THE THEATRE CRITICAL ARTICLES OF "UNIVERSAL" MAGAZINES IN UKRAINE OF THE SECOND PART OF 1920S.

Abstract

The paper deals with the analysis of theatre critical articles of the "universal" magazines in Ukraine of the second half of 1920s. Using the term "universal" magazines we mean issues, covered various aspects of life and focused on mass readership, among them in Ukraine of 1920s were "The Globe" (Kyiv, 1923-1935), "Knowledge" (Kharkiv, 1923-1935), "Squall" (Odessa, 1924-1933), "The Universe" (Kharkiv, 1925-1934), "Versatile Monthly / Universal

Magazine" (Kharkiv, 1928-1929) etc.

To interest a wide readership editorial work on a lot of illustrative media, encouraged ever more extraordinary forms of material presentation and genres verity. The attention is focused on genre specific of theatrical publications. It is

noted a wide range of critical publications genres, the non-availability of classical reviews and big popularity of theatre feuilletons, first of all, by the well-known writer Ostap Vyshnia. The author also analyzes the feuilleton by "El-Be" (pen name), published at "Universal Magazine", – the text gives a comprehensive description of contemporary tastes of the audience, the creative quest of Berezil Theatre and the editorial policy of separate Kharkiv editions.

One of the dominated theatre critical genre of "universal" editions was essay – artistic portrait of the actor,

director, set designer, or a particular theater group as a whole. A lot of theatre critical articles at "The Universe" magazine are dedicated to set designers, mostly, Anatol Petrytsky. The author of the most publications is great art critic Vasyl Khmury (pen name of Butenko). The most popular critical publications genre of Odessa "universal" magazine was actor’s portraits of Juri Shumsky, Polina Niatko and others by Altsest (pen name of Evhen Henis). But more professional level of the actor’s portrait genre offers the employees of Kharkiv "Universal Magazine". And two articles from the last magazine issue (August, 1929) about actors Polina Samiilenko and Yosyp Hirniak, signed by editorial pseudo "УЖ/UM", are one the best theatre critical publications in Ukraine of 1920s. The author also analyzes interesting text by Kharkiv poet-imaginist Leonid Chernov, where you can find particular compression of Ukrainian famous theatre and film actor Amvrosi Buchma and Swiss-born German/Austrian actor Emil Janinngs.

To our opinion, the critics, who mostly used genre of essay – artistic "portrait" for "universal" magazine of 1920s,

snapped ideal for a wide audience genre of "star" artistic biography, learned today by the majority of tabloid issues,

however, virtually ignoring the artistic side of things and "savoring" the juicy details of celebrities life.