrainian musical tradition is connected with the style of baroque. The most famous centers of music culture at that time were Glukhiv singing school and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Many famous Ukrainian musicians studied there in XVII-XVIII centuries: D.Bortnyansky, M.Berezovsky, A.Vedel that started an epoch in our choral music. Bortnyansky and Berezovsky also studied in Italy: Berezovsky attended Music Academy in Bologna, where he was a student of a famous music theorist Martini at the same time as Mozart, and was considered to be one of the most talented graduates of the academy. After having mastered the European composition technique, these Ukrainian composers chose not to copy Western patterns, but to create pieces, most of which are based on national melodic traditions. Spiritual music of D.Bortnyansky, M.Berezovsky and A.Vedel still can be heard in many Slavic churches around the world.
This was also the time of dynamic development of a capella choir music, the influence of which is strong even in the modern Ukrainian music, professional a capella чоловічий колектив „ Tercja Pikardyjska” from Lviv being one of its best-known representatives.
Professional musicians of the XIX-th century frequently made arrangements of folk songs performed by talented amateur singers accompanied by folk instruments – kobza, bandura, cymbals, violin, lyre etc. The influence of folk music is characteristic of Ukrainian operas of XIX-th century: „ Zaporozhian Cossack beyond the Danube” by Hulak-Artemovsky (first Ukrainian opera), “Taras Bulba”, “Natalka-Poltavka”, “Drowned” and “Christmas Night” by Mykola Lysenko, as well as of stylizations and adaptations of folk songs by M.Leontovych, O.Koshyts, M.Lysnko, K. Stetsenko. Ukrainian motifs can also be heard in pieces by L. Beethoven and F. List.
Many talented world –renowned performers of classical music come form Ukraine: virtuoso pianist V. Horovits, opera singers of the past (S. Krushelnytska) and of today (V.Lukianets, Volodymyr Gryshko, Valentyn Pyvovarov, Roman Mayboroda, Taras Shtonda, Mykhailo Didyk), famous conductor Roman Kofman, who in 2004 took the position of the chief conductor of Bonn Opera house and Beethoven symphonic orchestra .
The development of Ukrainian music in the XX-th century corresponded with general cultural and aesthetic tendencies in the world, in 1960-1980s it felt the influence of so-called “trends of the sixties”. It was a period of huge popularity of performers who sang their own songs, where the main accent was placed on the lyrics (O.Ivasiuk, T.Petrynenko, I.Bilozir). At the same time, many typically modern music and musical-poetical projects were started: first of all, V.Morozov’s satirical theater “Don’t Be Sad” (1970-s), groups “Mertvyi Piven” and “Plach Yeremiyi” (second half of 1980-s).
Modern Ukrainian music is represented by almost every trend, from folk to acid jazz, actively developing is club culture. Some performers – Sofiia Rotaur, Iryna Bilyk, Oleksandr Ponomariov, VIA GRA, Ani Lorak, Verka Serdiuchka – became popular far beyond Ukrainian borders. A Ukrainian singer Ruslana, who mixed in her music Carpathian folk tunes, won the “Eurovision – 2004” award and is now giving concerts around the world.
The tendency among modern Ukrainian musicians to use folk motifs is becoming more and more vivid. One of the first to use folk tunes in rock music at the end of 1980-s was a legendary now group “VV”. “Skryabin”, Mandry”, “Gaydamaky”, Taras Chubay, Mariyka Burmaka and many other performers use national folklore as their base for creating distinctive Ukrainian music. One of the signs of returning interest in Ukrainian folk music is creation of two festivals of ethnic music – “Kraina Mriy” in Kyiv, organized by “VV” singer Oleg Skrypka and “Sheshory” in Ivano-Frankivsk region.
There are also numerous music festivals in Ukraine: “Perlyny Sezonu”, “Tavrijski Igry”, “Chaika”, “Chervona Ruta”, that give many young musicians a chance to perform on stage in front of many listeners. Such festivals “revealed” such groups as “Okean Elzy”, “Tanok na Majdani Kongo”, “Green Grey”, “Tartak”, that are successfully performing today in many foreign countries.
Literature
The history of Ukrainian written language is thousand-years long. Its origin is ascribed to the times of the Kyivan Rus, but even before the 9th century A.D., the ancestors of Ukrainians had developed an advanced spoken language tradition. The chronicles Account of Bygone Years (Povist' vremennykh lit) is an outstanding memorial that is also a source of historical information, a collection of epic songs, legends and narrations of the Kyivan state epoch. The poetic masterpiece of the ancient literature is Slovo o polku Igorevim. This heroic epic had imbibed the best samples of folklore and has become the common property and pride of the entire Slavic people.
Polemical works of Ivan Vyshensky, Meletiy Smotrytsky, Feofan Prokopovych and others is a distinctive phenomenon of the writings of the Middle Ages. The high water mark of Ukrainian literature of the Baroque period is the writings of Hryhory Skovoroda, 1722-1794), a poet and philosopher. This ‘Ukrainian Socrates’ traveled throughout Ukraine and countries of the Central Europe to get to know the people. Permeating his philosophy is the issue of happiness being treated by him through the revelation of the divine inspiration of a human being, and disclosure of the God endowed talent by finding one’s own true vocation. The words of this seeker of truth “The world kept trying to capture me, but failed” are engraved on his tomb and became further evidence of his preference for spiritual life over vanity and idleness of the world.
The burlesque and travestied narrative poem Aeneid by Ivan Kotliarevsky marked at the end of the 18th century the emergence of the newest Ukrainian literature language and arrival of modern Ukrainian literature. This composition absorbed the gems of Ukrainian humor and reflected the lively folk way of life. Other writers, especially Petro Hulak-Artemovsky and Yevhen Hrebinka, members of the Kharviv group, picked up the witty and satirical tone of Kotliarevsky’s works. Heorhy Kvitka-Osnovianenko, the founder of the Ukrainian fiction literature, who also belonged to this literary society, succeeded in using Ukrainian exclusively in comic genres.
