Professional activities and creative contacts of Zoltan Sholtes in the context of cultural and political life of Transcarpatia in the 1933–1948

Abstract

The purpose of the article is the scientific reconstruction of Z. Sholtes' development as an artist and the identification of key aspects of his life in the first half of the 20th century in the context of contemporary cultural, social and political challenges. The research is aimed at clarifying the role of Z.Sholtes in the formation of the cultural space of Transcarpathia, the influence of socio-political changes on his work, as well as the manifestation of interaction with other artists and intellectuals of that time.

Research methodology involves the use of general scientific and special methods. Analytical method was used in the study of sources and literature. Reconstruction-analytic, historical-diachronic and synchronistic methods were used to study the nature of historical-cultural processes. During the systematization of the illustrative material, the induction method was applied. For the analysis of paintings, art historical categories and practical experience of visual and complex analysis were used.

The results. The peculiarity of the creative attitude of Z. Scholtes is the fact that his formation as an artist took place simultaneously with his formation as a clergyman, accordingly, the time frame outlined in the study – «1933–1948» is substantiated by the facts of the beginning and end of his official pastoral activity as a Greek-Catholic the priest and related life and professional circumstances. The artist's life in many aspects reflected the current situation of the region: changes in the political and social system, state power, transformation of cultural and artistic priorities. At the same time, in this environment he managed to become one of the leading artists and founders of the regional school.

Conclusions. The study of the professional activity and creative contacts of Z. Sholtes in the context of the socio-political life of Zakarpattia in 1933-1948 allowed a deeper understanding of his contribution to the development of the art school and the cultural environment of the region. It also showed how the political and social challenges of that time affected his creative activity and personal life. The article shows how interaction with like-minded people and organizational artistic efforts contributed to the professional growth of Z. Scholtes. The symbiosis of spiritual practice and creative pursuits became catalysts for the formation of an expressive artistic identity of the artist.