Ukrainian Avant-garde. Age of Innovators

Kharkiv

Kharkiv Art Technical School
Now Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts

Kyiv

Kyiv State Art Institute
Now National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture

Odesa

Odesa Art School
Now Grekov Odesa
Art School

Lviv

Lviv Art and Industrial School
Now Lviv National Academy
of Arts

The Ukrainian avant-garde, an artistic and cultural movement emerging from the 1900s to the 1930s, was a unique combination of Ukrainian folk art and European modernist trends, including Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, and Symbolism. It pioneered a unique approach to visual arts, literature, and other forms of creative expression, while also celebrating Ukrainian identity and promoting independence from Russian cultural dominance.

Unfortunately, the Ukrainian avant-garde often goes unrecognized as a distinct art movement and is mistakenly associated with the broader “Russian avant-garde” in international art circles. This misclassification stems from Ukraine’s historical connection with Russia and Soviet Union, and its attempts to appropriate Ukrainian art and culture. Artists like Oleksandra Ekster, Kazymyr Malevych, David Burliuk, and Volodymyr Tatlin are wrongly labeled as “Russian” artists, though their true cultural and national origins are deeply rooted in Ukraine.

It is true that Ukrainian artists and their rich cultural background played a pivotal role in influencing the Russian avant-garde, but the Ukrainian avant-garde itself is an independent and distinct art movement, that not only shaped the cultural landscape of Ukraine of the early 20th century, but also made a significant impact on global art history. It created an innovative visual language, influenced literature and poetry, and emphasised the role of national identity in shaping international art movements. As awareness of the Ukrainian avant-garde continues to grow, its significance in the broader context of modern art becomes increasingly recognized and appreciated.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Kharkiv became a powerful industrial city. From 1919 to 1934, it was both the administrative and cultural capital of Ukraine. Consequently, innovative artists flourished in this environment, unapologetically breaking from tradition, engaging in debates with established artists, and pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms and genres. In this period, Western European artists saw the Soviet Union as a grand avant-garde experiment. Kharkiv artists, riding the wave of futurism, were equally captivated by this concept and enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to transform art. As a result, Kharkiv became the epicenter of a burgeoning industrial culture. Constructivist artists played an especially pivotal role in the history of the Ukrainian avant-garde during the 1920s and 1930s.

The art scene in early 20th-century Kyiv had a distinct emphasis on avant-garde painting experiments, in contrast to the focus on constructivism and functional art by artists in Kharkiv during the same period. Kyiv’s artists drew inspiration from the Ukrainian baroque, characterized by emotional drama that danced on the edge between chaos and order.

The first avant-garde exhibition in Kyiv, “Lanka” (1908), encountered early criticism, but the artists who displayed their works there soon earned recognition and acclaim. Ukrainians played an active role in numerous modernist artistic associations across the Russian Empire. These exhibitions featured paintings with titles such as “Kyiv, Floating on the Dnipro” and “Fundukleivska Street.”

In 1914, Oleksandra Ekster and Oleksandr Bogomazov introduced a new direction of avant-garde art in Kyiv known as Cubofuturism. Bogomazov authored a theoretical work titled “Painting and Elements,” which explained the fundamental principles of this style. In this influential text, he vividly described the vibrant atmosphere of Kyiv during that era, highlighting the city’s dynamic and energetic nature. This marked a crucial point in the evolution of Kyiv’s avant-garde art scene.

In 1917, the Kyiv Art Institute (now the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture) was founded, with renowned artists like V. Krychevskyi, F. Krychevskyi, V. Meller, M. Boychuk, O. Murashko, G. Narbut, M. Burachek, A. Manevich, and O. Bogomazov among its teaching staff. In 1927, Kazymyr Malevych joined the institute to teach Suprematism, marking a significant departure from traditional painting and the representation of the real world. This move signified a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern art education in Kyiv.

The Odessa school of painting emerged at the intersection of tradition and the avant-garde. Young artists from Odessa primarily studied under Kyriacus Kostandi. They also ventured to Paris and Munich, and upon their return, they aimed to showcase the various possibilities within art.

The Salon of Izdebsky played a central role in the artistic life of Odesa in the early 20th century. In 1909, it hosted the first international exhibition in the Russian Empire. This exhibition marked the first time that works by artists like Oleksandra Ekster, David Burliuk, Mykhailo Larionov, and Natalia Goncharova were displayed alongside those of renowned Western artists, including Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Andre Derin, Gabriel Münter, Henri Rousseau, Paul Signac, and others.

The true standout of the second Izdebsky’s Salon was his friend, Wassily Kandinsky, who was originally from Odesa but resided in Munich at the time. Kandinsky exhibited 54 of his works at this event and also contributed to the exhibition by designing a poster and the catalog cover. That catalog featured his article “Content and Form.”

However, for realist artists like Kostandi and Repin, these shifts in art were considered unacceptable. Illia Repin expressed his disapproval of the exhibition, stating, “Here you will find an entire abyss of cynicism from Western idiots, hooligans, and unrestrained savages who haphazardly throw paint onto canvas in complete freedom. Only a talentless boor or a mentally disturbed individual can intentionally embrace decadence.” This exhibition sparked a major scandal, leading to David Burliuk’s successful sale of nearly all his paintings.

The Ukrainian avant-garde movement is usually associated with Kharkiv and Kyiv, that were a part of the Russian Empire at the moment. Artists from Lviv, that was a part of Poland during that era, typically sought their education in cities like Krakow or Vienna, where secessionist art movements prevailed. As a result, artists in Lviv during the early 20th century were primarily influenced by these movements.

Nonetheless, we should not overlook the significant contributions of the artistic groups “Artes” (1929-1935) and the “Association of Independent Artists of Ukraine” (1931-1939). During their relatively short existence, these groups successfully organized numerous exhibitions and publishing projects. The inaugural exhibition at the National Art Museum in Lviv featured world-renowned works by Derain, Picasso, Modigliani, Severini, Chagall, and others.

The “Artes” group united artists from diverse ethnic backgrounds and hosted 13 exhibitions in Poland, including the salon of Margit and Roman Selsky in Lviv. They supported the underground art movement in Lviv and shared their avant-garde experiences with local community.