Ukrainian Unofficial is an archive of Ukrainian unofficial art of the second half of the twentieth century, which presents well-organized information about artists who were the alternative to Soviet cultural ideology, known as socialist realism. Despite the numerous publications, this unique artistic phenomenon has not yet been comprehensively covered in art criticism, and the information scattered throughout the catalogs and monographs does not allow for a comprehensive picture of it. However, the inaccessibility of much of the works and archival material stored in closed private collections remains a major problem. The Ukrainian Unofficial’s mission is to overcome this information vacuum.
In a short period of time, the project team was able to contact the owners of the collections, state museums, relatives of the artists whose names were included in the first volume of the archive. Collecting information and working with it has led to many discoveries that have supplemented and, in some cases, significantly changed our understanding of this complex and rather controversial period in the history of Ukrainian art. Among the partners of the project are the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Onatskyi Sumy Regional Art Museum, Kyiv History Museum, Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine, Stedley Art Foundation, Grynyov Art Foundation, and many other museums and private institutions. A significant contribution to the project was made by the heirs of the artists who preserve their heritage for posterity.
The audience of Ukrainian Unofficial includes all those who are professionally engaged in or simply interested in the phenomenon of Ukrainian unofficial art, such as researchers, art critics, and artists. The platform will be especially useful for students of specialized educational institutions, as it will allow getting quick and comprehensive answers to the questions, which until recently were hardly able to be answered. The form of the project as an online resource that is open to anyone is of great importance. We sincerely hope that Ukrainian Unofficial will not only promote the popularization of Ukrainian Unofficial art of the second half of the twentieth century but will also significantly influence the formation of an objective point of view regarding its place in the history of national culture.
Project team:
Valeriy Sakharuk — curator, art critic
Olena Hrozovska — curator, art critic, candidate of pedagogical sciences
Kateryna Lisova — head of project, art critic
Mykhailo Kulivnyk — coordinator, art critic
Anastasia Yatskovska — Content Editor, candidate of art criticism
Oleksandra Rak — content editor, art critic
Kateryna Vakulinska — photographer, photo editor
Ihor Okunevskyi — photographer
Svitlana Koshkina — designer
Petro Kozlov — software engineer
We would like to thank all those who helped with the implementation of the project:
Yuliya Lytvynets, Kateryna Lypa, Daryna Yakymova, Leonid Finberg, Olha Denysova, Oleksandr Dubovyk and Iryna Dubovyk, Mykola Malyshko and Nina Denysova, Florian Yuriev, Volodymyr Melnychenko, Stella Beniaminova, Oleh Sydor-Hybelinda, Matvii Vaisberg, Valentyna Kotkova, Eduard Dymshyts, Oleksiy Kharko, Yelyzaveta Herman, Olesia Avramenko, Oleksandr Halynskyi, Pavlo Hudimov, Borys Hryniov and Tetyana Hryniova, Vladyslava Diachenko, Dmytro Soloviov, Dmytro Kubanov, Alina Lamakh, Olena Holub, Inna Matsenko, Oleksii Vasylenko, Ivan Kushnir, Borys Plaksii, Hanna Tetyanych, Serhii Vel, Olena Zaretska, Mykola Ihnatov, Ivan Hryhoriev and Serhii Hryhoriev, Natalia Hrytsiuk, Oleksandr Brei, Yurii Horpynych, Anna Lymarieva, Bohdan-Liubomyr Tetianych, Viktor Khamatov, Halyna Komicheva, Oksana Bilous, Nina Shostak, Oleksandr Levych, Ivan Hryhoriev, Maryna Streltsova, Maria Lutska, Hanna Vivchar, Danylo Nikitin, Oleksandr Hoviadin, Kateryna Tsyhykalo, Anna Sumar, Olena Lodzynska, Bohdan Mysiuha, Andriy Trypolskyi, Oksana Koval, Viktor Volodymyrov-Lykholit, Liudmyla Lysenko, Nadiya Yurchenko, Ihor Voloshchuk, Les Poderevianskyi, Solomiia Melnyk, Ruslana Khazipova, Anna Nikitina, Natalka Bida, Nataliya Zozul, Oleksiy Kirin, Semen Kipnis, Kateryna Shcherbakova, Olena Lebedieva, Kateryna Lebedieva, Marharyta Chemerys, Oksana Karpyuk, Anna Chupryna
