Activities of National Union of Artists of Ukraine in Development and Popularisation of Ukrainian Art in Wartime

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to examine the basic principles and activities of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (hereinafter – NUAU) and the Kyiv Organisation of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (hereinafter – KONUAU) at the present stage, to identify relevant issues related to the development and popularisation of Ukrainian art, in particular during the period of full-scale war. The research methodology is in the application of systematic and cultural-historical approaches, combined with such methods as art history, analysis, synthesis, generalisation, description and comparison, which together help to achieve substantiated research results. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time a brief analysis of the activities of the NUAU and KONUAU was revealed in the context of an unfolding full-scale war was considered and presented, and the cultural and axiological potential of the union’s activities and the promotion of the achievements of contemporary Ukrainian artists, the affirmation of national identity, Ukrainian culture and art, which in times of war is not only a unifying factor, but also a means of expressing a civic position. Conclusions. Based on the analysis of creative events, exhibitions, and other cultural practices of the NUAU and KONUAU, the article reveals the cultural and axiological potential of the union's activities, which manifests itself in the transmission of artistic and cultural values inherent in Ukrainian art, which, especially during the war, through the efforts of the artists of the NUAU and KONUAU, is aimed at uniting civil society in the fight against Russian aggression, as well as in matters of practical volunteer activity, which is an extremely important component in the formation of national consciousness and patriotism.

Key words: National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kyiv Organisation of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Ukrainian art, national school of painting, thematic painting, historical painting, war, military aggression, artists.