ARTISTIC PROCESSES IN THE DONETSK REGION IN THE 1980s–1990s

First, a brief overview of the history of the artistic life of the Donetsk region in the 20th century. Starting from the second half of the 1920s and up until the late 1930s, industrialization unfolded in Ukraine—a political course aimed at the accelerated construction of socialism. Since the Donbas possessed vast coal deposits, industries closely related to coal mining—such as metallurgy, machine-building, power engineering, chemical, and fuel industries—began to actively develop in both the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The unprecedented enthusiasm of the working masses inspired people to accomplish extraordinary feats of labor in the name of the communist ideal, in which the newly formed community—the Soviet people—devoutly believed and set out to build. The slogan well known to all Soviet people, “To study, study, and study again!”, clearly encouraged young people to explore the world and the knowledge accumulated by humanity. The new generation was captivated by the ideas of constructing the world’s first social order of life. For young people, learning became a means of satisfying a long-standing thirst for knowledge; so persistently and purposefully did they strive for knowledge. And this applied to art education in no small measure.

It was during this period—in the 1920s and 1930s—that numerous art circles and fine arts studios were established in the Donbas. These operated under the newly built clubs and houses of culture of various factories, plants, and coal mines. As a rule, they were led by graduates of art institutions whose names have mostly been lost to history. Anyone desiring an art education could receive their first fundamentals in these numerous art studios and circles or take private lessons from an individual artist.

Due to the absence of an art educational institution in Yuzivka-Stalino, Donetsk artists, upon completing such a studio, were forced to leave for other cities to pursue higher education. For this reason, those who wished to dedicate their lives to the fine arts went to Luhansk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, or Lviv. Some traveled to Russia to study. While an art college was opened in Luhansk in 1928, no such institution existed in Yuzivka-Stalino-Donetsk for the next 50 years. Thus, conditions for creating, forming, and developing a local art school in the Donetsk region simply did not exist at that time.

The majority of artists left to study in cities that possessed secondary and higher art institutions, colleges, and institutes, and after completing their studies, they never returned home. Some artists, after receiving their education, did eventually return to their native region. There were also those who were not born in the Donetsk region but spent their entire working lives there.

The beginning of the 20th century, with its turbulent political currents and revolutions of the 1910s, followed by the Civil War and the NEP (New Economic Policy), likewise did not contribute to artistic development. The situation did not change even after the creation of the Organizational Committee of the Union of Soviet Artists of Donbas in Stalino in 1935 [3, p. 5]. In the same year, the first regional exhibition of Donbas artists was held, opening on August 11, 1935 [3, p. 5]. This year was special for the mining region: on the last day of August 1935, thanks to the labor initiative of Oleksiy Stakhanov, a hewer at the Tsentralna-Irmine mine in the town of Kadiivka, Luhansk region, the so-called “Stakhanovite movement” was born. This mass working-class movement aimed at increasing labor productivity and achieving high production indicators rapidly spread from coal production to all sectors of the national economy. The fame of the Donbas resounded throughout the entire country.

Almost a year later, Isaak Brodsky—Honored Artist, Professor, and Director of the All-Russian Academy of Arts—addressed a letter to Sarkisov, the First Secretary of the Stalino Regional Committee of the VKP(b) (All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks), proposing: “I propose creating a Stakhanovite portrait gallery in Stalino—a major art museum intended to perpetuate in works of art the great Stakhanovite movement, the best Stakhanovites, order bearers, and heroes of labor” [9, fol. 139]. To his letter, I. I. Brodsky attached his article, “Let Us Perpetuate the Great Stakhanovite Movement in Monuments of Art,” for publication in a local newspaper. In it, he asserted: “Through the brushes of great portrait masters, outstanding Stakhanovites, wonderful working people, commanders of industry, technicians, inventors, and distinguished leaders of production will be captured on canvas in vivid, unforgettable images” [9, fol. 140–141].

In 1937, the Second Exhibition of Donbas Artists opened in the Building of State Institutions in Stalino, presenting nearly 300 works [3, p. 5]. In 1939, the Stalino Art Museum was established; however, in 1942, almost its entire collection was looted and transported to Germany. Following the liberation of the Donbas from the Nazi invaders, as the economy was being restored, the region’s artistic life was revived as well. From January through April 1945, a traveling exhibition of works by Donbas artists was hosted in the houses of culture at the “Vitka” Felix Kon Mine and the Shvernik Mine [3, p. 5].

“Between 1947 and 1949, a small community of artists was formed, whose work defined the features of further development in our region’s fine arts for years to come. These included painters Vasyl Holovatyi, Ivan Kyrychenko, Yevhen Hreylikh, Ivan Lysov, and Oleksandr Proshyn; stage designers Volodymyr Moskovchenko and Eduard Lyakhovych; and sculptors Volodymyr Kostin, Klavdiya Vodopyanova, Mykola Baranov, and Lyudmyla Kazanska. Thanks to their efforts, a regional exhibition of Donbas artists was opened in 1947 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the October Revolution, featuring works by 60 authors” [3, p. 5].