The 19th century was the age of the formation of the Ukrainian national consciousness. Taras Shevchenko’s poetry collection Kobzar that saw the light of the day in 1840 became a declaration of the literary and intellectual independence of the Ukrainians. The writings of Taras Shevchenko defined the further development of the Ukrainian literature in poetry, prose and drama. His poetry became an important stage also in the making of the Ukrainian standard language.
Shevchenko made a synthesis of earlier Ukrainian literature with the living speech and enriching it with Ukrainian elocution. The name of Taras Shevchenko became the symbol of Ukrainian culture in the world on par with names such as William Shakespeare, Johann Goethe or Aleksandr Pushkin, each of whom, in addition to literature, is associated with the culture of their countries.
Shevchenko made a synthesis of earlier Ukrainian literature with the living speech and enriching it with Ukrainian elocution. The name of Taras Shevchenko became the symbol of Ukrainian culture in the world on par with names such as William Shakespeare, Johann Goethe or Aleksandr Pushkin, each of whom, in addition to literature, is associated with the culture of their countries.
The talented writers in the second half of the 19th century were Ivan Nechui-Levytsky, Marko Vovchok, Panas Myrnyi, Mykhailo Kotsubynsky, Ivan Franko, Olha Kobylianska, Borys Hrinchenko, and others.
Variety of artistic trends and individual styles, as well as the use of different genres from epic fiction and stories to novelettes, pamphlets, short stories etc., are characteristic of the time. Many of the writers of this period were active politically and engaged to enlighten people.
Ivan Franko, a poet, prose and drama writer, journalist, literature critic and translator with over fifty volumes of his work collected. The writer had been among the first who began translating the books of the world literature (Johann Goethe, Heinrich Heine, George Byron) into Ukrainian.
With the arrival of a new generation of authors at the turn of the century, the Ukrainian literature was being struck by the influence of European modernism. Most vividly this approach had affected writings of two leading literature figures of the period: poetess Lesia Ukrainka and prose writer Mykhailo Kotsubynsky. Lesia Ukrainka had enriched the Ukrainian creative writing with characters of the world literature and plotlines derived from history and mythology of various times and peoples. On top of her great talent as a poet, she displayed extraordinary gift as translator. In her writing came out the magnificent translations of the Homer, Heinrich Heine, William Shakespeare, George Byron, Victor Hugo, Egyptian and Italian folk songs, Indian epic, etc.
The literary process following the October revolution was marked in Ukraine as well as throughout the entire USSR by specific dramatic character and complexity. On the one hand, Ukrainian literature was in full bloom. On the rich literature palette coexisted various artistic schools, styles ands trends ranging from radical so-called “proletcult”, which theorists advocated creation “of pure proletarian culture by laboratory methods” (Vasyl Blakytny, Hnat Mykhailychenko, M. Khvyliovy), to futurism (Mykhailo Semenko) and even neo-classicism, which representatives directed their efforts at making harmonious art form by mastering classic standards of the world literature (the neo-classics group headed by Mykola Zerov).
The majority representing this wave of Ukrainian revival, however, perished in Civil war, the Artificial famine of 1932 to 1933, and repressions by Bolshevik in the 30s.
During 1938 to 1954, approximately 240 Ukrainian writers were persecuted although many of them were adherents of the Soviet power, fought for it and only made their career as writers after the revolution. Some of them were shot, others perished imprisoned; the fate of others still remains unknown. Poet Maksym Rylsky was arrested and Ostan Vyshnia spent 10 years in labor camp being accused of participating in mythical Ukrainian military organization. Hryhory Kosynka, Mykola Zerov, Mykola Kulish, Yevhen Pluzhnyk, Mykhailo Semenko were all shot. Mykola Khvyliovy, who attempted to save many of his comrades, committed suicide. The experimental theater Berezil was banned while its leader Les Kurbas, the world famous director, was imprisoned and shot.
In spite of the harsh limits reigning under the Soviets, Ukrainian writers managed to make literature that has not lost its topicality even today. Primarily, they are Pavlo Tychyna, Maxym Rylsky, Volodymyr Sosiura, Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Olec Honchar and others.
Thanks to the Khruschov’s thaw of the 60s and the liberalization of social and political life in Ukraine, a powerful artistic movement originated that later became known as “people of the sixties”. They searched for new forms of creativity and attempted to grasp afresh the significance of the national experience under the constraints of totalitarian system. This generation included Vasyl Stus, Lina Kostenko, Vasyl Symonenko, Hryhory Tiutiunnyk, Dmytro Pavlychko, Ivan Drach, and many others.
An active civil stand on human rights brought Vasyl Stus to the ranks of dissident intellectuals. A new wave of mass arrests of Ukrainian literati swept Ukraine in the 70s. Many leading writers were imprisoned in Siberian labor camps accused of ‘anti-Soviet propaganda’; some of them were rehabilitated posthumously at the start of the 90s.
Ukrainian diasporas, ranging from Europe to Australia, created extremely varied and rich literature during the 20th century. Among their most brilliant representatives are Ivan Bahriany, Vasyl Barka, Bohdan Boichuk, and Emma Andriyevska.
Modern Ukrainian literature is being made today by Yuri Andrukhovych, Oleksandr Irvanets, Yuri Izdryk Oksana Zabuzhko, Mykola Riabchuk, Yuri Pokalchuk, Yuri Bynnychuk, Konstantyn Moskalets, Natalka Bilotserkovets, Vasyl Shkliar, Yevhenia Kononenko, Andriy Kurkov, Ivan Malkovych, Bohdan Zholdak, Serhiy Zhadan et al.
Dramatic Art
The dramatic art of Ukraine goes back to the olden times originating in folk games, dances, songs and rituals. Since the 11th century known are the performances of skomorokhs, vagrant dramatic players, as well as elements of theatrical action were present in the church ceremonies during the Kyiv Rus. Evidence of the later is the frescoes of the same period at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.
