Archive
2010 year, issue 5-6 read »
«The Ethnology Notebooks» 2018 year, issue 4 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2021. #4 (160). P. 763–1032 DOI... read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2025. # 1 (181). P. 1-248 DOI... read »

« 2026. # 3 (189)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2026. № 3 (189), 721—732

UDK739(=1.23)(477.85/.87):808.1]:929

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

THE ARTISTIC LANGUAGE OF HUTSUL BRASSWORK IN THE OEUVRE OF IVAN SHKONDEIUK

HORODETSKYI Vitalii

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000­0003­3283­3966
  • Postgraduate Student,
  • Department of Design and Art Theory,
  • Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University,
  • 57, Shevchenko Str., Ivano­Frankivsk, 76000, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e­-mail: vitaliy.gorodetskiy@cnu.edu.ua

Abstract. Within the structure of Ukrainian artistic metal, Hutsul brasswork occupies a leading position, in which utilitarian, decorative, and sacred­symbolic components are integrated into a coherent artistic model.

The article examines the creative legacy of the folk master of Hutsul brasswork, Ivan Shkondeiuk, whose activity has thus far received insufficient coverage in professional art historical publications. Existing sources mainly provide fragmentary information, which underscores the relevance of a comprehensive analysis of his oeuvre in the context of the development of both traditional and contemporary brasswork. The study analyzes the artistic­stylistic, formative, and ornamental features of the master’s works. The analysis demonstrates that Ivan Shkondeiuk’s practice not only preserves the canonical features of Hutsul brasswork of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but also expands the typology of objects by enriching them with new compositional and figurative solutions.

The aim of the article is to analyze the compositional principles of Ivan Shkondeiuk’s authorial works in the context of the artistic transformation of Hutsul brasswork.

The object of the study comprises the master’s artistic works created within the tradition of Hutsul brasswork and presented both in canonical forms and in contemporary authorial interpretations.

The methodological framework is based on art historical and structural­compositional analysis, as well as the study of ornamental motifs and principles of form­making in the master’s works.

The source base includes scholarly, art historical, and journalistic works devoted to Hutsul brasswork, along with the results of analyzing traditional and contemporary examples of brass objects from the Hutsul region. A significant place in the research is occupied by Ivan Shkondeiuk’s authorial works, materials from field observations, the master’s oral testimonies, and the visual­analytical study of his objects.

Keywords: brasswork. Ivan Shkondeiuk, artistic metal, ornament, chasing, casting, zgarda, brass crosses, topirets, sacred symbolism, authorial style, artistic transformation.