The fine arts traditions of the post-war era continued to develop into the 1950s: over the decade from 1947 to 1957, eight exhibitions were organized, illustrated catalogues were published, and numerous public talks with visitors were held. In the 1960s, artists began returning to their native region upon completing their studies; furthermore, graduates of art institutions arrived from other republics of the USSR and various regions of Ukraine. It was during this period, starting from the late 1960s, that artistic life in the Donetsk region witnessed a significant resurgence—in 1968, a youth association and a committee for working with young artists were established under the Donetsk Branch of the Union of Artists of Ukraine (SHU). Over its four years of existence, the organization expanded to 43 members.

“In 1971, on the initiative of the Donetsk Regional Committee of the Komsomol and the Youth Association, a creative group was organized whose participants worked at Komsomol construction sites, industrial enterprises, coal mines, and collective farms” [3, p. 7]. In the summer of 1972, young artists primarily worked at the “Tochmash” plant (Donetsk), “Azovstal”, the Mariupol Azov Sea Shipping Company, fishery collective farms, and the Khomutovsky Steppe Nature Reserve. In 1974–1975, a republican creative group worked on the construction of the “3600” rolling mill at the “Azovstal” plant in Mariupol. Additionally, creative groups of Donetsk artists could be seen across various cities of the Donetsk region at major industrial enterprises—including the Donetsk Metallurgical Plant, the Khartsyzk Pipe Plant, the Makiivka Coking Plant, the construction site of the “Chervonoarmiyska-Kapitalna” mine, the Vuhlehirsk, Sloviansk, and Starobesheve State District Power Stations (GRES), as well as on vessels of the Azov Sea Shipping Company.

It was this new creative wave that later facilitated the opening of the Donetsk Art College in 1978. Nevertheless, Donetsk artists—representing various artistic schools including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Luhansk—were unable to form a distinct Donetsk school of painting throughout the 1950s–1970s. This is understandable: opening an art college alone is insufficient to establish a regional artistic style—all the more so because the Department of Painting was approved by the Ministry of Culture only in 1990. Essential components were still lacking, such as the establishment of a higher art educational institution, the formation of a teaching staff, the development of a curriculum, artistic movements, and core principles, as well as holding and discussing art exhibitions, and graduating several cohorts from both the college and the university level—all of which require many years. I am not certain that one can claim this objective has been resolved even today.

Concurrently during these years, creative ties were established with artists from other countries. In the spring of 1972, a small exhibition of works by Donetsk artists titled Donbas in Fine Arts was presented abroad for the first time, in Germany. International creative groups were also active, comprising artists from the GDR, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and other Soviet republics. Their work culminated in the international traveling exhibition Friends in a Fraternal Country, which was showcased in April 1974 in Berlin, Moscow, and Donetsk. A group of Donetsk painters worked repeatedly in Bochum, FRG. In turn, artists from Donetsk’s sister cities (Poland: Katowice, Chorzów, Tychy; United Kingdom: Sheffield; Germany: Magdeburg, Bochum) worked in Donetsk and Sviatohirsk, as well as in the “Kamyani Mohyly” Nature Reserve.

In 1973, Mariupol artists Oleh Kovalyov and Yevhen Skorlupin initiated the All-Ukrainian “A. I. Kuindzhi Memorial,” with artists Valentin Konstantynov and Lel Kuzmynkov acting as its organizers. “We understand the creative process within a given direction of art as an irrational act uncontrolled by consciousness, where internal aesthetics serves as the artistic editor” [6, p. 12]. This statement was proclaimed in their Manifesto by members of the “KHARBARBOND” creative group, founded in 1983 by Mariupol artists Volodymyr Kharakoz, Serhiy Barannyk, and Oleksandr Bondarenko.

Starting in 1985, Viktor Tolochko, People’s Artist of Ukraine and Chairman of the Donetsk Branch of the Union of Artists of Ukraine (SHU), together with Executive Secretary Volodymyr Telychko, organized open-air plein air trips for creative groups to the “Kamyani Mohyly” State Steppe Nature Reserve (Nazarivka village, Volodarske District [now Mariupol District], Donetsk Region), the Sviatohirsk State Historical and Architectural Reserve, the Chervonyi Oskol River in the Kharkiv region, and Cape Tarkhankut in Northwestern Crimea.

