Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts

The Kharkiv Art School has its roots in the middle of the 18th century.

In 1869, in response to the ever-increasing need for professional artists, the drawing school of M. Raevska-Ivanova was opened in Kharkiv as a separate specialized educational institution. It developed, in particular, an artistic and industrial direction, which subsequently gave impetus to the creation of higher Design education in Kharkiv on this basis. Future famous painters and architects studied here, in particular, prominent Ukrainian painters S. Vasylkivskyi, and M. Tkachenko, architect, Academician A. Beketov, and many others.

In 1896, this private school was transformed into a city art school, and in 1912, an Art School was opened on its base, where M. Pestrykov, M. Fedorov, K. Pyneev, O. Lyubimov, O. Tytov, and S. Prokhorov, H. Gorelov, and O. Kokel taught.

In September 1921, an Art Technical School with the rights of a higher educational institution was opened on the basis of that School. The urge to innovate, typical of art schools of the 1920s, was combined with the desire to preserve the best traditions of realistic art at Kharkiv Art Technical School. The keepers of these traditions were the heads of the painting workshops, who at one time studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

In 1921–1922 the organizer and first rector of Kharkiv Art Technical School was O. Kokel, a student of I. Repin and D. Kardovskyi. Until the end of his life (1956), he remained a professor of the Department of Painting and the founder of the school of academic drawing.

The second rector in 1922–1925 was the sculptor B. Kratko. The rector of the Institute in 1925–1927 was a famous Ukrainian landscape painter M. Burachek.

In 1927–1932, the rector was another student of I. Repin, A. Komashko.

In 1927, the question of renaming the technical school to the institute was raised, and in 1929, this name for the institution was finally approved.

At the end of the 20s of the 20th century, the institute had two faculties: Painting and Sculpture and Architecture, where, in addition to the aforementioned, famous artists and architects taught - M. Burachek, O. Simonov, L. Bloch, K. Zhukov, A. Kozlov, I. Severa, I. Padalka, V. Yermilov, O. Marenkov, O. Khvostenko-Khvostov, O. Ginzburg, M. Nikolaev, B. Peretyatkovich, and a little later — A. Petrytskyi, F. Krychevskyi, B. Kosarev, M. Samokish, V. Kasiyan, G Bondarenko, M. Deregus, and many others.

In the same period, the outstanding school of I. Padalka worked, whose representatives are M. Kotlyarevska, O. Dovhal, M. Fradkin, and more. It was highly appreciated in the world, but destroyed during Stalin's repressions.

In 1932–1934, an artist and party functionary, P. Kryven, known for his uncompromising attitude to avant-garde trends in Ukrainian art, and first of all, to the "Boichukist" school, was appointed Rector.

From 1934 to 1941, the educational institution was managed by the art critic I. August, who died during the Second World War.

Immediately after the liberation of Kharkiv from the German-nazi invaders and the evacuation to Samarkand, the institute resumed its activities at the end of 1943. After the end of the war, former students who were mobilized to the front began to return to the institute. Since 1945, the release of specialists resumed again, as well as the work of the Painting, Graphic, Theatre, and Sculpture Departments.

In the post-war years, the traditions that were established by the founders of the Kharkiv Art School were continued and developed by their students, later by the People's Artists of Ukraine V. Agibalov, H. Tomenko, V. Sizikov, A. Konstantinopolsky, O. Khmelnytsky, Honored Art Workers of Ukraine, Professors S. Besyedin, E. Yegorov, L. Chernov, V. Lozov, O. Martynets, Ye. Zherdzhitky, Y. Karas, S. Solodovnyk, O. Vyatkin, Associate Professors O. Kudryavtseva, I. Melgunova, P. Suponin, E. Svetlychny, V. Vikhtynsky, M. Shaposhnikov, V. Volovyk, I. Stakhanov, B. Kolesnyk, V. Myronenko, V. Nenado, V. Pobedin, and many other outstanding artists.

In the postwar times of the 20th century, the institution of higher education was headed by Professor S. Besedin (1943–1948), Associate Professor M. Shaposhnikov (1948–1972), Professor Ye. Yegorov (1972–1985), Professor V. Torkatyuk (1985–1998); in 21th - Academician V. Danylenko (1999-2020). Since 2021, the Rector of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts is Professor Oleksandr Sobolev.

In 1963, Kharkiv State Art Institute was reorganized into Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute and reoriented to the training of art and industrial specialists.