Disciples of the schools of the Kyiv Bratsk (friary community) with the Kyiv Mohyla Academy and Lavra enacted the primary examples of theatrical performance publicly during the 16th to 17th centuries. Important centers of religious drama development of the time were the Bratska school of Lviv and Ostroh Academy.
The earliest theatrical troupes originated in the regions close to the Dnipro River in the 18th century with the first theater playhouses appearing in Kyiv (1806), Odesa (1809), and Poltava (1810).
Formation of the classic Ukrainian drama is linked to the names of Ivan Kotliarevsky, who headed the theater in Poltava, and Hryhoriy Kvitka-Osnovianenko, the founder of belles-lettres in the new Ukrainian literature. Burlesque and expressiveness accompanied by pecturosqueness and humor that characterize all their writings had defined all the colors of the academic theater in Ukraine for long.
During the second half of the 19th century, amateur theatrical movement was on the rise. Luminaries of the Ukrainian theater such as playwrights and directors Mykola Starytsky, Marko Kropyvnytsky and Ivan Karpenko-Karyi started their activity in hobby-groups. The merit of the speedy theatrical development also belongs to the outstanding family of Tobilevyches, which members performed under the stage-names of Ivan Karpenko-Karyi, Mykola Sadovsky, and Panas Saksahansky. In addition to creating a troupe of their own, each of them had been an outstanding actor and director. The twinkling star of the Ukrainian theater of that time was Maria Zankovetska.
A new stage in the history of the national theater has started in 1918 when the State Drama Theater and “Molodyi Teatr” (The Young Theater) directed by Les Kurbas and Hnat Yura, the latter since 1922 known as the modern Ukrainian Berezil theater, were founded. The cohort of talented actors that included Amvrosiy Buchma, Marian Kryshelnytsky, O.Dobrovolska, Olexandr Serdiuk, Natalia Uzhviy, Yuriy Shumsky and many others entered the scene.
While the State Drama Theater passed on the lamp of tradition of the realistic and psychological school, the Young Theater vindicated the vanguard positions instead, which stage turned out into a unique theatrical test site when the Berezil theater was created. It was by no chance that the scale models of the named theatrical association were awarder the Gold Medal at the World Theatrical Exhibition in Paris in 1925. It is here the plays by famous Ukrainian authors and playwrights Mykola Kulish (Narodnyi Malakhai, Myna Mazailo) and Volodymyr Vinnychenko (Bazaar , Black Panter and Polar Bear) were first produced. Thanks to the outstanding talent of Les Kurbas, whose natural abilities combined director and actor, playwright and translator of the world literature, the works of William Shakespeare, Henrik Ibsen, Gerhart Hauptman, Friedrich Schiller and Jean Baptiste Moliere were treated anew on the Ukrainian stage as well as plays were staged by the unknown thus far to Ukrainian spectators European dramatists.
From the creative association Berezil in addition to the theatrical library and museum sprang out the first magazine on drama. Even now, the present-day actors often address the creative search of Les Kurbas shot under Stalin.
Nowadays, the international theatrical festival Mystetske Berezilia (Artistic Berezil) devoted to memory of the les Kurbas is held in Kyiv.
During the years of independence, numerous new theaters have emerged and interest is growing towards folk and street stage. The Ukrainian dramatic art is being further integrated into the European cultural space. The stage director Roman Viktiuk, whose creative activity became a weighty contribution into the world dramatic art esthetics of the late 20th century, has acquired the world acclaim. Another Ukrainian stage director Andriy Zholdak is also famous far beyond the Ukrainian borders. A number of talented actors of the Ukrainian theater including Bohdan Stupka, Ada Rohovtseva, Anatoliy. Khostikoiev, Natalia Sumska and others scored great success acting in home and foreign movies.
At present, a series of international theater festivals that gained prestige in Europe are taking place annually in Ukraine: “May Days’ Kyiv” in Kyiv, The Golden Lion” in Lviv, “Ternopil Theater Nights. Debut” in Ternopil, “Chersonese Games” in Sevastopol, “Melpomene of Tavria”in Kherson, “Christmas Mystery”in Lutsk, and “Interlialka” in Uzhgorod.
National Opera
National Taras Shevchenko Opera House of Ukraine
Despite its comparatively short history, the National Taras Shevchenko Opera House of Ukraine won recognition far beyond the country’s borders. Distinctive and imaginative interpretations of musical heritage and contemporary works, highly harmonized orchestra and choir, talented soloists and artists as well as glaring traditions of great originality allowed the theater to reach the acme of skills and come to the front of the present-day musical culture of Europe.
It was not until 1867 that a permanent company in Kyiv was organized to become one of the best in the Russian Empire alongside with the theaters of St. Petersburg and Moscow. The play by Olуxiy Verstovsky The Ascold’s Grave that told about the legendary past of Kyiv was the debut of the troupe. Further creative achievements of the Kyiv’s opera house were primarily connected with composer Mykola Lysenko, the genius of Ukrainian music. It was in 1847 that his opera The Night of Christmas directed by M. Starytsky first sounded in Ukrainian.
During the starting years the theater’s repertoire had been expanded mostly owing to the Russian composers: A Life for the Tsar and Russlan and Ludmilla by Michail Glinka; Mermaid by Alexandr Dargomyzhsky; Maccabeus by Anton Rubinstein, etc. which was the indispensable condition for the existence of the musical theater. Nevertheless, the European classical operas translated in Russian had been a success staged at quite high artistic standard. Those included The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Antonio Rossini, The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Der Freischutz (The Free-Shooter) by Karl Maria von Weber; Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti, as well as works by Giuseppe Verdi that followed one by one and much loved by the Kyivites.
During the life of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, his operas Oprichnik (1874). Eugene Onegin (1884), Mazeppa (1886) and The Queen of Spades (1890) were staged in Kyiv. Directly with participation of the authors, opening nights took place of the Aleco by Sergei Rachmaninov in 1893 and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1895.
Since 1897 the ballet troupe became the integral part of the Opera Theatre.