In 1987, one of the first creative associations of alternative art in Eastern Ukraine was established in Mariupol. It was distinguished by its provocative work and innovative approach to painting. At that time, the city still bore the name of a Soviet-era party ideologue, and the civic movement advocating for renaming the city and restoring its historical name was only beginning to gain momentum. However, progressive Mariupol artists organized a unique artistic protest: young artists Anatoliy Manokhin, Yevhen Zolotko, and Volodymyr Kharakoz joined forces for joint exhibition activities. Their boldness lay, first and foremost, in adopting the title “Mariupol-87”, using the historical name of the city before it had been officially restored. They were soon joined by Serhiy Barannyk, Oleksandr Bondarenko, Lyudmyla Yetenko, Anatoliy Kalchenko, Valeriy Kramarenko, Vadym Lanovoy, Tetyana Lysenko, Vladyslav Makhotin, Svitlana Medovnyk, Volodymyr Misky-Oglu, Vasyl Chapny, and Yusef Ahmed-Fathi.

Later, Mykhailo Haplevskyi, Svitlana Derenchuk, Serhiy Kyrylov, Oleksandr Ovsiannykov, and Oleksandr Shpak joined them. “In their creative work, they sought new paths in art, new means of expression, and ultimately a different philosophy for understanding the surrounding world than the one accepted at the time” [1, p. 307]. The group’s first exhibition took place in the foyer of the Palace of Metallurgists. Subsequent exhibitions of “Mariupol-87” were held at the Donetsk Regional Art Museum and the “Arsenal” exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of Latvia in Riga. The exhibition was later hosted in Kyiv. In 1991, the “Mariupol-87” group participated in the International Exhibition Ukraine. New Names at the “Mezzo-Palace” exhibition hall in Vienna. Exhibitions in Italy, France, and Germany followed one after another, generating significant interest that culminated in the acquisition of paintings by major European museums, the fund of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, and private collectors.

In 1988, with the support of the Donetsk Branch of the Soviet Cultural Foundation, the “Avangard” Exhibition Center was opened in the very heart of Donetsk. Its inaugural exhibition presented a direct challenge to the conservatism of official fine art of the period. Works were exhibited by both first-time exhibitors and experienced authors, including artists who were officially recognized, unofficial, or partially recognized artists by the official artistic establishment: Anhelina Belikova, Serhiy Barannyk, Seraphim Bocharov, Oleksandr Bondarenko, Borys Danylov, Lyudmyla Yetenko, Anatoliy Kalchenko, Tetyana Lysenko, Nataliya Maksymova, Viktor Manuilov, Vladyslav Makhotin, Anatoliy Manokhin, Volodymyr Miski-Ohly, Oksana Mylovzorova, Pylyp Taralevych, Volodymyr Kharakoz, and Vasyl Chapni. It can be argued that “for several years, it served as a stronghold of informal culture.” “Avangard” became not only an exhibition hall, but also a club for anyone seeking open, uninhibited creative communication. Heated debates took place during vernissages and exhibition discussions, poetry was recited by talented poets, and guitar and flute music filled the space… The soul and organizers of this entire affair were Oleksandr Hlumakov, Mykhailo Tymofeyev, Vladyslav Shabalin, Serhiy Babych, and Vasyl Harkusha. “Avangard” existed for only three years, but this brief and highly intensive period became an era of self-determination for many Donetsk artists: a time came not to resist, but to assert oneself and bring one’s art to the public” [2, p. 1]. Its activities served as an impetus for many artists in defining their artistic identities and overcoming internal barriers in search of their creative paths. “Avangard” both discovered new names and provided established artists with the opportunity to manifest their individuality and freedom in painting.

The year 1989 was particularly milestone for the city of Horlivka, exploding into a cultural and artistic boom for its residents—a boom created by the sculptor Petro Antyp. Together with the artist Serhiy Novikov, he organized the “Skhid” (East) creative art group, which included Kostyantyn Chudovskyi and Vadym Leyfer; he became one of the founders of the “Skhid-Art” Gallery in his hometown, and initiated and co-organized an international stone sculpture symposium.

In 1995, in Mariupol, “the ‘Vikno’ (Window) group was born, comprising Serhiy Kyrylov, Vadym Lanovoy, Oleksandr Shpak, Oleksandr Ovsiannykov, and Mykhailo Haplevskyi, who presented retrospective exhibitions of their work to the Mariupol audience. The first three became members of the Union of Artists of Ukraine (SHU)” [1, p. 307].

In 1999, the “Donetskyi Plener” (Donetsk Plein Air) creative association was established under the leadership of its initiator, People’s Artist of Ukraine Yuriy Zorko. The members of this group—comprising 18 artists—conducted plein air sessions not only in the most scenic locations of the Donetsk region (such as the “Sviati Hory” and “Kamyani Mohyly” nature reserves), but also along the Chervonyi Oskol River in the Kharkiv region, at Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea, and along the “Golden Horseshoe” routes in the Lviv region. Among them were Volodymyr Bauer, Oleksandr Vorona, Larysa Dzharty, Viktor Endeberya, Borys Eryomin, Oleksandr Zhantalay, Hennadiy Zhukov, Viktor Yevdokymov, Yevhen Orlykov, Oleksiy Polyakov, Valentyna and Volodymyr Telychko, Hryhoriy Tyshkevych, Polina Shakalo, and Oleksandr Shpak.

