Text and Image: Essential Problems in Art History
Text and Image: Essential Problems in Art History is an international peer-reviewed biannual electronic journal established by the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine). The journal has been launched in 2016 with the aim of contributing to the development of scientific communication between researchers who study fine art in historical and cultural contexts. The Editorial board encourages submissions of previously unpublished original scholarly articles on topics of significance to those concerned with the problem of historical narrative and visual imagery correlation, in various cultures, from ancient to recent history. We also invite to submit brief contributions, including book and exhibition reviews, interviews and short surveys. The journal is indexed in DOAJ eISSN: 2519-4801 The editorial board of Text and Image: Essential Problems in Art History is pleased to announce that the upcoming issue No. 2(22), 2026 will be devoted to political iconography — a methodological framework introduced by Martin Warnke that has profoundly influenced the study of art’s political dimensions. In the second half of the twentieth century, art historians increasingly explored how images shape, reflect, and challenge power. Warnke’s concept of political iconography opened new perspectives for examining visual strategies of propaganda, representation, and ideology — from Antiquity to the present. This special issue seeks to revisit and critically reassess political iconography in diverse historical and regional contexts, with particular attention to Central and Eastern Europe. Suggested topics include: – the legacy and critique of Martin Warnke’s approach; – the development of political iconography in Central and Eastern Europe; – image politics in Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Early Modern period; – art and power in totalitarian regimes; – the potential of political iconography for studying 20th- and 21st-century art. Abstract deadline: 1 February 2026 Submit to: Illia Levchenko, Special Issue Editor — levchenko@knu.ua Full papers (based on accepted abstracts) are due by 1 August 2026.
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Technological Utopias of the 20th century
This article aims to systematise and analyse the key methodological and thematic dimensions of research on technological utopias presented at the international conference “Understanding Techno-Utopias Across the East-West Divide: Creators, Enablers, and Audiences” (Basel, 25–27 June 2025), and to identify the principal contemporary trends in this field. Methods. The study draws on an analytical review of late-twentieth-century approaches in the history of technology; a systematisation of conference presentations by methodology; and a comparative thematic analysis of papers, discussions, and visual materials. Results. The analysis shows that twentieth-century techno-utopias are approached primarily as socio-technical projects that reveal the complex interplay between technologies, expert knowledge, ideology, state power, and public reception. Participants employed a wide spectrum of methodologies, including the Large Technical Systems (LTS) paradigm, the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), and Actor-Network Theory (ANT), as well as environmental history, visual history, and the cultural history of technology. Systematising the papers made it possible to distinguish three core thematic clusters that mirror current research priorities: 1) the subjugation of nature and the infrastructural “re-drawing” of landscapes, encompassing megaprojects aimed at radical transformation of nature (e.g., dam construction or climate engineering); 2) technology transfer and adaptation and intercultural dialogue across the “Iron Curtain,” covering studies of the import of Western technologies, ideas, and practices (for example, refrigeration technologies, camera manufacture, and urban planning concepts) and their transformation in the Soviet context; 3) the use of technology as an instrument of social engineering and control, where technologies are examined as tools for shaping identity and governing society (e.g., through the health-care system, the application of cybernetic principles in urban governance, or computerisation). Conclusions. The studies demonstrate that the relationship between technology and the public good was re-thought in the twentieth century. New approaches to analysing technological development and its societal effects have foregrounded the multiplicity of actors. Overall, the findings make visible the ambivalence of modernisation, in which utopian promises frequently yielded dystopian practices.
Soviet Utopia through the Lens of Art History
technological utopias, 20th century, visual history, cultural history of technology, environmental history, Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Large Technical Systems (LTS), modernisation, Ukraine.
Copyright (c) 2025 Text and Image: Essential Problems in Art History https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
This article explores the contextual parameters underlying the development of art history as an academic discipline in Soviet Lviv in the mid-twentieth century. One of the key considerations behind the formulation of this problem - “the transformations of the post-war decade (1946–1956)” - is the chronology of the formation and professional activity of many leading Lviv art historians in the second half of the twentieth century, whose publications helped to shape the distinctive canon of Ukrainian art historiography. The aim of this article is to examine the activities of institutions that continued, revived, or initiated research in the field of art history in post-war Lviv during the 1940s–1950s, viewed through the prism of individual life trajectories and the scholarly achievements of their representatives. Beginning with the figures of Ilarion Svientsitsky, Władysław Podlaha, Mieczysław Gębarowicz, Pavlo Zholtovskyi, Borys Voznytskyi, and Volodymyr Ovsiychuk, and drawing upon documentary sources and historiography, the study seeks to reconstruct the institutional dynamics of change shaped by the ideological imperatives of the post-war Soviet regime. Methods. The research draws upon historical methods grounded in the concepts of ‘situated knowledges’ and positioning, as well as a network approach, which is particularly suited to studying individual scholars within their professional environments and circles of communication. Results. Applying the network approach made it possible to trace the dynamics of transformation within both existing and newly established scholarly and museum institutions in Lviv during the post-war period. The study identified the specific features of their “transformations” as they adapted to the ideological objectives of Stalin’s programme for the colonisation of the western territories of Ukraine annexed after 1939, a process reflected in the organisational mechanisms of their academic activity. The article also examines the contributions of key figures engaged in art-historical research in Lviv. In particular, it contextualises selected stages in the scholarly careers of Pavlo Zholtovskyi, Olena Zbronets, and Borys Voznytskyi. The main focus rests on the tension between individual professional choices and the official demands and directives imposed upon art history by the Soviet authorities. Conclusions outline the nature of ideological transformations in the museum and academic institutions of postwar Lviv under Soviet control and reveal elements of indirect resistance manifested in the activities of several generations of scholars. At the same time, they highlight several aspects that appear especially promising for further research on the historiography of Ukrainian art within an epistemological paradigm.
art history, post-war Lviv, transformations, scientific program.
Soviet Technological Utopianism and Amateur Photography in Ukraine
This article aims to explore Soviet technological utopianism through the lens of amateur photography in the Ukrainian SSR, with particular attention to the social history of technology. The article, too, strives to demonstrate how technical limitations and socio-political conditions shaped Soviet photographic culture, and how amateur practices often transcended official ideological frameworks. Methods. The study employs interdisciplinary approaches of the social history of technology, Actor-Network Theory, and the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT). It relies on archival sources, materials from photo laboratories, vernacular visual archives, and Soviet-era publications. Methods of visual anthropology are also applied to interpret everyday photographic practices. Results. The analysis shows that Soviet authorities sought to use amateur photography as a tool of propaganda and socialist construction. In practice, however, photo laboratories and clubs failed to fulfill political tasks, while mass amateur photography evolved into a private practice of memory preservation, status display, and family identity building. The production of cameras in the USSR, particularly the “Kyiv” models, illustrates the tensions between imported technologies and local social needs. Conclusions. Amateur photography in the USSR did not serve as an instrument of the Soviet utopian project but rather reflected the conservative values of society and the quest for private space. It reveals the complex interplay of technology, politics, and everyday life, offering deeper insights into the dynamics of Soviet visual culture. The study emphasises the significance of private visual archives as a source for reconstructing the social history of Ukraine.