In fire that Opera House caught in 1896 one of the best musical libraries and collections of costumes and scenery were lost. Into the 20th century, however, the Kyiv’s Opera Theater arrived within the new premises erected from the design of Viktor Shreter. Its greatest achievement was the stage: one of the biggest in Europe it was equipped to match the latest advance of the time.
During the first decade of the 20th century the stage witnessed the most prominent Ukrainian and Russian performers. World opera celebrities gladly toured in Kyiv. The leading world papers informed the public about the extraordinary events in the music life of the day mentioning new productions in Kyiv of The Valkyries by Richard Wagner, Yanek by Vl. Zhelensky, Sadko by Nikolai Rymski-Korsakov, and Mephistopheles by Arrigo Boito.
The efforts directed at Ukrainian statehood during 1918 to 1920 roused the revival of national culture, in particular of the musical one. For the first time on the stage of the Kyiv Opera House the Tchaikovsky’s opera Cherevychky (The Boots) sounded in Ukrainian. In 1925 the reorganization of the whole opera art took place with the performances played in Russian before were to be enacted in Ukrainian, all the opera companies were restructured into opera and ballet troupes.
The measures resulted in the first ballet created dedicated to Ukrainian theme: Pan Kaniovsky composed by Mykhailo Verykivsky (1931), and later of Lileia by Konstiantyn Dankevych.
In the repertoire of the Kyiv’s Opera Theater operas appear with the fable suggested by the Ukrainian history: Taras Bulba and The Night of Christmas by Mykola Lysenko; Zaporozhets za Dunaiem (Zaporizhian Cossack beyond the Danube) by Semen Hulak-Artemovsky; Karmeliuk by Valentyn Kostenko; Duma Chornomorska (Black Sea Meditation) by Stephan Pototsky; Berkuty (Golden Eagles) or Golden Hoop by Borys Liatoshynsky.
The brief period of ukrainization in the sphere of culture early in the 30s of the 20th century ended with a crushing defeat of intelligentsia, a row of fabricated legal proceedings and awful sentences passed on numerous outstanding cultural workers that were accused of ‘Ukrainian bourgeois nationalism’. The Kyiv Opera House also failed to pass the ordeal. Almost every dancer of the ballet group that brought the Gold Medal from London in 1935, the first international award of the theater, found themselves in concentration camps.
During the post-war years a new generation of vocalists: Borys Hmyria, Larysa Rudenko, Yelizaveta Chavdar, Dmytro Hnatiuk debuted on the theatric scene in Kyiv, while Lilia Herasymchuk, Anatoliy Bielov, Mykola Apukhtin, Yevhenia Yershova, Olena Potapova joined the ballet stage.
In 1951 and 1969, the Theater was the participant of the Decada (ten days) of Ukrainian Literature and Art in Moscow. Although the actions were more political than artistic actions, the Company proved its high standard of performance. It demonstrated many new productions, in particular, the magnificent ballet Marusia Bohuslavka by Anatoliy Svechnikov with Lilia Herasymchuk dancing the leading part, and opera Bohdan Khmelnytsky by Konstiantyn Dankevych that despite the audience delighted and high critical assessment satirred serious political accusation of the performance authors and producers of ‘failing to correctly understand the national policy of the USSR’.
Productions of the operas Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky, Prince Igor by Aleksandr Borodin (1952) and Kateryna by M.Arkas (1956) were the landmarks for the Theater. The new production of the Sergei Prokofiyev’s opera War and Peace (1956) had immense success in Kyiv being hailed by critiques as the best interpretation of the work.
Starting from the 1950s the Kyiv Opera Theater is much oftener referred to as the company of stars. At international competitions Elizaveta Chavdar (in Budapest and Berlin); Bela Rudenko, Yevhenia Miroshnichenko, Volodymyr Timokhin and Andriy Kikot (in Toulouse); Mykola Kondratiuk and Nadia Kudelia (in Vienna) all were victorious.
During the subsequent years victories by the vocalists and ballet dancers from Kyiv become traditional at the most prestigious competitions in Moscow, Toulouse, Sophia, Rome, Tokyo, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Warsaw, Athens, Madrid, and Budapest with virtually no contest taking place without participation and winning prizes by the actors of the Shevchenko Theater.
One may call the triumphant performance of the ballet troupe in Paris in 1964 a genuine artistic breakthrough towards Europe. The team showed three presentations: Pakhita by Ludwig Minkus, Francesca da Rimini by Peter Tchaikovsky, and Lieutenant Kije by Serhiy Prokofiev, as well as concert program that were all performed with overcrowded houses. The ballet soloists Iraida Lukashova and Valeriy Parsiehov won the Grand Prix, highest prizes of the festival, as well as Anna Pavlova and Vaclav Nijinsky awards, while the Kyiv Ballet received the Gold Star, the highest decoration of the French Dance Academy.
The years of 70s to 80 passed in the luster of brilliant talent of the theater’s chief conductor Stephan Turchak (the National Contest of Conductors bears his name). In the plays directed by him, unique voices have fully blown of Gizela Tsypola, Maris Stefyuk, Halyna Tuftina, Anatoliy Solovyanenko and others. Under him, the Kyiv Opera toured the Western Europe many times over.
From 1992 to 2000 Anatoliy Sheker (1935 – 2000), one of the most celebrated Ukrainian choreographers, headed the ballet troupe of the National Opera Theater of Ukraine. It is with this name that the achievements of the Ukrainian ballet of the last three decades of the 20th century are linked. Besides presentations of the classical Swan Lake and The Nutcracker by Peter Tchaikovsky, Raimonda by Glazunov and Coppelia by Leo Delibes he stage directed the production of numerous modern plays, in particular, Lileia by Dankevych, Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian, Olha by Yevhen Stankovych, Legends of Love by A. Melikov thus introducing dance polyphony and choreographic score symphony unfolded. His presentation of the ballet Romeo and Juliet done in 1971 fails to leave the stage for more than thirty years; shown in many different countries it was marked by the UNESCO medal as the best interpretation of Prokofiev’s work.