Artists M. Shaposhnikov, Ye. Yegorov, V. Seleznyov, V. Bilyk, L. Vynokurov, V. Konstantinov, V. Listrovyi, Z. Yudkevich, Yu. Starostenko and others made a significant contribution to the reorganization of the institute and the provision of training in new specialties. At the same time, new departments were created - Art Design and Interior Decoration of Buildings; the specialization Industrial Graphics and Packaging was launched.

In the mid-60s, the design direction in the art education of Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute declared itself with interesting developments in the design of industrial products and the creation of visual and graphic styles.

In 2001, the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts of the 4th accreditation level was established on the basis of the Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute. After implementing a series of measures to expand the areas of specialist training, the Academy underwent a reorganization.

Among the students of the Academy, there are 3 People's Artists (among them A. Konstantynopolskyi) and 2 People's Architects of the USSR, 35 People's Artists of Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, 50 Honored Artists of Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tatarstan (among them Yevhen Zherdzytskyi), 10 Honored Artists of the CIS countries, 9 laureates of State Awards.

The activities of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts are associated with the names of outstanding Ukrainian artists and designers who were graduates or worked at the Academy during the last ten years. All of them made a significant contribution to the treasury of national fine art and project culture, for which they were awarded the highest state honors and gained the recognition of the cultural and creative public of Ukraine. The most recognized among them are:

B. Kosarev is a professor, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1947), who for many years headed the Theatre and Art workshop of Kharkiv State Art Institute. He received the state award for the scenography and costumes for the play Yaroslav the Wise by I. Kocherga directed by M. Krushelnytskyi at the Kharkiv State Theater of Ukrainian Drama named after T. Shevchenko.

A. Nasedkin — master of painting and graphics; People's Artist of Ukraine (1974), laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine named after T. Shevchenko (1977). During the years 1945–1951, he studied at Kharkiv State Art Institute in the workshop of M. Deregus.

V. Agibalov — a sculptor, People's Artist of Ukraine (1978), laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine named after T. Shevchenko (1977). A graduate of the sculpture workshop of Kharkiv Art School, and later Kharkiv State Art Institute (1933–1941). Among his teachers were: L. Bloch, M. Gelman, and O. Matveev. From 1949 to 1954, he taught sculpture at Kharkiv State Art Institute.

O. Khmelnytskyi — professor (1978), People's Artist of Ukraine (1984), Сorresponding Мember of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine (1997) — one of the brilliant graduates of Kharkiv State Art Institute. During 1947–1953, he studied with O. Lyubimskyi, M. Rybalchenko, P. Kotov, L. Chernov, and M. Shaposhnikov. For the canvas For the Sake of Life on Earth he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1975).

V. Sydorenko — Professor (2002), Doctor of Philosophy, Candidate of Art History (2005), Honored Artist of Ukraine (1992), Academician of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine (1997), People's Artist of Ukraine (1998), Vice-President of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine. He graduated from Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute (1979), where he studied at the Interior and Equipment Faculty. Taught at Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute (1979–1985 and 1989–1992). The author of numerous pictorial, monumental, graphic works, scenography, the author of objects and photo compositions, as well as scientific and journalistic texts. Since 2001, he heads the Research Institute of Contemporary Art at the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine (Kyiv). V. Sydorenko deservedly represented Ukraine at the 50th Venice Biennale with the author's project The Mill of Time (2003) and the project Poem about the Inner Sea at the 52nd Biennale (2007).

V. Gontariv is an artist of monumental art, painter, Honored Artist of Ukraine (1996), a full member of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine, and a bright representative of the pedagogical branch of the Academy of Arts. He graduated from the Kharkiv Art School (1963) and the Leningrad Higher Art and Industrial School named after V. Mukhina (1972). Since 1999, V. Gontariv headed the educational and creative workshop of monumental painting of the Academy and took an active part in exhibition activities. V. Gontariv is a participant in many all-Union, republican, and international exhibitions and competitions. He received the First Prize for an easel painting at the All-Ukrainian Exhibition-Competition of Paintings (1998) and became a laureate of the National Prize named after T. Shevchenko in the field of Fine Arts (2009).