Soviet photography, technological utopianism, social history of technology, amateur culture, visual anthropology, Kyiv cameras, everyday life
Ruin in the Realm of Soviet Techno-Utopia
The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the historiography of research on ruins in urban and techno-utopian spaces. The paper identifies analytical clusters, defines their functions, and proposes a new concept of «ruins of imperialism», relevant for understanding the transformations of the material heritage of Western Ukraine in the Soviet context. Methods. The methodology combines historical-cultural, sociological, and visual analysis. The study draws on historiographical approaches to the study of ruins, including Georg Simmel’s ideas of ruins as material carriers of time and nostalgia, as well as contemporary research on urban, industrial, and political transformations. Particular attention is given to the analysis of visual and cultural practices. Results. The historiographical analysis identifies four interconnected clusters of research on ruins. The first cluster – ruins and the techno-utopian decay of infrastructure – considers ruins as negative markers of socio-political and modernisation processes. The second cluster – ruins as instruments of political and ideological mobilisation – examines how ruins are integrated into urban transformations, shaping collective memory and cultural meanings of regimes. The third cluster– visual and cultural representation of ruins in art – treats ruins as active symbols shaping perceptions of historical time, memory, and social processes. The fourth cluster – ruins in the context of memory studies – considers them as material mediators of collective identity and cultural memory. In this study, ruins are analysed not only as physical decay but as symbolic spaces, which intertwine history, social processes, and cultural imagination. Based on this analysis, the concept of «ruins of imperialism» is suggested to designate the material remnants of infrastructure and architecture of former imperial regimes in Western Ukraine, which after World War II were either integrated into Soviet modernisation or remained marginalised. This concept is relevant because it allows these objects to be understood as visible traces of historical rule, while also assessing their role in shaping local memory, nostalgia, and identity in the post-imperial space. Conclusions. Ruins elevate material heritage to the status of an active cultural and social agent, which shapes understandings of history, memory, and identity. Infrastructural and architectural remnants of former empires in Western Ukraine did not disappear following integration into the USSR but were transformed into symbolic and functional spaces. The concept of «ruins of imperialism» allows for an analysis that combines material traces of history with their impact on local memory, nostalgia, and cultural identity. The study demonstrates that the continuity and transformation of imperial projects within the Soviet context created a multi-layered space where past and present interact in symbolic and social dimensions.
utopia, techno-utopia, USSR, ruins, ruins of imperialism, historiography, anthropology of art
Music of the Free World in an Unfree Country
Purpose. The article aims to reconceptualise scholarly approaches to examining the acoustic environment of Soviet Ukraine. Using works produced by representatives of various historiographical schools, it examines how scholarly approaches to this phenomenon have evolved over time. Methods. Through an analysis of works from different historiographical traditions, the study traces methodological shifts – from rigid ideological frameworks characteristic of Soviet scholarship to contemporary interdisciplinary sound studies that integrate cultural anthropology, social history, and the anthropology of sound. Results. The research identifies the main stages in the evolution of studies on the acoustic environment: from ideologically driven portrayals framing sound as an instrument of political propaganda to more nuanced understandings of sound as a key marker of cultural resistance and personal identity. Promising avenues for further research are outlined, including the use of digital technologies, the expansion of the primary source base through oral history, and the exploration of archives of domestic sound recordings. Conclusions. The article suggests a new framework for examining sound in the Soviet context, combining historical analysis, cultural studies approaches, and the anthropology of sound, thus enabling a comprehensive assessment of the role of the acoustic environment in shaping socio-cultural reality.
acoustic environment, Soviet Ukraine, historiography, sound studies, anthropology of sound, cultural resistance, methodology, interdisciplinary approach
Purpose. The article explores the possibility of establishing a historical basis for the existing artistic representations of Ostafy Dashkovych, a prominent statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the first third of the 16th century. Methods. The study of this topic employs both general and specialised scientific research methods. In particular, it is grounded in the principle of historicism and makes use of logical, chronological, and comparative approaches. Results. The portrait image of Ostafy Dashkovych remains a subject of debate in modern scholarship. Both artists and historians have engaged with this topic. The most well-known and widely circulated depiction is the portrait by the Polish artist Jan Matejko, created in 1874. It was not until 2021 that two Ukrainian authors made new attempts to create an artistic representation of Dashkovych. A key issue remains the use of reliable historical sources in reconstructing his image. One such source is the painting The Battle of Orsha, possibly created during Dashkovych’s lifetime. This artwork is particularly significant, as there is reason to believe that Dashkovych participated in the battle and may be depicted alongside Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky. Conclusions. Reconstructing the image of Ostafy Dashkovych in artistic form is impossible without reference to 16th-century historical sources – particularly the written description of his appearance from 1529 and visual materials from the period, such as the painting The Battle of Orsha. Moreover, there is reason to believe that Dashkovych may have participated in this battle and could, therefore, be represented in the painting.
Ostafy Dashkovich, portrait, Jan Matejko, «Battle on Orsha»
The Ambivalence of Folklore and National Identity in Ukrainian Cinema of the Soviet Thaw Era
Aim. This paper focuses on the work of American historian Joshua First, who explores Ukrainian cinema from the second half of the 20th century. The main goal is to highlight First’s methodological innovations, particularly his interpretation of cinema as a tool for the politics of looking and identity. The study also examines his introduction of the terms «folkloric regime» and «ethnographic regime» to explain the tension between official ideology and the visual representation of national identity. Methods. The analysis is based on a close reading of First’s monograph and the key sources he engages with (including Benjamin, Adorno, Bourdieu, Thompson, Mignolo, Anzaldúa, Golubev, among others). A multidisciplinary approach is used, combining historical, cultural, philosophical, and visual analysis. A central method involves comparing Soviet films from the Stalinist and post-Stalinist periods, such as those by Pyryev, Savchenko, Parajanov, Osika, and Illienko, and examining visual images in museified spaces like open-air museums and ethnographic landscapes. Results. First identifies two distinct modes of representing the national: the folkloric regime, used to exoticize and idealize local cultures under Soviet ideology, and the ethnographic regime, which seeks to visually reclaim authenticity. Through an analysis of Carpathophilia as both a cultural and political phenomenon, First shows how Ukrainian cinema – especially in films like Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors – became a space for decolonial expression. The study pays particular attention to the dynamics of gaze, space, authenticity, and the symbolic recognition of the Other in Soviet visual narratives. Conclusions. Joshua First’s research offers a fresh rethinking of Ukrainian Soviet cinema and visual culture. His innovative terminology and analytical tools reveal deeper layers of political, cultural, and identity-based struggle within the visual sphere. The work contributes significantly to decolonial approaches in the humanities, opening new perspectives on local experience, transgression, representation, and memory. It is relevant not only to film historians but also to scholars of culture, identity, and postcolonial Eastern Europe.