More and more frequently, the names of the theatrical performers of Kyiv appear on the playbills of playhouses abroad. Anatoliy Kocherha and Victoria Lukyanets are singing today on the most prestigious stages of Europe. With triumph perform Volodymyr Hryshko in the Metropolitan Opera House and New York City Opera, Mykhailo Didyk in Helsinki, Moscow and Detroit; Iryna Dvorovenko dances with one of the best American ballet companies, while Ivan Putrov is with the Covent Garden Theater. Olexiy Ratmansky is at the head of the Danish Royal Choreographic troupe, and Denys Matviyenko is the soloist of the ballet troupe at the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater in St. Petersburg.
Lately, the Kyiv Opera House troupe’s performances were listened to and watched with admiration in Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Japan, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Holland.
Presently, there are over fifty opera and ballet presentations in the Theater’s repertoire
Pictorial Art
Fine arts development in Ukraine harks back to the dawn of history. Archeological finds, especially dated to the period of Scythian and Trypilia cultures, are notable for proficiency of techniques and prove high artistic level of the artifacts by the ancestors of the present-day Ukrainians.
Specimens of the art of the Kyivan Rus that had been developing within the general line of the medieval European culture linked with the Church and Christianity reached our eyes in a more complete form. The leading genres of the imitative art of the Rus were mosaic, fresco, and icon and book miniature paintings. The extant world of old art as integral assembly of architecture, decorative and applied artworks is real at St. Sophia Cathedral of Kyiv where samples of secular painting of the 11th century have preserved unique for the whole Europe. However, until the 17th century icons remained the principal pieces of art in Ukraine.
The intermediary between the icon and secular portrait paintings were so-called parsuny, full-face portraits made using icon-painting techniques. Well-to-do members of the Cossack chieftains’ families in great number ordered their portraits to be made. It is for the second half of the 18th century that the peak of the secular portrait painting fell on in the full sense of the term. At the same time, the tendency is evident of the gifted youth from Ukraine departing to St. Petersburg to the Academy of Art. Thus, the most famous artists of Russia of those days were Dmytro Levytsky from Kyiv and Volodymyr Borovykovsky from Myrhorod. Of the Ukrainian origin was also Anton Losenko, the creator of the historical style of the Russian academic art.
Regarding the pictorial art in the East Ukrainian land of the 19th century one might observe certain Ukrainian-Russian oneness: although the Academy of Art in St. Petersburg remained the primary center of education in the Russian Empire, numerous artists were attracted by Ukraine that they called “a new Italy”.
Famous Russian artist Vasyliy Tropinin used to say that Ukraine was in place of the Academy for him. He lived and worked for many years in Podilia and devoted a vast number of portraits to Ukrainian theme including: The Girl from Podilia; A Boy with an Axe; Wedding Party at the Kukavtsi Village; The Ukrainian; Portrait of a Peasant from Podilia, etc.
The brilliant Ukrainian poet and painter Taras Shevchenko also attended the Academy of Art in Saint Petersburg; however, the external circumstances such as exile and ban to paint prevented his talent to be uncovered in full measure. In the romantic pictures The Peasant Family, Gypsy Fortune-Teller and others, deviation from pure academism is already noticeable. The versatile gift of the artist reached academic heights in graphics too: in 1860, Taras Shevchenko was awarded the title of Academician in engraving of the Academy of Art (for the series of gravures Picturesque Ukraine, etc.).
The great seascape painter Ivan Aivazovsky, who spent major of his life in his native Feodosia, dedicated his art gallery to this town. Ukrainian theme was also often present in his pictorial art works Canes on the Dnipro Nearby the Small Town of Aleshky, and the scenic picture Wedding Party in Ukraine that was unique for the painter.
Innovative for landscape painting has become the creative work of Arkhyp Kuindji who was born not far from Mariupol. The very first picture Night on the Dnipro set by him for display caused sensation in St. Petersburg. The painter skillfully applied the brush to convey the the play of air and light on canvas.
Realism-the main trend of the pictorial art of the second half of the 19th century was especially distinctive in the creative work of the members of Peredvizhniki, the “Partnership for Movable Art Exhibitions”. Incidentally, Ivan Kramskoi, founder and moral leader of the group, painted the best renowned portrait of Taras Shevchenko. Its membership also included artists of Ukrainian origin Mykola He, Olexandr Lytovchenko, and Mykola Yaroshenko.
Originating near Chuhuyev was Ilya Repin, the Russian realist painter who often came to his native land and repeatedly visited the estate of Tarnovskys, Ukrainian patrons of art, at Kachanivka. Noteworthy is the fact that exactly at that place he made the first sketches to his famous masterpiece Cossacks Writing Letter to Turkish Sultan.
The majority of works of the prominent genre painter Mykola Pimonenko portrayed the village life. Generosity, emotionality and high artistic skill are distinguishing features of Christmastide Fortune-Telling; Wedding Party in Kyiv Province; Seeing-off the Recruits; Matchmakers; Harvesting; To Fetch Water; Trade Fair, etc., the canvas painted by him. Author of over 715 paintings and pictures, Mykola Pimonenko was one of the originators who in this nation combined the genre art with poetic Ukrainian scenery, as well as founded an art school in Kyiv.
They called him ‘sun hunter’: Olexandr Orlovsky was one of the founders of the new Ukrainian realistic genre of landscape; at the same time Olexandr Murashko, Ilya Repin’s disciple, is seen as the best Ukrainian portraitist of the late 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
The nation conscience art first appeared in the creative work of Serhiy I.Vasylkivsky who devoted his skill completely to Ukraine. He painted landscapes of the Dnipro region, Podilia, Slobozhanschyna, as well as architectural monuments, genre and historical pictures, in particular Cossacks in Steppe; Cossack’s Levada (infield), Taras Shevchenko’s portrait, etc. On the other hand, he collected and studied objects of interest related to the Ukrainian antiquity art, and together with Mykola Samokysh, painter of battle-pieces, created the album titled From the Ukrainian Antiquity, 1900. The historian Dmytro Yavornytsky wrote commentaries to the watercolors made by Vasylkivsky.