The activities of these groups, composed of post-war generation artists, inevitably influenced the next generation of creators. Active creative figures began initiating various art events, taking up the mantle from previous masters. As this constitutes a topic for a separate study, I will simply provide a few examples. “In recent years, new creative groups such as ‘Sviatohiria’ (led by H. Tyshkevych), ‘Donetsk and Donetsk Residents’ (led by B. Eryomin), and ‘South of Donbas’ (led by V. Dementyev) have gained popularity among artists” [3, p. 12]. The All-Ukrainian “Sloviansk Ceramics Symposium – 2001” (initiated by artist Heorhiy Bero) was held in Sloviansk with great success. Sculptor Petro Antyp organized the “Ukrainian Steppe – 2006” International Stone Sculpture Symposium in Donetsk, the “Ukrainian Steppe – 2007” International Stone Sculpture and Painting Symposium in Sviatohirsk and at the “Artgallery 13” in Donetsk, as well as an Ice Sculpture Symposium in Horlivka in 2012. From 2002 to 2014, another creative group, “Spivzvuchnist” (Harmonization), was active, consisting of the artist family Valentyna Telychko-Evert, Volodymyr Telychko, and their son Vasyl Telychko-Evert.

Regrettably, since 2014, the Donetsk land has been occupied by the Russian army, disrupting all established creative processes. Artists have been scattered across the globe, and some have passed away. Due to these circumstances, conducting research and retrieving necessary information has become significantly more complex. Nevertheless, despite everything, this work must continue. There is an urgent need to dispel misconceptions surrounding the Donetsk region and to reveal its vast cultural potential.

REFERENCES AND SOURCES

1. Burov, S. “Mariupolska orhanizatsiya Natsionalnoyi Spilky khudozhnykiv Ukrayiny” [Mariupol Organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine]. In Khudozhnyky Donetschyny [Artists of the Donetsk Region], compiled by R. H. Klymenko, 306–307. Donetsk: Promin, 2008. (In Ukrainian).

2. Donetskiy veter. 20 let spustya: katalog vystavki [Donetsk Wind. 20 Years Later: Exhibition Catalogue], text by M. Tretiakova. Donetsk: Donetsk Regional Art Museum, 2009. 42 p. : ill. (In Russian).

3. Klymenko, R. “[Khudozhniy litopys Donetschyny]” [Artistic Chronicle of the Donetsk Region]. In Khudozhnyky Donetschyny [Artists of the Donetsk Region], compiled by R. H. Klymenko, 3–17. Donetsk: Promin, 2008. (In Ukrainian).

4. Memorial A. I. Kuyndzhi: Vseukrayinska vystavka peyzazhu, Mariupol, 4–24 veresnia 2007 r. [A. I. Kuindzhi Memorial: All-Ukrainian Landscape Exhibition, Mariupol, September 4–24, 2007]. Mariupol: Arkhip Kuindzhi Center of Contemporary Art and Culture, 2007. 33 p. : ill. (In Ukrainian).

5. Simpozium keramiki – 2001, Slavyanskiy muzey-park keramicheskoy skulptury: katalog [Ceramics Symposium – 2001, Sloviansk Museum-Park of Ceramic Sculpture: Catalogue], compiled by N. Popova and Ya. Merzlykh. Donetsk: Hlyny Donbasu, 2001. 24 p. : ill. (In Russian).

6. Streltsova, M. “«KharBarBond». Mariupolskyi podykh svobody” [“KharBarBond”: Mariupol Breath of Freedom]. Obrazotvorche Mystetstvo, no. 1 (2015): 12–15. (In Ukrainian).

7. Art. Gulfstream presents. Exhibition catalogue. Riga, 1991. 43 p. : ill.

8. Brodskyi, I. “V pamiatkakh mystetstva uvichnymovelykyi stakhanovkyi rukh” [Let Us Perpetuate the Great Stakhanovite Movement in Monuments of Art]. 1936. State Archives of Donetsk Region, F. P-326, Op. 1, Spr. 612, Fol. 140–142. (In Ukrainian).

9. Brodskyi, I. “[Lyst do Pershoho sekretaria Stalinskoho obkomu VKP (b) Sarkisova S. A.]” [Letter to S. A. Sarkisov, First Secretary of the Stalino Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks]. 1936. State Archives of Donetsk Region, F. P-326, Op. 1, Spr. 612, Fol. 139–139 ob. (In Ukrainian).