« 2023. # 6 (174)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2023. № 6 (174), 1397—1407

UDK 76.071.1.(=161.2)(575.3)”19″

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2023.06.1397

VALERIE BEZUSHKO: THE PERIOD OF ARTISTIC ACTIVITY IN CENTRAL ASIA PUBLISHERS

KORNIICHUK Sofia

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5589-161X
  • Junior Researcher at the Research Institute for Art Library Resources;
  • Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv
  • 2, Stefanyk Street, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: rudasofia1504@gmail.com

Abstract. The history of Ukrainian art is filled with numerous gaps, including those related to the creative biography of many artists of the 20th century. Among them is Valeriy Hryhorovych Bezushko, a Ukrainian painter, graphic artist, and educator. Forced to work abroad from 1974 to 1990, he remained unknown to Ukrainian society for many years.

 The relevance of the chosen publication topic is evidenced by the lack of research on V. Bezushko and the limited number of his works in Ukraine. Additionally, the study of the artist’s illustrative legacy contributes to enriching existing knowledge of the Ukrainian graphic school, particularly its figures who worked abroad due to circumstances.

The purpose of the publication is to reveal the achievements of V. Bezushko while working at the Dushanbe publishing houses «Irfon», «Maorif» and «Adib». The main tasks include processing publications about the artist, collecting, systematizing, and art-historical analysis of graphic works that adorned numerous publications. Objective characterization of the artist’s creative output was ensured through the involvement of private archives and numerous interviews. The article provides a brief biography of V. Bezushko, with the main focus on book illustrations created in Dushanbe. The artistic legacy of the graphic artist is defined by the artistic design of publications such as «Piruzinoma» (1980), philosophical works of I. Sin, the poetry collection «Living Water» (1987) by M. Mirshakar, the historical novel «Firdousi» (1989) by S. Ulug-zade, and the poetry collections of A. Jami (1989) and M.A. Bedil (1990).

The article examines the figurative language of the illustrations and provides a characterization of the artist’s style, emphasizing his deep understanding of the culture of Central Asia, the past and present of the Tajik people.

The artist reveals these aspects through a reinterpretation of the traditions of the Ukrainian art school. It is demonstrated that V. Bezushko, as a talented graphic artist, enriched the art of Tajikistan and brought fame to Ukraine beyond its borders.

Keywords: Valeriy Hryhorovych Bezushko, graphic art, book illustration, publishing, Dushanbe.

Received 22.11.2023

REFERENCES

  • Stasenko, V. (Ed.). (2010). Heirs of the first printer: Dictionary of artists, graduates and teachers of the Department of Graphics of the Ukrainian Academy of Printing. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Stoliarchuk, B. (Ed.). (1997). Artists of the Rivne Region: Encyclopedic Guide. Rivne: Lista [in Ukrainian].
  • Stoliarchuk, B. (Ed.). (2011). Artists of the Rivne Region: Encyclopedic Guide. Kind. 2nd, add. and processed. Rivne: O. Zen [in Ukrainian].
  • Stoliarchuk, B. (Ed.). (2008). Artists of Rivne region: Almanac of the Rivne regional organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Rivne: Vydavets Oleh Zen; Rivnenska drukarnia [in Ukrainian].
  • Stoliarchuk, B.Y. (Ed.). (2003). Bezushko Valerii Hryhorovych. Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine (Vol. 2). Kyiv: Koordynatsijne biuro Entsyklopedii Suchasnoi Ukrainy Natsional’noi akademii nauk Ukrainy [in Ukrainian].
  • Mischenko, O.M (Ed.). (1998). Directory of members of the Union of Artists of Ukraine: 60th anniversary of the founding of the Union of Artists of Ukraine. Kyiv: Union of Artists of Ukraine [in Ukrainian].
  • Chepelyk, V.A., Voloshchuk, I.M. & Bokovnia, O.V. (Eds.). (2009). National Union of Artists of Ukraine: 70th anniversary of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Kyiv: Nats. spilka khudozh. Ukrainy [in Ukrainian].
  • Uzhgorod artist Bezushko Valery Hryhorevich. Internet archive: way back mashine. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20211221114604/https://socrealizm.com.ua/gallery/artist/bezushko-vg-1947 (Last accessed 09.09.2023).
  • Rumiantsev, O.R. (Ed.). (1987). Young artists of Tajikistan. Moskva: Sovetskyi khudozhnyk [in Russian].
  • Vasiuk, L. (2014). In creative burning. Nove zhyttia: zdolbunivska raionna hromadsko politychna hazeta, 93/94, 3 [in Ukrainian].
  • Korniichuk, S. (2022) Interview with Valery Bezushko. Private archive of the author [in Ukrainian].
  • The case of V.G. Bezushka. Ukrainian Academy of Printing. Personal archive of students of the academy [in Ukrainian].
  • Syno, A.Y. (1980). Pyryzynoma. Dushanbe: Maoryf [in Tajik].
  • Myrshakar, M. (1987) Living Water: Poems and Poems. Dushanbe: Maoryf [in Russian].
  • Satim, U-Z. (1988). Fyrdousy. Dushanbe: Adyb [in Tajik].
  • Yatsiv, R.M. (1992) Lviv graphics 1945—1990. Traditions and innovation. Kyiv: Naukova dumka [in Ukrainian].
  • Firdousi, A. (1896). Shah-Nameh or Iranian Book of Kings. Lviv: druk. In-t Stavropyh [in Ukrainian].
  • Ovchinnikov, V. (2007). Book graphics: Album. Lviv: Uk­rains’ki tekhnolohii [in Ukrainian].

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