Painting as a manifestation of national and cultural revival of Rusins

The public and political life in Transcarpathia became more active in the 1920s and 1930s, which gave impetus to national revival in all spheres of art, including painting. It was the time when the Transcarpathian School of Painting was born. Transcarpathian artists, along with writers and theatre workers, fulfilled an important social function -they contributed to the revival of national self-awareness of the Rusins in the region. The most prominent Transcarpathian artists of this period were I. Bokshay, A. Erdeli, A. Kotska, F. Manaylo, E. Kontratovich, V. Boretsky, G. Gluck, S. Sholes. They put a lot of effort to spread the artistic traditions of the region far beyond the borders of the homeland and had a profound understanding of the philosophy of life and society and deeply felt the unique nature of native landscapes. An important phenomenon in the 1930s was the pictorial techniques in decorative and applied arts. Works of art and achievements of the Rusin masters were exhibited in the region and beyond. In the interwar period, the artists of Transcarpathia were inclined to self-organisation and creative mutual exchange. The Rusinian artists created an art that could fully express the rich life of Carpathia, its incomparable landscapes and colours, which helped to develop professional skills of future co-founders of the Transcarpathian School of Painting, among whom were A. Kotska, E. Kontratovich, Z. Sholtes, A. Boretsky and Sh. Petki. Thus, Transcarpathia accumulated the best artists of the region, who concentrated their efforts to develop national art and raise it to the European level. They created a self-contained system of artistic education for local gifted youth.

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