Joshua First, The Thaw, Ukrainian poetic cinema, Parajanov, border thinking, folkloric regime, ethnographic regime, Carpathophilia
The Graphic Image of the 'Enemy' in Medical Periodicals of the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s: Shaping the Identity of the 'Soviet Person'
This article aims to analyse the processes of social categorisation and the dissemination of stereotypes, focusing on the construction of the 'enemy' image and its key components as promoted by the Soviet authorities in Ukraine through graphic illustrations in medical popular science periodicals during the second half of the 1920s. Methods. The article is based on an analysis of visual and textual materials from the popular medical journal “Shliakh do zdorovia” (“The Path to Health”), published in the Ukrainian SSR since 1925. The research employs approaches from social identity theory and stereotype theory, as well as semantic analysis of both texts and images. Results. The Soviet regime pursued a policy of constructing antagonistic social groups and defining them in ways that allowed the population to identify them quickly. Through graphic illustrations published in newspapers and journals, the Bolsheviks created and disseminated negative portrayals of specific social groups. Medical periodicals had their own distinctive features: the image of the 'enemy' was shaped within the context of addressing public health issues. As part of broad campaigns against tuberculosis, alcoholism, and religion, the Bolsheviks portrayed the bourgeoisie, merchants, landowners, clergy, and officers of the Tsarist army in an unfavourable light. These groups were accused of having played an 'anti-people' role in the past, were blamed for current social problems, and their actions were contrasted with the alleged improvements brought about under Soviet rule. Other groups deemed 'undesirable' by the regime – such as folk healers, private physicians, and entrepreneurs more broadly were also subject to criticism. Furthermore, in the latter half of the 1920s, the regime continued to circulate traditional 'enemy' images from the revolutionary period, including those of the Makhnovists and White Guards. Conclusions. The Soviet system of propaganda and agitation relied on a variety of methods for disseminating information, including specialized periodicals such as medical journals. Graphic imagery played a key role in embedding desired messages in the public consciousness. In the 1920s, the Bolsheviks developed a complex image of the 'enemy', encompassing various population groups united by shared characteristics – such as affiliation with the 'former ruling classes', a lack of subordination to the new regime, or opposition to the Bolsheviks during the revolutionary period. This constructed antagonism toward internal 'enemies' played a crucial role in shaping the mentality and identity of Soviet Ukrainian society, particularly among workers and peasants, who were intended to form the social base of the Bolshevik state.
journal graphics, Ukraine in 1920s, social identity, image of enemy, social stereotypes, propaganda, medicine, health care system, Soviet authority
The Role of the «Camera-Observer» in the Creation of Slow Cinema
The purpose of this research is to analyse the concept of the camera as a virtual observer of events and its role in the creation of slow cinema. The research methodology is grounded in the history of ideas, as the study focuses on a concept that requires clarification: the camera as an observer – that is, as a virtual character within the cinematic world, whose primary role is to perceive events and alter the ways in which they are viewed. This concept was developed by integrating the notions and characteristics of shot duration and spatial composition within the frame (in cases where they allow the observer’s agency to emerge), and by reformulating the parameters that define the frame as a technical element into the properties of vision. Analytical methods were employed in examining historically described camera techniques, while synthesis was used to construct the defining features of the ‘camera-observer’. Results. To identify and describe the parameters characteristic of slow cinema, we examined film theory and studies on the stylistic approaches of directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Jean Renoir, Béla Tarr, and others. The concept of the camera as an observer encompasses a set of interrelated techniques: the use of 'dead time' (temps mort), which enables prolonged observation; planimetric and recessive spatial compositions; and the shifting roles assumed by the camera – as passive viewer, real participant, and active director. It also engages with the interplay between close and distant modes of viewing. This concept is closely linked to spiral and circular narrative structures, as well as to the typically detached behaviour of the dramatic character. The observer is imbued with the capacity to reveal the emotional qualities of a situation or location, not through dialogue, but through mood or behaviour – calmness, apathy, continual wandering, and movement from place to place. Conclusions. The features and connections described constitute the concept of the 'intelligent camera', which selects how to present a situation and embodies socio-emotional behaviour. Through the transformation of the camera’s technical parameters into those of an autonomous participant – when the camera assumes an independent role as an observer within the virtual world of cinema – slow cinema emerges as a distinct genre.
Slow cinema, camera, observer, dead time, Bazin, Antonioni, Renoir
Hunting Imagery in the Early Modern Period
The article is dedicated to the identification and analysis of hunting scenes in Western European prints of the Early Modern period. It aims to examine how hunting themes were depicted in the graphic arts of the time, their types and forms, narrative content, and the reception of the ancient goddess Diana within the artistic context of hunting history. The study also includes a reconstruction of the history of the previously unpublished engraving Sacrifice to Diana from the collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Methods. In this research, alongside general scientific methods, iconography and the methods of social art history were employed to interpret visual sources. Results. In the 16th to 18th centuries, printmaking was a relatively young art form that had only recently emerged from the realm of craft and was rapidly developing due to the growing volume of printed materials. The author analyses hunting-themed engravings, their genre characteristics, and how they reflect changes in hunting practices, all within the context of Early Modern print culture. The image of Diana, the goddess of the hunt, inspired many artists to use her figure to convey values and ideals relevant to their time. The engraving Xenophon’s Sacrifice to Diana by Pietro Aquila, based on a painting by Pietro da Cortona (Berrettini), is examined and introduced into scholarly discourse. This work serves as an example of how an artistic subject could become a model for imitation and reinterpretation through the lens of the copyist. While the original artwork was commissioned out of the patron’s admiration for the figure of Diana, the engraving draws parallels between contemporary events and episodes from ancient Greek history. Conclusions. The article attempts to analyse the depiction of hunting in Early Modern printmaking, a task complicated by the relative scarcity of studies on specific graphic genres as an independent art form. The findings may be useful for thematic art history courses, particularly those focused on the reception of antiquity in the Early Modern period.
hunting, engraving, XVI-XVIII ct., art of Western Europe, Antiquity, Diana of Ephesus, culture
The text is a Ukrainian translation of an article by Fedir Shmit (a specialist in the history of Byzantine and Rus’-Ukrainian art, historic preservation, and museum studies and theorist of art) on the Ravenna mosaics of 1112, which was published in 1914 in No. 7 of of the Lantern magazine. The author raises the question of the roots and historical classification of the Ravenna mosaics of 1112. Shmit provides a detailed analysis of the artistic features of the monument, considering it in the relevant temporal and geographical contexts. The scholar not only scrupulously describes the mosaics, but also makes a thorough historiographical review, considering all the pertinent studies of European researchers at the time. Fedir Shmit argues that the Ravenna mosaics of 1112 are Byzantine in style and technique since the essence of an artistic work lies in its style and technique, not in its plots and iconography.
