Unless it is to look at the prospects of the United States brokering peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the ongoing war in Ukraine does not make news headlines anymore, despite the conflict still escalating to record damages.
To mark the three year anniversary of Russia launching their full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Connecticut College hosted Alexander Tochilovsky, the curator of the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography at The Cooper Union, to give a lecture on Ukrainian art & design within the greater scope of Ukrainian history, and the role it has played in the preservation and bolstering of Ukrainian identity. Born in Odessa under the Soviet Union, Tochilovsky moved to the United States in 1989, where he attended art school in New York City. In May 2000, Tochilovsky received his BFA degree from The Cooper Union, where he then worked as a designer at the Cooper Union Center for Design and Typography, before eventually pursuing his master’s degree at Cranbrook Academy of Art, studying 2D Design and graduating in 2007. He then returned to New York and began to teach at The Cooper Union School of Art.
The Odessa City Letters project aims to highlight the legacy of Ukrainian art, aiming to promote and preserve Ukrainian typography and design. Some posters from the Odessa City Letters project were on display at Cummings Art Center, from January 21 to March 7. Students in the ART 207 course also had the opportunity to make posters of their own, inspired by the traditional Ukrainian designs to make posters of solidarity. The exhibition marks Ukrainian spirit and courage, as the culture continues to fight against suppression and erasure. Pillars of Ukrainian culture have been targeted in the wake of the war. UNESCO has verified damages to 476 cultural sites in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, including 32 Museums, 33 monuments, 18 libraries, 1 archive, and 2 archaeological sites. Despite this, many of these institutions have remained open and active, even amidst frequent air raids.
Many prominent Russian/Soviet artists are Ukrainian by nationality, such as Vladimir Tatlin. Tochilovsky emphasized in his lecture that there is room for an artist to be both Russian and Ukrainian, it’s just important to recognize each aspect. Russia has claimed Ukrainian art as a branch of a broader Russian art for a long time, but as Ukrainian national identity has strengthened considerably following gaining independence in 1991, we are seeing the dynamic change.
The earliest signs of human settlements in the territory of Ukraine date all the way back to 32,000 B.C. One of the earliest stages of a Ukrainian state was in the 9th century, when Kievan Rus was established. From the 13th century to the 19th century was a period of occupation from various invaders, including the Mongols, the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, the Crimean Khanate, Muscovy, and the Russian empire. Despite occupation for 6 centuries, Ukrainian identity is able to survive. With the help of different types of decorative art, most notably traditional clothing (which was distinctly regional), and traditional easter egg decorations with intricate designs. The brief period of Ukrainian independence between the Bolshevik Revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union allowed for the development of Ukrainian national symbolism, including the well-known trident coat of arms emblem, and the initial Ukrainian flag was established, similar to the flag today, but with a slightly different shade of blue. This was also a period of artistic experimentation in Ukraine, having their own form of avant garde.
During the early era of Soviet occupation, a distinct era of Ukrainian art emerged in the 1930s with components of avant garde art. Unfortunately, many notable artistic movements were halted in the 1930s by Soviet suppression. Most prominent Ukrainian artists and writers were killed between 1933 and 1937, with many artists having their works forgotten to time. Thankfully, during this period, Ukrainian art was able to spread out more globally to places in the Western Hemisphere.
Since declaring independence in 1991, Ukraine has had many challenges to its national identity, and they have come out of these events even stronger. The Orange Revolution of 2004 saw the people of Ukraine fight against corruption and stand up for a free, democratic Ukraine. In 2013, the Ukrainian people expressed their desire to join the European Union by protesting in Maidan square. The protests became violent, and hundreds of Ukrainians died at the hands of riot police. Shortly after the Maidan protests, the Revolution of Dignity followed and resulted in a new Ukrainian government, which aligned itself more closely with the European Union than Russia. Displeased by the regime change, Russia annexed Crimea in February 2014, prompting the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Many people consider the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine to be in escalation in February 2022, but in reality, conflicts between Russia and Ukraine have lasted for much longer.