The advance of Ukrainian painting during the post-revolutionary period was affected by the confrontation of artistic schools and trends. Side by side with those following the traditional realism were adherents of futurism and formalism, which example is the wall-paintings by Vasyl Yermilov of the Kharkiv Com. Party Club. On top of mass pictorial propaganda in full swing quite noticeable progress was achieved in easel painting and graphic arts. Canvas of Kyriak Kostandi, Fedir Krychevsky, Olexandr Murashko, Mykola Samokysh were the most prominent, while Mykhailo Zhuk, Ivan Padalka, and Volodymyr Zauze worked the most actively in graphics. Heorhiy Narbout formatted the first books of Soviet Ukraine as well as the magazines Mystetsvo (the Art), Zoria (dawn), and Sontse Truda (Sun of Toil). During the early post-revolutionary years I. Trut, O. Monastyrsky and I. Kurplas worked in the Western Ukraine.
The Kyiv Institute of Art became the true center of the vanguard art to which Kazimyr Malevych returned at that time, being already the founder of suprematism-the art school of highly geometric abstract painting style.
Ukrainian vanguard represented by painters Olexandr Bohomazov, Mykhailo Boichuk, Anatoliy Petrytsky and others turned out to be the bright page at the turn of the century. Mykhailo Boichuk had set up neo-byzantism, a new trend in the monumental art of the 20th century by resting it on the organic combination of the traditional Old Russian icon painting with constructive peculiarities of the Byzantine style. Unfortunately, quite a few first-rate painters, e.g., Mykhailo Boichuk, Vasyl Sedliar, Ivan Padalka and others perished during the time of repressions.
Negative tendencies of the Communist party socialist realism characterized the development of Ukrainian art of the 60s to 80s of the last century when the populist academic style of the preceding 19th century was imposed with dogmatism and pomposity prevailing over the expressiveness. On top of that, creative experiment and search for new forms were actually banned in accord with the slogan that the Art must be understandable to the ‘vast working masses’. Nevertheless, simultaneously creative work continued by such outstanding artists as Olexiy Shovkunenko, Tetiana Yablonska, M. Derehus, and Vasyl Kasyian.
Today, the art pieces of Tetiana Yablonska, Ivan Marchuk, Fedir Humeniuk, Andriy Chebykin, Vasyl Borodai and others are well known far beyond the Ukrainian border.
Since the times of princely state amateur folk pictures were the essential component of the Ukrainian painting. This primarily concerns the series of national characters such as Cossack with a Bandura, Cossack Mamay, etc. The 20th century produced a cluster of talented masters of folk paining who in their creativity advanced further the colorful and fantastic images born by human imagination and realized in style according to the laws of the folk art of the 18th to 19th centuries and Ukrainian decorative painting. Among them are Hanna Sobachko-Shostak, Paraska Vlasenko, Natalia Vovk, Paraska Khoma, Maria Pryimachenko, Nykyfor Drovniak from Krynytsia, Kateryna Bilokur, Ivan Skolozdria, and others.
Films
Alfred Fedetsky, a photographer, had happened to be the author of the first Ukrainian film comprising several news topics shot in September 1896 in Kharkiv. Already the same year in December, almost concurrently with the first public film show in Paris, the moviemaker arranged the first Ukrainian performance at the Kharkiv Opera Theater.
Pioneers of the Ukrainian moviemaking at the start of the nineteenth century preferred screening film versions of the popular Ukrainian plays Natalka Poltavka (with Maria Zankovetska participating), Moskal the Wonder Maker, and Naimytchka (The Hireling). At the same time, the attempt had been made to shoot a film on the subject of Ukrainian history, however again on the theatrical basis, that is, Bohdah Khmelnytsky by Mykhailo Starytsky. Creative activity of quite a few popular actors is connected with pre-revolutionary motion pictures in Ukraine. The ‘queen’ of the screen of that time was Vira Kholodna born in Poltava, who acted in films a great deal in Odesa.
From 1919, total governmetization began of the motion picture industry in Ukraine. In 1922 the all-Ukrainian Photo and Cinema Administration, a flexible enough structure, was founded that managed to reconstruct production in Odesa and Yalta, and, in 1928, to put into operation a movie studio in Kyiv, one of the largest in the world at that time, that later became the Olexandr Dovzhenko Kyiv Movie Studio. At the same time, producers of the fiction films attempted to combine the subject of the October revolution with melodrama and adventure that were traditional genres during the preceding period (e.g., The Ukrasia by P. Chardynin and The Diplomatic Courier’s Bag by O.Dovzhenko). During the period screen version of the classical fiction such as Taras Triasylo, Mykola Dzheria and Boryslav Laughs also appeared in Ukraine
Late in the 20s, a new modernistic trend in the Ukrainian movies made itself known that resulted thanks to the cooperation of the producer Les Kurbas and authors Mykhailo (Mike) Johansen and Yuriy Yanovsky. The distinctive moviemaker and famous sculptor I.Kavaleridze (Prometheus and Zaporihia Sich Cossack beyond the Danube) was also working the unbeaten paths in cinematography.
The Dovzhenko’s films Zvenihora, 1928, Arsenal, 1929, and Zemlya, 1930, played a special role in the making of the Ukrainian cinematography. His artistic efforts raised this country’s film industry to the world level. In 1958, at the World Fair in Brussels (Belgium) the poll conducted among the outstanding 117 movie critics and cinematologist from 26 countries of the world named the latter film among the twelve best films of ‘all the times and nations’.
In 1930, the first talking picture, the documentary by D.Vertov The Symphony of the Donbas, was released, while the next year movie goers were already heard voices of actors in the feature film The Front by O.Solovyov.