Федір Шміт, візантійське мистецтво, мозаїки, Равенна, Архієпископський палац.
«The Color of Pomegranates»/«Sayat-Nova» as a decolonial act by Sarkis Parajanyan
The review reveals aspects of decoloniality in the film of the famous Armenian director of the second half of the 20th century Sarkis Parajanyan «The Color of the Pomegranates». It was first shown in 1968 in the Armenian SSR, and then, the cutted edition, in 1973 throughout the USSR. However, the film did not become popular during the Soviet period. In addition, it underwent many changes due to censorship: editing, deletion of some scenes, film frames, audio, etc. In 2014, the film was restored with funds from the Martin Scorsese Foundation. In the same year, it was shown at many international events, including the 67th Cannes Film Festival. The film itself tells in poetic form episodes selected by the director from the biography of the 18th-century Armenian ashugh Sayat-Nova. It also largely represents Armenian culture: rituals, traditional crafts, local Christian architectural and pictorial traditions, etc. That is why I am interested in the nature of the representation of the above-mentioned elements of the film. The film is generally recognized as revolutionary in the context of Soviet cinema, so I have no doubts whether it could be conformist. This review examines the question of the nature of the representations of the poet's biography and Armenian culture: is it anti-colonial, post-colonial or decolonial.
Sarkis Parajanyan, «Sayat-Nova», act, decoloniality, Armenian culture, biography, experience
The professor Serhii Hiliarov (1887-1946) affair
The study aims to analyze the impact of political circumstances, repressions of the 1930s, and the Nazi occupation of Kyiv on Serhii Hiliarov's scholarly work and political trajectory. The main goal is to identify how historical circumstances influenced Hilyarov's work at the Khanenko Museum, teaching at the Kyiv Art Institute, and art research under the pressure of totalitarian regimes. Methods. This is qualitative empirical research, based on a critical analysis of primary and secondary sources including interrogation protocols, Hiliarov’s articles, lectures, and works by contemporary historians. The research incorporates documents from the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, the Central State Archive of Public Associations of Ukraine, and the Central State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art. The subject is examined within the context of the Bolshevik consolidation of power in Ukraine during the 1920s, the repressions of the early 1930s, and the Nazi occupation of Kyiv from 1941 to 1943. Results. The research clearly identifies the events in Serhii Hiliarov’s life that influenced the integration of Bolshevik and Nazi ideological narratives into his articles and lectures. Notably, his arrest in 1933 marked a turning point after which Hiliarov increasingly incorporated Bolshevik ideology into his work. With the establishment of the Nazi occupation administration in 1941, he selectively included elements of Nazi propaganda in his writings. Conclusions. Serhii Hiliarov sought to focus on academic and teaching activities, striving to maintain objectivity even under political pressure. During the 1924–1932 period, his work largely avoided overt politicization. However, this period also revealed his dissatisfaction with the Bolshevik regime, reflected in conflicts with students and opposition to the sale of artworks by Derzhtorg. These events culminated in his arrest in 1933, after which Hiliarov began producing works aligned with the ideological demands of the authorities. We believe this shift resulted from fear of further repression and pressure from the GPU. Hiliarov’s activities during this period illustrate not only forced collaboration with the regime but also his strategic use of the ideological context to preserve his ability to conduct scholarly work. This approach enabled him to continue studying art while working at the Khanenko Museum and teaching art history. This survival strategy proved useful during the Nazi occupation of Kyiv from 1941 to 1943. On the one hand, Hiliarov openly criticized Bolshevik policies in Kyiv. On the other hand, he adapted to the new conditions to continue his professional work and safeguard the Khanenko Museum’s collection.
Serhii Hiliarov, The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, repressions, art history, Kyiv, totalitarianism.
Ukrainian Baroque in the structure of official explanations:the aspect of architectural historiography
The purpose of this research is to reveal the montage of meaning of the Ukrainian Baroque style category with its ideology promoting components. Statements, which became the expression of cultural phenomenon interpretation, are the basic object of the analyzing. The research is particular due to the fact that it studies the established in architectural historiography explanations, but not limited to the only architectural discourse. It is selective as well, because it represents the common statements’ circulation tendency. The basic methods are structural analysis, content analysis, genealogical, comparative. Results. During the study of selected explanations of Ukrainian Baroque in architecture, the four chronological periods were defined. Each ideologically divided period is distinct by a typical set of patterns and imperatives. The single explanations are expressively intertextual. It was revealed that from the beginning of research interest to the baroque monuments conceptual apparatus raised a cultural value of the region that was a part of the Russian Empire. It contributed to integration in the European cultural processes as well as established the possibility of broader identification, particularly national one. At last it intensified the explanations. Therefore, the concept of national was an integral counterpart of the definition of baroque, conflicting with it to varying degrees. The discussions from the beginning of 1940s about national in architectural style left a negative mark on the meaning of baroque as alien to the traditional folk. This dichotomy developed in the following decades and formed to stylistic concepts in 1960s and 1990s, used today by academics. Conclusions. The constructed explanations laid the ground to contemporary discourse of Ukrainian Baroque. It should be noted that it relates to the paradigm developed in the 1990s. The myth of national identity style which was a substitute of Ukrainian Baroque since 1950–1960s transformed to Eurocentric at that time, but in fact remained the same conceptual wholeness. That is, the meaning of baroque as national style became legitimate during the years of Ukrainian independence, but it transferred the traces of Soviet-Marxist methodology, which obviously limits and deforms perception. Therefore, it needs to be revised.