REFERENCES

  • Rohotchenko, O. (2015). Creative principles of Ukrainian metal art of the 1940s—1960s: Destruction of national traditions and the first attempts to revive brasswork. Current Problems of Artistic Practice and Art Studies, 7, 29—37 [in Ukrainian].
  • Valko, O. (Ed.). (2011). Hutsul artistic metal works of the late eighteenth — early twentieth century (Ukrainian Folk Art Series). Institute of Collecting of Ukrainian Artistic Heritage at the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Nastenko, N. (1985). 13­year­old woodcarver: Teenage artist carries on old traditions. News from Ukraine, 39, 9—10.
  • Yakovenko, T. (1984). The youngest master. Young Guard, 182, 8—9 [in Ukrainian].
  • Horodetskyi, V. (2025). Field materials: Memoirs. Recorded on 25.06.2025 from respondent І. Shkondeiuk (born 1971) [in Ukrainian].
  • Shukhevych, V. (2018). Hutsulshchyna (Reprint edition; originally published 1899—1908). Kharkiv: Oleksandr Savchuk Publisher [in Ukrainian].
  • Horodetskyi, V. (2025). Field materials: Interview with the master. Recorded on 25.06.2025 from respondent І. Shkondeiuk (born 1971) [in Ukrainian].
  • Horodetskyi, V. (2025). Field materials: Oral testimony. Recorded on 25.06.2025 from respondent N. Gabоrak (born 1986) [in Ukrainian].
  • Diadiukh­Bohatko, N.Y. (2018). The art of weapon decoration in Hutsulshchyna in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Lviv: Polytechnic Publishing House. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Horodetskyi, V. (2025). Field materials: Oral testimony. Recorded on 25.06.2025 from respondent І. Shkondeiuk (born 1971) [in Ukrainian].
  • Horodetskyi, V. (2025). Field materials: Interview with the master. Recorded on 25.06.2025 from respondent І. Shkondeiuk (born 1971) [in Ukrainian].
  • Kresan, O. (2018). Family narrative as a means of experiencing and understanding life events by the individual. Family policy in Ukraine: Problems and prospects for development: Proceedings of the All­Ukrainian scientific and practical conference (Pp. 92—95) [in Ukrainian].
  • Frank, I. (2017). Pectoral ornaments of Hutsulshchyna in the context of preservation and development of folk traditions. The Ethnology notebooks, 5 (137), 1169—1172 [in Ukrainian].
  • Yusypchuk, Yu. (2016). Vasyl Devdiuk — master of Hutsul carving and metalwork. Ivano­Frankivsk: City NV [in Ukrainian].
  • Hnatiuk, M., & Hrepyniak, M. (2010). Inspired by the beauty of the mountains: Folk art of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia (late nineteenth — early twenty­first century). Masters, schools, museums. Ivano­Frankivsk Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University Publishing House [in Ukrainian].
  • Molyn, V., Andreikanych, A., & Yaremin, I. (2016). Vasyl and Mykola Devdiuk. Kosiv: Inscription stone [in Ukrainian].
  • Molyn, V. (2013). Vasyl Devdiuk in the history of folk art of Hutsul region. Visnyk of the Lviv National Academy of Arts, 24, 308—323 [in Ukrainian].
  • Yusypchuk, Yu. (2021). Vasyl Devdyuk’s teaching activity at Vyzhnytsia school. The Ethnology notebooks, 1 (157), 157—162. DOI: 10.15407/nz2021.01.157 [in Ukrainian].
  • Harkus, O. (2012). On the history of the development of artistic metal in Hutsulshchyna in the second half of the twentieth and early twenty­first centuries. Current issues in artistic practice and art history, 4, 283—285 [in Ukrainian].
  • Sukha, L. (1959). Artistic metal works of Ukrainians of the Eastern Carpathians of the second half of the 19th—20th centuries. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Barysh­Tyshchenko, I. (2008). Transformational processes in the development of folk art. BRIDGE: Art, history, modernity, theory, 4—5, 23—26 [in Ukrainian].
  • Horodetskyi, V. (2025). Masterclass in hutsul brass­working as a form of preservation and development of artistic tradition. The Ethnology Notebooks, 5 (185), 1242—1249. DOI: 10.15407/nz2025.05.1242 [in Ukrainian].
Our authors
Segeda Sergij. Doctor of Sciences in History. Chief... read »
Babii Nadiia. DSc in Art Studies, Professor. Vasyl... read »
Yatsiv Roman. Scientific interests: art history,... read »
Kuzmenko Oksana Senior Researcher, Candidate of... read »
On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »

Traditional folk clothes of velikobychkovsky hutsuly of XIX — the first half of XX century
In the study based upon numerous field materials, literature sources as well as ethnographic, historio-cultural and regional museum collections has been performed complex analysis in traditional folk clothes by Hutzul population of Velyky Bychkiv village in Transcarpathian region. Detailed descriptions of femi­nine and masculine clothing complexes of the mentioned area have been presented. In characterizing of those main attention has been paid to the detail of cut in separate components of dress; cut of feminine shirt has been added as an illustration.
Read »

On field exploration of russian and belarusian ethnologists and etnolinguists in Ukrainian Polisia 1945—1980s
In the study based on a wide range of literary materials have been comprehensively characterised field research in Polisia of Ukraine, performed by Russian and Belarusian ethnologists during 1945—1980s as well as Moscow ethnolinguists and other researchers from ethnologic centres of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in the course of realization of Ethnolinguistic Atlas of Polisia program. Particular attention has been paid to geography, methods, themes and research results of scientific projects.
Read »