Late in the 30s, the total terror reigns while existing side by side with the relapse deemed opportune to the national and historic past. The films Schors, 1939, by Olexandr Dovzhenko and Bohdan Khmelnytsky by Ihor Savchenko are striking conflation of the situational government order enforced and the explicit director and actor skills.
During the WWII, the Ukrainian movie industry, being partially relocated to the East, was mostly placed to perform the appropriate ideological wartime tasks. However, during the period true masterpieces were shot. One of them is the film Raiduha (Rainbow) shot by Marko Donskoy to the script by Vanda Vasylevska that depicted the most expressively the tragedy of the Ukrainian village occupied by the Germans. The film had won a series of international awards including Oscar in the best foreign-language film category (1944).
Although the Ukrainian films of the 1945 to 1953 period were constrained by strict rules of ‘socialist realism’, their great value lies in the high standard of acting skill: Mykhailo Romanov, Amvrosiy Buchma, Dmyto Miliutenko as well as young then Serhiy Bondarchuk appear on the screen on top of the highly masterly camera work (for instance, Podvyh Rozvidnyka (The Feat of Intelligence Officer, 1947) directed by Boris Barnet and Danylo Demutsky as cameraman; Taras Shevchenko, 1951, produced by Ihor Savchenko and shot by D.Demutsky, and others.
The political thaw late in the 50s and early 60s sky-rocketed the Ukrainian film production. Pictures had appear that are still highly popular with the moviegoers: Spring on the Zarechna Street, 1956, directed by Marlen Khutsiyev and F.Myroner, and Za Dvoma Zaitsiamy (Two Birds with a Stone), 1961, produced by Victor Ivanov.
The names of the world value – the producers Serhiy Paradzhanov, Yuriy Illienko, Leonid Osyka, and Mykola Maschenko, and actors Ivan Mykolaichuk, Yuri Shumsky, Hnat Yura, Konstantyn Stepankov, Mykola Hrynko, Bohdan Stupka represented the Ukrainian film industry of the 60s.
Such films as Tini Zabutykh Predkiv (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors), 1964, by Serhiy Paradjanov, Krynytsia Dlia Sprahlykh (Well For the Thirsty), 1965, by Yuriy Illienko, Kamianyi Khrest (The Cross of Stone), 1968, by L. Osyka initiated the so called ‘Ukrainian poetical films’. However, the political reaction of the so-called ‘social stagnation period’ virtually liquidated this Ukrainian creative trend: Serhiy Paradjanov was excluded from cinematography and removed from public life; a ban imposed on the film Dovhi Provody (The Prolonged Seeing-Off,), 1971, the ‘author’s’ masterpiece by Kira Muratova; Yu.Illienko’s films Vechir Na Ivana Kupala (Midsummer Night, 1968, Bilyi Ptakh z Chornoyu Oznakoyu (White Bird with Black Mark), 1971, met its dramatic fate. A bit later, the esthetics of the Ukrainian poetic movie trend stimulated actor Ivan Mykolaichuk’s debut as director of film Babylon-XX, 1979; significant elements of it come forth in such films as Mykola Maschenko’s Commissars, 1971, and How the Steel Was Tempered, 1973.
Disregarding reactionary bureaucracy of the Ukrainian film production during the Brezhnev era of 70s and 80s, a series of films appeared created by powerful creative personalities. Leonid Bykov shot the film Only ‘Old Soldiers’ Go into Battle, 1972, while in 1982 Roman Balayan, having done highly professional screening of several Russian literary classics, in his film Flights in One’s Sleep and Awake, 1983, precisely imparted phenomenology of the time.
Nevertheless, those years turned out to be the heyday for the Ukrainian non-fiction films. The Kyiv Studio of Popular Scientific Films managed to shoot a great deal of films, among which came to light the true masterpieces of the genre, e.g., The Language of Animals; Do Animals Think?; The Seven Steps Over the Horizon by F. Soboliev and a number of others.
Highly successful was this period also for the Ukrainian animated cartoon films. Films produced by Volodymyr Dakhno (the serial The Way Cossacks …), Davyd Cherkasky (Captain Vrungel Advanchers, Wings, etc.), Leonid Zarubin (The Bull of Straw), Volodymyr Honcharov (The Milky Way) made famous the Ukrainian animation far beyond the country’s borders.
During perestroika quite a few films were made that had explicit social orientation: The Syndrome of Asthenics, 1989, by Kira Muratova; The Scourge of God, 1988, by O. Fialko; Rozpad (Collapse), 1990, by M. Belikov, etc.; Yuriy Illienko‘s Swan Lake, The Zone, 1989, received much acclaim internationally as anti-totalitarian movie symbol.
During the 90s, the Ukrainian TV media was mastering the genre spread worldwide of shooting TV serials with Roksolana by B. Nebieridze and Ostriv Lubovi (The Island of Love) by O. Biyma being the examples.
During the turn of the millennium a line of Ukrainian actors were engaged in foreign films. Of great commercial success happened to be the Jerzy Hofmann’s With Fire and Sword with Ukrainian actor Bohdan Stupka in the role of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Since then Bohdan Stupka is number one performer of hetman’s role on the Ukrainian screen: he acts in the historical serial The Black Rada, 2000, by Mykola Zaseiev-Rudenko and Yuriy Illienko’s film The Prayer for Hetman Mazepa, 2001.
During the recent years, a new generation of moviemakers arrived. In 2001, the starting art director Taras Tomenko triumphed in the Panorama competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, while in 2003, at the main completion in Berlin the Silver Bear prize was awarded to the film Tram Route #9 by the Ukrainian animator Stepan Koval. Oles Sanin represented Ukraine for Oscar Academy Award in 2003 with his film Mamay.
High Fashion
The fashion in Ukraine obeys the rules of conduct accepted in the world. Hence, Ukrainian pret-a-porter week Fashion Seasons founded by the RIA “YANKO” (advertising and news agency), Eve magazine and “Serhiy Byzov” fashion house is held in Kyiv since 1997 twice a week.