Ukrainian Baroque, architecture, style, explanation, historiography
Medieval Manuscript Studies of Helena Ettinger in 1930s
The purpose of this article is to restore the place of Helena Ettinger’s research in the study of medieval manuscripts during the 1930s. Due to incomplete evidence and the loss of her work, The Illuminations and Miniatures of Greek and Cyrillic Manuscripts of the 9th–15th Centuries (1935–1936), Helena Ettinger’s position among researchers in Ukrainian bibliographic studies remains undetermined. Her activities as a research associate in the manuscript department of the Library of the Academy of Sciences and the State Historical Library have been limited to a descriptive level in reference publications. Methods. The article draws on archival documents from the Institute of Manuscripts at the Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine and the New York Public Library. It also employs prosopography and comparative biographical methods to reconstruct the scholar’s biography more comprehensively. Results. Based on the preserved introduction and reviews by Mykola Heppener and Serhiy Maslov, the article provides qualitative insights into Ettinger’s lost work. The authors note that Ettinger used the term ornamentation to mean illumination and clarify other terms she employed (e.g., Cyrillic, index, defects). Ettinger's methodological approach surpassed the prevailing practices of her 1930s contemporaries by extending beyond textology and palaeography to incorporate codicology and visual studies. Conclusions. Ettinger carried out meticulous work in compiling collection descriptions, editing predecessor records to establish a uniform standard, creating methodical instructions for miniature descriptions, and contributing to exhibition efforts. Her connections included writer Ivan Le and American ethnologist Stella Marek Cushing, and her interests extended to ethnographic materials. Ettinger’s scientific contributions—such as the stylistic comparison of Greek and Cyrillic medieval manuscripts based on decoration, her linguistic expertise, and her maintenance of international scholarly contacts—along with her background (stemming from a dekulakized Jewish family), may have adversely affected her fate. Her sudden dismissal from the library and her subsequent disappearance during the German-Soviet war remain unexplained.
Book studies, medieval manuscripts studies, Helena Ettinger, Mykola Heppener, Serhii Maslov, Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine named, 1930s.
Fedir Schmit and the Study of Byzantine Art: The Kharkiv Years
The aim of the study is to draw additional attention to the academic legacy of Fedir Shmit, a specialist in the history of Byzantine and Rus’-Ukrainian art, historic preservation, and museum studies and theorist of art, as well as to offer a Ukrainian translation with commentary of his article on the Ravenna mosaics of 1112, which appeared in 1914 in No. 7 of the Lantern magazine. Research methodology. The work uses the descriptive, comparative-historical, and biographical methods, as well as the method of philological commentary. The results. The study presents a Ukrainian translation of a research paper by Fedir Shmit that sheds light on the question of whether the early 12th-century Italian mosaics in Ravenna belong to the Byzantine tradition. The introduction to the translation focuses on Shmit's development as a scholar of Byzantium, clarifies a number of facts from his biography, and briefly surveys recent scholarship on Shmit’s work. The study as a whole contributes to the continuing efforts on the part of today’s researchers to render in Ukrainian Shmit’s influential work in Byzantine studies and art history. Conclusions. The academic output of Fedir Shmit has not lost its significance and relevance. The ‘Kharkiv period’ of his career was highly productive for Shmit as a specialist in the history of Byzantine art and museum studies; his works published during this time meet even today’s academic standards. One such still-important piece of scholarship is the article “The Ravenna Mosaics of 1112”, presented here in a Ukrainian translation. The Ravenna mosaics of 1112 Schmitt considered the subject of the study of the history of Byzantine art, probably sharing the views of Nykodim Kondakov about the significance of Byzantine influence and his constant presence in Italian art during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. This statement generally does not contradict modern research tradition.
Fedir Schmit, Byzantine art, mosaics, Ravenna, Archbishop's Palace
The art of Nikodem Zubrzycki in Kostiantyn Shyrotsky’s studies on Ukrainian national style
The purpose of the article is to focus attention on the personality of Kostiantyn Shyrotsky (1886-1919) and his understanding of Ukrainian national style, as well as his mentioning the art of Nikodem Zubrzycki, a prominent engraver (end of the 17th c.– beginning of the 18th c.). The research methods included dialectic interdisciplinary approach, biographical and comparative methods, iconographical and formal stylistics analysis. Being a unique figure in Ukrainian culture, K. Shyrotsky during his short life was engaged in research in the fields of history, archeology, history of art and culture, ethnography, folklore, and local history. Fundamental education, numerous field expeditions allowed the scholar to formulate his vision of the Ukrainian national style regarding religious painting, decorative art, graphics and architecture. The researcher believed that the Ukrainian national style should be based on folk art and national spiritual heritage, but also be relevant to modern European cultural trends. The personality of N. Zubrzycki and/or his iconography attracted the attention of K. Shyrotsky in author’s numerous works. The engraver worked in key places for Ukrainian culture - Lviv, Univ, Pochaiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv. Zubrzycki depicted not only the religious plots, but also the landscape, animals, and everyday scenes, created a grand series of allegorical images based on the Bible, mythology, philosophy and literature, used European iconography and creatively transformed it, producing in turn prototypes imitated by the Ukrainian and foreign masters. Zubrzycki has certainly been one of the creators of the Ukrainian national style, for his images were still popular in folk art almost 200 years later, which Shirotsky noted. The results of our research determine the contribution of N. Zubrytskyi to the development of Ukrainian art, its genre diversity, and the formation of the national style through the vision of Kostiantyn Shyrotsky who was one of the first to note this role of Zubrzycki. Conclusions. The study allowed to formulate the peculiarities of Ukrainian national style in art which are realism, allegorical sense and moralization, plot modernization and decorativeness, and to demonstrate their presence in the works by N. Zubrzycki.
Kostiantyn Shyrotsky, Nikodem Zubrzycki, Ukrainian art, Ukrainian national style, image, woodcut, copper-plate engraving
Purpose. This study is aimed to verify the conflicting versions of the Peter Paul Rubens modello «God of Scheldt, Cybele and the Goddess of Antwerp» (ca. 1615) provenance, and to compile the most complete documentary dossier for this artwork. Methods. During the research, we followed the provenance list published by Niels Buttner in 2018 step by step, and were looking to broaden and complete it. To do so, we analysed primary sources, namely annotated copies of auction catalogues and minutes of Parisian auctioneers from the late nineteenth century. In addition, to recreate the broader context of the work's existence, we used biographical and genealogical methods. Results. As a result, five new provenance lines were added to the nine, already established by Niels Buttner. In particular, the identity of the painting’s last owner before the Khanenkos was found, as well as the source of the misunderstanding that remained within the main hypothesis about the painting's arrival to the Khanenko collection. Conclusions. The research made it possible to recreate a rather complete ‘biography’ of the work: from the collector who owned it until 1781 to its entry to the Kyivan collection. We are now aware of the names and main life events of its previous owners, the geography of its movements, the changes in its market value, as well as variations in the interpretation of the painting's subject over almost two hundred years. Rubens's authorship has never been questioned, and therefore it is a rare example of a work, the attribution of which has remained unchanged since its documented appearance on the art market. Hopefully, the further research will allow us to complete the knowledge on the painting's origins: from its creation around 1615 to its entry into the collection of Claude-Florentin Solier, its first currently known owner.
provenance research, Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish painting, Ukrainian art collections, the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, history of collecting, Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard.
