Meet 7 Pioneering Ukrainians From History
Discover the influential Ukrainians who left their mark on art, culture, and history.
Oleksandra Exter by © Andréi Nakov, Paris, 2012 This text is part of a notice written by Andréi Nakov for the Encyclopedia of Modern Art, a collective work in several volumes, published in Russian in Moscow in 2013.CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
You might have heard of the revolutionary avant-garde artist Oleksandra Ekster. But did you know that her art studio in Kyiv was also a gathering space used by Serge Lyfar, the world-famous choreographer of the Paris Opera?
Let's take a look through history at how seven pioneering figures were connected.
Oleksandra Ekster: painter and designer
It is unknown how the world's stage design would have developed if Oleksandra Ekster had not participated in its radical reform.
In her Kyiv studio, Ekster innovatively combined cubo-futurism, constructivism, folk primitivism, and themes of antiquity.
Serge Lifar: dancer, choreographer, ballet master
It was to this Kyiv studio, a gathering place for Ukrainian intellectuals, that Kyiv native, Serge Lyfar (Lifar), later world-famous as the choreographer of the Paris Opera and one of the greatest dancers of the XX century, would come.
Vladimir Horowitz: pianist
Ukraine is home to the greatest pianist, Horowitz, the brightest opera diva of the XX century, Krushelnytska, and the author of one of the most famous Christmas tunes, Shchedryk, by Leontovych.
It was not only at the Opéra Garnier that the public applauded the Ukrainian genius.
Ivan Franko: writer, poet, translator
He was promoting Ukrainian culture and language, and played an important role in the development of modern Ukrainian literature.
Together with Taras Shevchenko and Lesya Ukrainka, Franko had a huge impact on modern Ukrainian literary and political thought.
Taras Shevchenko: poet, writer, artist
Franko continued Taras Shevchenko's work who created more than 240 poetic works, which were later highly appreciated by Drahomanov.
During his lifetime Taras Shevchenko was more appreciated as an artist than as a poet. His painting heritage includes about 1200 works.
Mykhailo Drahomanov by From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository source: http://pmu.in.ua/virtual-exhibitions/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA-%D1%96-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8/CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Mykhailo Drahomanov: historian, philosopher
Lesya Ukrainka's uncle, Mykhailo Drahomanov, made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian historical, philosophical, economic, and political sciences.
Drahomanov played a significant role in the Stara Hromada – a cultural and educational organization.
Agathangel Krymsky: orientalist, linguist, polyglot
Drahomanov became a teacher for many outstanding Ukrainians, including Agathangel Krymsky, a scientist, linguist, and orientalist, one of the organizers of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
Serge Lifar with the Grand Opera Ballet Company on the main steps of the theater (1956 - 1958) by UnknownNational Museum of the History of Ukraine
The lives and works of outstanding Ukrainians are closely intertwined with world art, theater, and musical history. They are examples of inspiration, and their stories and the fruits of their work are worth studying.