Ukrainian designers
The name of Mykhailo Voronin, fashion designer and entrepreneur, is famous far outside Ukraine. His collections won numerous international rewards including such prizes as „The Golden Thimble" (Paris, 1993), “The Best Trademark of the Year» (Rome, 1997 year), international prize for quality „ The Golden Arch of Europe" (Madrid), the highest degree of recognition - Global Quality Management (USA). Outlets of Voronin’s stores are open in Vienna and New York, and fashion shows of his collections are staged continuously in the world fashion capitals. Presently, his garment factory Zhelan’, which he heads for many years, is one of the three in Europe fitted with the most state-of-the-art equipment.
The designs by Victoria Hres’ gained distinction from the first Fashion Seasons shows (autumn-winter 1997). It was already then that the Victoria’s efforts raised the roof and attracted press people’s rapt attention who called her the most sensational discovery of the event. They marked off especially the refined classic style that her collection possessed. The designer “hit the nail on the head” at the first stroke by defining her client well – an independent woman that actively makes her own life and takes important decisions.
The traditional word combination of words "vanguard designer" will scarcely allow grasping the creations of Olexiy Zalevsky. Not merely a fashion designer, he is also a master of performance capable of constantly amazing by his creative ideas and a new approach to seemingly usual things and events. He is an adherent of the “limitless pret-a-porter” view according to which all the things that can be put on physically are suitable for everyday wear.
Olga Hromova is a phenomenal combination of a fashion designer and a new economic structure manager. The unique designs of footwear, accessories and jewelry harmonized with hand-made embroidery and pattern on cloth clear the path for Olga to create integral and unique models. Demonstrations of her collections are inevitably successful in Kyiv and Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Deli, London, Geneva and other major European cities. Apart from the design-studio, Olga Hromova heads also the companies Hromova Exclusive and Hromova Design. On top of that she makes corporation apparel for the Philip Morris Corp., Interbrew, British Tobacco, and Galahar companies.
Creations of the Lilia Pustovit belong to the so-called conceptual vogue that unites designers from various European countries. At the same time being national and cosmopolitan, her collections are known even better than in Ukraine. Idolized by the “advanced” youth and favorite with fashionable pundits, she often appears in the best and most stylish selected magazines L’Oficiele, Elle, Vogue. However, as a holder of the Golden Button award and prize-winner of the Admiralty Needle contest and various festivals, Lilia treats the public attributes of her talent philosophically. Very calmly and continuously, she realizes what is bestowed on her by creating on harmonious images that are both highly topical and independent of time.
The original style of Victor Anisimov is well known not only in Ukraine but also in Europe. As master of collection-performance, he became the “calling card” of the Ukrainian fashion. It is exactly for such a collection that he was awarded the Golden Button prize at the international contest In Vogue in Vilnius in 1999. His undertaking with ‘transformers” was, however, only one of the stages in his creative activity. Today, he is using different techniques, but that fails to change his habitual audience – modern and cosmopolitan urban youth. One of the inescapable features of Anisimov’s collections is topicality, and not only in style, but of social nature.
Still as a green dressmaker, Olexandr Hapchuk ventured boldly for an experiment by offering his services to the commercial center Stolychny, an ordinary place of particular activity where on top of other things there was a tailor’s workshop. The designer was eager to show that genuine professional is capable to realize himself under any conditions despite all kind of limitations and special requirements. As a result, the bright and bold collections of the commercial center became the major events at the Fashion Seasons. The whole country started talking about wonderful clothier who equally fine and with good taste worked with male and female attire. By revealing new facets of beauty in each of his models, Hapchuk is anxious to create fashion which perfection one may enjoy for long.
Olena Vorozhbyt and Tetiana Zems’kova have gained international recognition when they became awardees of the Assembly of Untamed Fashion in Riga. With time, their creations happen to be more balanced. And today the Vorozhbyt-Zems’kova tandem manifests a very balanced style that in equilibrium combines unblemished functionality and comfort as well as complies with the latest trends in European vogue. The designers are seeking no easy roads and reject attempts to produce impression at the account of the extreme element. They fundamentally avoid going deep into ethnic exotics, negativism, aggressiveness or the present-day urbanistic culture. Staying within the frames of classic female fashion, the two girls are creating highly up-to-date, compelling, positive and bright images united with unflawed cut, splendor of materials and precision of artistic techniques.
In artistic creations of Oksana Karavanska talent professionalism of a designer goes hand in hand with vivid perception of mysticism of the old Carpathian Mountains, their ainciant history and impressive beauty. Native of Lviv, Oksana feels strongly the vigor of the Ukrainian culture although her collections are quite far from direct ethnographic borrowing. Knitting, embroidering, beadwork, and handmade fabrics turn into natural elements of the present-day ensembles imparting uniqueness and custom-made look, a very important feature at the age of mass production. Oksana’s collections were successful on shows in Kyiv, Warsaw, Budapest and other capitals. The Ukrainian coloring of the collection makes itself felt not only in designs, but also in the production of the show accompanied by both authentic and adapted music of the Carpathian Ukraine.
Diana Dorozhkina, the designer that makes her masterpieces of fur and leather, won recognition at one of the most prestigious international contests of young designers Etoiles de la Mode in Belgium. Her dress Sea Shell turned out as best at the competition Crystal Silhouette. From year to year, the collections of Diana emerge as demonstration of new textiles, color spectrum and classic dress particulars renovated. In her collection, leather is combined with silk, chiffon and plaiting; corset has become her distinguishing feature. Diana makes promotion of her collections invariable always reminding the all the fur is of Ukrainian origin.
Anna Babenko is absolutely sure that businesswoman should dress brightly, showing ingenuity and stirring up interest, sometimes even outlandishly but, certainly, fashionably and staying within the limits of bourgeois respectability (in the positive sense of the word).
Painting suffered a great loss when Olexandr Moniak made his mind to become a fashion designer. His superb appreciation of color, the ability to create super-complex chromatic and tonal compositions and skill to impart mood and state through coloring make his collections unparalleled on the stripy map of the Ukrainian fashion.