The origin of the formation of Khanenko Museum`s Oriental Art Collection: establishing the biography of K. Morita
The article focuses on establishing the provenance of a part of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Art ukiyo-e prints collection. The author analyses a number of sources, including the catalogue of the Hôtel Drouot auction (11-12 March 1912) “Estampes japonaises appartenant à nonsieur [sic] K. Morita, Estampes japonaises, bronzes, laques, gardes de sabres, paravent brodé, monture en bois de fer appartenant à monsieur P.”. and commissaire-priseur André Desvouges’ notes. This allows us to establish new information about the purchase of art objects by the Khanenko family, and the exact number and value of items in the collection of Japanese prints. The research establishes the life and achievements of the previous owner of the collection of prints, Kikujiro Morita. His career was part of the global increase in the foreign policy influence and status of the Japanese Empire as a serious political player in the international arena during the Meiji period of 1868-1912. Kikujirō Morita's role as a secretary and escort for diplomatic cultural missions allows us to discover the stages of the collection's formation, as well as the likely places of acquisition or temporary location before its final stop in Paris. The context of the development of Japanism as a phenomenon in Europe and its collapse in the 1910s influenced the formation of the auction's price offers. The article demonstrates the polarity of attitudes towards the art of ukiyo-e printmakers in the Japanese Empire and Europe (low price with high demand). Particularly valuable is the newly discovered information on the auction sale of artworks by Kikujiro Morita.
ukiyo-e, tsuba, Japanese prints, auction catalogues, Hôtel Drouot, Japanism, Franco-Japanese relations, Japanese community in Paris, international exhibitions, Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko
The Blue Lily Studio: Foundation, Activities, Significance
Introduction and Objective. The studio movement in Kharkiv in the early twentieth century was an important prerequisite for the spread of innovative ideas that turned Kharkiv into one of the main centres of the Ukrainian avant-garde in the early twenties. The leader of this movement was the Kharkiv artist Yevhen Agafonov and the Blue Lily Studio (1907-1912) he founded. The purpose of the article is to clarify the membership of the Blue Lily Studio, to analyse in detail the types of its activities, to establish the relationship between its members, and to understand the significance of the studio. Methods. The study is based on the analysis of archival documents (correspondence, memoirs, etc.) and periodicals of Kharkiv in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Comparison and comparative analysis of the data allowed to reconstruct the evolution of the Blue Lily Studio, fill in factual gaps, and structure the activities of Yevhen Agafonov's studio by areas. Results. The article examines the prerequisites for the appearance of the studio movement in Kharkiv in the early twentieth century and analyses in detail the activities of the Blue Lily Studio. A significant array of documentary materials is introduced into scientific circulation, which allows to significantly expand the source base of the study of the studio movement and the Blue Lily Studio in particular. The study presents the most complete list of Blue Lily members to date, creating a panoramic picture of the studio itself and its artistic practices in the context of the Kharkiv studio movement. Founded by Kharkiv artist Yevhen Agafonov as a studio, Blue Lily quickly turned into an artistic association, as its members were not only engaged in painting and drawing, but also in various artistic and cultural activities. The studio members participated in exhibitions and published a literary and artistic almanac "Blue Lily" (1911), which contained literary works and reproductions of works by the studio members. The almanac reflected the studio's engraving activities and contained the first known publication of works by the Ukrainian avant-garde artist Maria Synyakova-Urechyna. The studio became also involved in theatre, as Yevhen Agafonov was the set decorator of the first cabaret theatre in Kharkiv, the Blue Eye, and the theatre decorations for the performances of this theatre were made in the Blue Lily Studio. In parallel with the Blue Eye Theatre, the studio members had their own amateur theatre, where they performed their own plays. Despite the Blue Lily's stylistic affiliation to Art Nouveau (German: Jugendstil), the studio also has features of the avant-garde as a network, as it combined artistic, exhibition, literary and theatrical activities and became the first association on the Ukrainian territory of the former Russian Empire to feature such a synthesis of the arts. After the closure of the Blue Lily Studio, its members created the Thistle Studio, from which a left-wing group split off in 1914 and opened its own Nakos-Vykus Studio of Sosvetor Futurists. The First World War interrupted the vibrant and fruitful studio life in Kharkiv. Conclusions. Ukrainian cultural processes in Kharkiv in the early twentieth century appear as a product of the activities of local cultural figures who relied on local traditions and were oriented towards European ideas, methods, and practices. The Blue Lily Studio combined different types of artistic activity and had features of the avant-garde as a network, becoming the first such association in Ukraine in the early twentieth century. For further research, it is important to fit the activities of the Blue Lily Studio into the European cultural process and clearly define both its European features and Ukrainian national characteristics.
The Blue Lily Studio, Yevhen Agafonov, studio, studio movement, Art Nouveau, avant-garde
Copyright (c) 2024 Text and Image: Essential Problems in Art History https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
The plot and artistic embodiment of Artemisia Gentileschi's painting "Judith Beheading Olofernus" through the prism of the artist's life circumstances
The article describes the early life of the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The main purpose of the study is to determine how the tragic circumstances of Artemisia's personal life influenced the formation and further artistic achievements of the young artist. In writing the article, the principles and methods of historical and anthropological research were used in combination with biographical, historical and comparative, iconographic, figurative, and stylistic methods. Among the historical and anthropological methods, the principle of anthropological interpretation and reduction is used, on the basis of which Gentileschi's work is analyzed as a way of self-objectification of the artist, and the principle of extrapolating a single fact from the artist's life to the anthropological interpretation of her works. The biographical method was used when working with biographical data, while iconographic and figurative-stylistic methods were used to study the attribution of works and analyze artistic visual means. The study is based on a detailed analysis of two early works by Artemisia Gentileschi: Susanna and the Elders and Judith Beheading Olofernus. The article touches upon the attribution and dating of the paintings, the non-randomness of the choice of the storylines, and the specific interpretation of the depicted elements on the canvases. The conclusion is made about the uniqueness of Artemisia's interpretation of iconographic canons and images in biblical stories. In her works, she tries to present her heroines not as passive objects from the male point of view, which were traditionally represented on the canvases of that time, but as purposeful individuals capable of making their own decisions. She portrayed them in a completely different way, giving them a power that other artists did not. Summing up the results of the research, the author concludes with their own assessment of Artemisia Gentileschi's works through the prism of the artist's life circumstances. It is argued that the subjects chosen by the artist for artistic embodiment reflect her own experience of emotional and sexual violence, public trial, contradictory testimonies, too lenient punishment for the rapist, and, finally, a kind of indifference and self-interest from her father towards his daughter. The study of psychological trauma is firmly established as a legitimate field of research. The example of Artemisia Gentileschi clearly demonstrates the fact that art can be used as a way of reflection, and the current situation with the growth of psychological traumas of various kinds in society requires a comprehensive search for various ways to overcome traumatic conditions in society.