V. Kovtun is a painter, Honored Artist of Ukraine (1995), People's Artist of Ukraine (2002), full member of the International Academy of Informatization at the United Nations (1998), academician, head of the plot-thematic painting workshop of the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts of Ukraine (2001). V. Kovtun graduated from Kharkiv State School of Art (1977) and Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute (1984), where he studied with O. Konstantinopolskyi, O. Khmelnytskyi, E. Yehorov, and L. Chernov. Since 1998, V. Kovtun has been the head of the Kharkiv organization of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. In 2010, for the series of paintings My Land - Slobozhanshchyna he was awarded the National Prize named after T. Shevchenko in the field of Fine Arts.

V. Khristenko is a graphic designer and laureate of the 2020 Repin Prize (series of etchings Cossack Crosses).

This list of famous figures of our time can be supplemented with the names of such artists as V. Ganotskyi, Yu. Vintaev, V. Chaus, V. Chursina, V. Nosenkov, O. Khomenko, sculptors S. Gurbanov, M. Rydnyi, K. Mamedov, designers (practitioners and scientists in the field of design history and theory) — V. Danylenko, O. Boychuk, O. Veklenko, V. Lesnyak, V. Pogorelchuk, graphic designers I. Yakhin, V. Shevchenko, art historians (Art historians and theorists, scientists in the field of Visual and Audiovisual Art — L. Sokolyuk, T. Pavlova, Z. Alfyorova, historians of Art and Architecture — M. Rosenfeld, I. Bondarenko, etc. A new generation of well-known representatives of modern art was also formed, such as O. Chekal, R. Minin, P. Makov, and Art and Design experts Ye. Kotlyar, V. Shulika, V. Chechyk, V. Tarasov, M. Tokar, N. Sbitneva, O. Sobolev, V. Holoborodko, V. Kutateladze, O. Lagoda, O. Vasina.

In general, against the background of the 100-year history of the existence of higher education in the Art direction, the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, there are clearly defined traditions, but the experiment and search inherent in creative activity always take place and are encouraged in the educational process of this educational institution.

In 1989, intending to train scientific and pedagogical personnel, the Academy opened a postgraduate course, and later a doctoral course.

In 2002, for the first time in Ukraine, a specialized academic council K 64.109.01 was opened for the defense of candidates' theses in the specialty 05.01.03 — Technical Aesthetics (the field of Art Science). Taking into account the quality of defended dissertations and the need to train Art historians for the higher educational establishments of Eastern Ukraine, the special council approved the second specialty 17.00.05 — Fine Art in 2004. In 2007, following the needs of the time and intending to improve and unify the modern nomenclature of specialties, KSADA initiated the creation of a new specialty on 17.00.07 — Design (the field of Art Science), which was supported by the Ukrainian Academy of Arts. To date, postgraduate studies have been licensed in the specialties 023 Fine Art, Decorative Art, Restoration, and 022 Design.

The effectiveness of the activity of the specialized council for the defense of the candidate's theses is closely related to the opening of permanent postgraduate and doctoral studies in two specialized scientific specialties: 023 Fine Art, Decorative Art, Restoration, and 022 Design.

A separate direction of the Academy's activity is the participation of professors and teaching staff in conferences, exhibitions, competitions, and the publication of articles in scientific journals, as well as publishing activities. The system of training scientific and pedagogical personnel in the Academy is closely related to the educational process.

Kharkiv Art School is rebuilding its educational policy based on the mutual enrichment of project-based artistic creativity, which is embodied in the structure of education. Each of the directions of training (artists and designers) is formed in the corresponding educational and scientific units, the basis of which are graduation departments, where specialists in the field of culture and art are trained.

Today, the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts houses generally recognized schools of drawing, painting, graphics, industrial design, environmental design, graphic design, poster, sculpture, monumental art, restoration of works of art, theory, and history of art, which are successfully operating and developing.

About 1,300 students, including international students, study at 4 faculties, and training is carried out in four specialties:

022 Design

Bachelor's degree programs:

• Graphic Design,
• Clothing Design (shoes),
• Environment Design,
• Industrial Design,
• Multimedia Design

Master's degree programs:

• Innovative Design,
• Design of Visual Communications,
• Conceptual Design,
• Art Therapy and Communicative Practices,
• Design of the Architectural and Landscape Environment.

023 Fine Art, Decorative Art, Restoration

Bachelor’s degree programs:

• Graphics,
• Street Art and Monumental Art,
• Easel Painting,
• Easel and Monumental Sculpture,
• Restoration and Examination of Works of Art,
• Art History;

Master's degree programs:

• Easel Painting,
• Modern Visual Practices,
• Art History,
• Graphic Practices,
• Creative Drawing.