artist, painting, gender studies, trauma, sexual violence, feminist criticism, medieval and early modern art
Exercises in the Military Art: the Clash of Knigts on London Panel in Paolo Uccello' s "The Battle of San Romano"
Purpose. The value of Renaissance documentary battle art, both as an genre and a historic source complex for military history and arms and armour studies, is undeniable. Medieval and early modern iconography provides the contemporary researcher with invaluable information about weapons, tactical concepts, fighting techniques and the specifics of weapon use that cannot be found in text narrative and documentary sources. The purpose, and the research novelty of our text, is to interpret Uccello visual narration of a clash of knights included in his masterpiece «Battle of San Romano» in terms of its relevance to 15th century military realities. Interpretation based mainly on the military treatise Exercitiorum Atque Artis Militaris Collectanea by Pietro Monte, an Italian condottiere, fencing master and writer of Aragonese origin. Methods. The authors agree with Martin Heidegger's statement that art is about «experience, not feelings». The articles research methods lie in the fields of social and hermeneutic directions of art history. Results. The article is devoted to a three-panel series «The Battle of San-Romano» by Paolo Uccello. Our study aims to find out how Paolo Uccello understood military technology in general and chivalric military technology in particular, how he conveyed his understanding through painting, and how his depictions relate to the practical combat experience of the fifteenth-century Italian military elite. To achieve the purpose, one of the two central subjects of the London panel was chosen - the clash of the four knight located in the right part of the composition. Depicted in great technical details, this scene has sufficient representational potential to demonstrate the author's competence/incompetence in representing armed violence of the period. In the process of research and comparison with the fighting instructions and observations of Pietro Monte, the authors came to the conclusions. Conclusions. Uccello`'s interpretation of armed violence is clearly verified by Pietro Monte's text. Despite the aesthetic innovations of The Battle of San Romano, its author adhered to what Michael Baxandall, following Christoforo Landino, called «imitation of truth», the established category by which Uccello's contemporaries perceived and evaluated visual art. Artist told us the story of the battle based on the combat experiences, techniques and practices that were appropriate at his time and place.
Renaissance military art, chivalry, arms and armour, Renaissance fencing treatise
Ancient stories in clay: Greek, Moche, and Maya painted ceramics within one book
“Picture Worlds: Narratives in Greek, Moche, and Maya Pottery,” edited by David Saunders and Megan E. O'Neil, is a catalog published to accompany the 2023 exhibition at the Getty Museum and the Michael C. Carlos Museum. The publication's main appeal is its unusual approach, combining three distinct cultural traditions into one comprehensive work. By exploring the context and characteristics of ceramic production in each culture, the authors highlight both commonalities and unique aspects of the ceramic work in these three cultures. Significant attention is given to iconography, the analysis of storytelling formats, and styles depicted on ceramic pieces. The book includes a wealth of high-quality illustrations, making it valuable for both general readers and professional researchers. This review summarizes the authors’ key ideas, analyzes the book’s structure, and assesses its strengths and weaknesses.
The Single Veteran Badge for Two Wars. Appropriation of the “Great Patriotic War” Commemoration Heritage in the Context of the Ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War
The study, focused on the case of the official badge “War Veteran” introduced in 1994, aims to reveal the process of symbolic appropriation of the legacy of the “Great Patriotic War” for commemorating the contemporary Russo-Ukrainian war. Methods. The paper is written at the intersection of history and social anthropology and belongs to the field of memory studies. Based on the concept of sites of memory proposed by Pierre Nora, the article demonstrates how their perception can change when they appear to be unchanged or only partially modified. The article traces the development of the Ukrainian system of war veterans’ awards in the context of the memory politics of the Second World War, with a focus on awards design. To analyze the awards’ design and their textual descriptions in official acts, elements of visual analysis and discourse analysis were used. The sources of the study, in addition to the phaleristics artifacts themselves, include legislative acts and documentation of the Ukrainian state authorities related to the commemorative awards and reports of Ukrainian news agencies that documented the situation around the “Motherland” monument. Results. Introduced in 1994, the “War Veteran” badge, intended for all persons with the official status of “participant in combat operations,” had the Soviet “Motherland” monument as its central design element, visually referring to the tradition of commemorating World War II and its veterans. Since 2014, this badge has been handed also to the War in Donbas participants, and since 2022 – to participants of the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war. However, its design has not been changed. Instead, the object used as the central element of its design was redefined, and the Soviet Motherland monument actually became one of the visual symbols of Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression. The symbolic appropriation was reinforced by physical changes to the monument itself, replacing the Soviet coat of arms with the Ukrainian one. Thus, the interpretation of the veteran’s badge is also changing, as the image on it is no longer perceived as irrelevant when received by contemporary combatants. Conclusions. The case of the “War Veteran” badge shows us the possibility and ways of “appropriation” of the commemorative legacy of the Great Patriotic War in the course of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
ommemoration, phaleristics, memory studies, World War II, Great Patriotic War, Russo-Ukrainian War, medal, badge
«Il Fior di Battaglia» symbols: iconography of early XV century fencing treatise by Fiore dei Liberi
Purpose. This article's purpose is the reconstruction of the creation context of the fencing treatise «The Flower of Battle» and renew some fragments from the Italian fencing master's life in the late 14th century - early 15th centuries with visual sources. Methods. We have looked into three Italian manuscripts, using comparative, hermeneutic and prosopographic methods. Results. The Renaissance fencing treatises is the popular research object for twenty years. The Italian material arts studies are based on the treatise of Fiore dei Liberi «The Flower of Battle». This source is an important part of modern European martial arts research and 15th century combat practices. An analysis of the sources (text, iconographic elements and archival materials) allows us to present several versions of the Italian master Fiore dei Liberi’s private and professional life. First of all, our attention pays on the ideas that contributed to the combat system structure in the treatise «Il Fior di Battaglia». The careful work with the symbols which are inside of manuscript structure allowed us to identify new details. It will help to better understand both the context of the text writing and its creation motivation for the author. Conclusions. It is important to note the attempt to fill in the blanks only with help of visual sources requires additional reinforcement with writing sources. However, the investigation of such a plan allows us to expand the field for the successor fencing treatises. Also it introduces a new perspective on the well known facts and highlights those ones, which have been lost by attention of the previous researchers. The study about fencing masters personalities and the formation concept of martial arts allows us to better understand its place among 15th century military communities. It is possible to follow both the paths of all combat practices and the relations between the users of such an intellectual product as a fencing treatise through the social connections of the fencing master.
Professional activities and creative contacts of Zoltan Sholtes in the context of cultural and political life of Transcarpatia in the 1933–1948
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.
Z. Sholtes, Transcarpathian school of painting, exhibition, creative interaction, Greek-Catholic priest, socio-political context.
Style and Taste of the Era: Menus as a Source of Research on Gastronomic Practices and Visual Culture of the Long Nineteenth Century
The investigation into the development of plots within the realm of artistic expression remains an enduringly pertinent subject. The distinctive backdrop of Ancient Greece offers a unique perspective for elucidating this evolutionary process, particularly through the medium of vase painting. The author specifically aimed at tracing the progression of a specific narrative type, centred around the depiction of the afterlife realm of Hades. This study also encompasses broader implications that can be inferred from the chronological evolution of this thematic construct. The intellectual landscape of the Greeks underwent a noticeable phase of desacralisation, characterised by a palpable shift in attitude. Narratives and figures that once commanded reverence started to be portrayed with reduced deference. The transformation of depictions related to Hades, spanning from the archaic to the classical period, is substantial. This transformation includes not only the iconography of Hades himself but also extends to his surrounding environment and accompanying characters. The very configuration of the underworld underwent a metamorphosis, and the personas within it underwent alterations. This process of desacralisation is not confined to vase painting alone; it extends into literature, a facet that will be detailed further. Significant changes in eschatological concepts find explicit expression in the works of notable contemporaries such as Plato, Euripides, Aristotle, and others. The evolution is particularly evident in relation to mythologies, with a noticeable surge in scepticism and critical scrutiny directed towards previously venerated myths. This critical perspective on myths was a relatively novel phenomenon in the literary domain until a certain epoch. Moreover, an exploration of the evolution of myths and the fluctuating popularity of specific narratives offers a lens through which to gauge the prevailing sentiments among the citizens of Greek city-states. Through a comprehensive analysis of diverse sources, the author endeavours to draw new conclusions and formulate fresh hypotheses.
long nineteenth century, visual culture, menus, design, gastronomic culture, eating behavior, culinary traditions, globalization, national cuisine.
Ethnographic photography by Jozef Kordysz (1824-1896)
The paper explores the personality and artistic endeavours of Jozef Kordysz, a professional photographer of Polish-Ukrainian background who worked in Kamianets-Podilskyi and Kyiv during the late nineteenth century. Kordysz is renowned for his photographic expeditions in Podolia and Kyiv regions, as well as his trip to the zone of the Russo-Turkish war (1877-1878). Despite belonging to the Polish nobility and having close ties to the nationally conscious Ukrainian intelligentsia in Kyiv, Kordysz hardly identified himself with either Polish or Ukrainian national projects. His interest in ethnographic photography appears to be purely commercial in nature. Unfortunately, the most significant part of Kordysz’s photographic heritage is preserved in private collections and museums in Russia and has never been properly published. Due to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the original materials are currently unavailable for Ukrainian scholars. Considering the exceptional value of these photographs for the history of Ukraine, the editorial board has decided to publish those photographs by Jozef Kordysz that are available on Russian Internet resources. The paper deals with the «Ethnographic Album of Little Russia» (1875), which includes pictures of Ukrainian peasants that Kordysz took during the 1860s in Kyiv region (the original album is preserved in the State Historical Museum in Moscow).
history of Ukraine, history of photography, visual archives, nineteenth century, ethnographic photography, Kyiv, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Podolia, Ukraine, Polish-Ukrainian relations, nationalism, photographers.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has left some Ukrainian cities in ruins. The towns occupied by Russian troops have become peculiar testing grounds for de-Ukrainianisation and battlegrounds of memory, where occupiers attempt to establish dominant narratives. The authors of this article aimed to examine these processes through the urban memory landscape of Mariupol. This landscape is considered a part of cultural memory, preserved and actualised through material carriers, including the city’s architectural appearance. Urban space and its transformations are seen as successive layers of memory, illustrating a particular memory hierarchy in Mariupol’s landscape across different periods. Attention is also drawn to the decision-making nature of the city authorities regarding urban development over the last hundred years. These decisions have not only shaped the urban landscape and determined a specific way of its interaction with citizens but also influenced the authorities’ vision of the city’s image and its impact on the formation of collective memory. The transformations in Mariupol throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries illustrate how it has become a battleground of memories, a place of forced forgetting. The text highlights how the forgetting and silencing of history have become mechanisms for manipulating collective memory. These processes are reflected in the urban space and the identity of its citizens. An overview of the changing landscape of memory between 2016 and 2022 is also provided. Regarding the formation of collective memory, the text demonstrates the changes in the landscape during the city's occupation in 2022, particularly the processes of imperative change in the urban memory landscape and the attempts of the occupation authorities to create visual images and narratives that form a new memory landscape.
Dynamics and dialectics: unraveling the politics of the contemporary art biennale
The sphere of the Contemporary Art Biennale is a place where aesthetic expression and political discourse are intertwined with social engagement. In «The Politics of the Contemporary Art Biennale», Panos Kompaciaris explores the dynamics of large-scale art exhibitions. Using a different theory, the author initiates his research by referencing the 7th Berlin and 3rd Athens Biennales. In his analysis, Kompatsiaris illustrates the transition of the biennale from simple visual art exhibitions to a platform that promotes significant socio-political dialogues. The author proposes a model of the «discursive biennial», outlining its development dynamics within a larger number of social and political movements and its alignment with the goals of the new institutionalism, aimed at the democratization of public artistic spaces. In the review, we consider Kompatsiaris' argument that articulates the «ambiguous politics» inherent in the biennale and his call for deeper engagement with local contexts to enhance the ambitions of the activists powering these events. Despite minor editorial flaws, the book contains an important text offering arguments, a theoretical framework, and case studies that significantly contribute to the discussion of contemporary art exhibitions and their relationship with socio-political narratives. This review combines book highlights with insights from various sources and a collaborative review article to provide a nuanced understanding of the intellectual terrain Kompatsiaris navigated in his exploration of the Biennale of Contemporary Art.