191 Architecture and Urban Planning

Bachelor’s degree programs:

• Architectural and Landscape Environment.

021 Audiovisual Art and Production

• Bachelor’s degree programs:
• Advertising and Video Art,
• Photo Art and Visual Practices,
• Production and Art Curation,
• Event Directing

Master's degree programs:

• Animation and Video Art

The Academy carries out postgraduate training according to the educational and scientific programs of the third cycle of higher education in the following specialties:

022 Design

Doctor of Philosophy educational and scientific programs:

• Design

023 Fine Art, Decorative Art, Restoration

Doctor of Philosophy educational and scientific programs:

• Fine Art, Decorative Art, Restoration

021 Audiovisual Art and Production

Doctor of Philosophy educational and scientific programs:

• Audiovisual Arts and Production

The Academy has three educational and laboratory buildings, more than 20 laboratories and educational workshops, a computer technology center, a library, the fund of which includes more than 140,000 items of literature, a museum, a student theater Publicist, a student fashion theater, a dormitory, and more. The Academy has created preparatory courses and a children's studio of fine arts and design. In recent years, the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts has received diplomas and certificates of honor from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, as well as awards from the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, etc., in particular, the Diploma of the Laureate of the rating of higher education institutions of Ukraine Sofia Kyivska; the Gold Medal of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine for significant creative achievements; Certificate of Honor of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration for conscientious work, significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian design and art, training of highly qualified specialists; Diploma of the Public Action Flagships of Education and Science of Ukraine for a significant contribution to the development of the image of education and science of Ukraine; Diploma Leader of the national rating system of higher educational institutions of Ukraine, and many other awards.

The scientific activity of the young generation contributes to the development of various directions in the field of Art History. The Academy publishes periodical scientific journal, the level of which has been evaluated, in particular, by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland. It is also included in the list of the world's leading journals.

Today, educational, methodical, scientific, and artistic work in the Academy is carried out by about 200 professors and teachers, among whom Folk Artists, laureates of the State Prize of Ukraine named after T. Shevchenko, Honored Art Workers, Honored Artists, Honored Architects of Ukraine, Academicians and corresponding member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, the vast majority of professors and teaching staff are members of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the Union of Designers of Ukraine and the Union of Architects of Ukraine, have the academic degrees of Candidate of Sciences (Doctor of Philosophy) and Doctor of Arts/Sciences, as well as the titles of Associate Professor and Professor.

Numerous cultural and artistic events and creative actions are implemented in KSADA. The Academy, in particular, is proud of the artistic events initiated on its base, the most significant of which are the International Forum Design-Education, the International Triennial 4th Block, the annual All-Ukrainian Student Design Olympiad, the ArtStreetFest festival, the annual International Font Competition and Pangram calligraphy, International drawing competition-exhibition, International object design competition.

In 2019, the 4th Block poster museum, the third-largest in the world after the Warsaw and New York museums, was opened at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. The uniqueness of the museum institution lies in the harmonious combination of the archive, museum, exhibition space, and research laboratory. The World Environmental Poster Collection includes more than 10,000 works from 56 countries and is a platform for international scientific research.

The Academy is a Member of the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) and a Member of the International Association of Leading European Universities of Art, Design and Media (Cumulus Association). It has creative, educational, and scientific ties with higher education institutions in Poland, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Turkey, Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Germany, and Hungary.

Today, the library's collection is over 146,000 copies. It is one of the oldest collections of literature in the field. The fund of second-hand publications contains books published since 1800, which provide the opportunity for generations of students to touch the artistic culture of the past and get acquainted with the book art of the 19th-early 20th century.

During the 20th century, the library's funds were supplemented with literature by the specialty of the educational institution, namely, fine arts, industrial design, decorative and applied arts, and other literature related to the educational process. Thus, the fund of the library of KSADA is a unique collection of professional literature, which provides an opportunity for learning and development for students and employees of the Academy.

Based on the experience of previous years, the library works for visitors, preserving the heritage of generations and improving them. The library currently has 4 reading rooms and a subscription. In the reading room of scientific and educational literature, a space is organized for the exposition of the works of teachers and students of the Academy.

• Kharkiv State School of Art
• Kharkiv State Academy of Culture

References:

1. https://ksada.org