Creative Portrait of Mykhailo Mytryk in the Context of the Ukrainian Sixtiers Movement.

Abstract

The article examines the Ukrainian Sixtiers Movement as a significant national and cultural phenomenon of the 1960s that emerged within the creative intelligentsia under the conditions of strict Communist Party control over cultural life. The representatives of the Sixtiers asserted the right to artistic freedom, the use of the native language, the preservation of national memory, and the affirmation of national identity in art, thus becoming an important driving force in the renewal of Ukrainian culture during the second half of the twentieth century. Drawing on the artistic legacy of the Transcarpathian graphic artist, painter, and monumental artist Mykhailo Mytryk, whose professional deve- lopment coincided with the flourishing of the Ukrainian Sixtiers Movement, particularly within the artistic environment of Kyiv, the article explores the regional peculiarities of the reception of new aesthetic ideas and their influence on the development of art in Transcarpathia. Special attention is paid to the relationship between Mytryk’s artistic practice and broader Ukrainian artistic processes, as well as to the role of the generation of artists who, during the Вісник 18 ЗАКАРПАТСЬКА АКАДЕМІЯ МИСТЕЦТВ 41 1960s and 1970s, sought to overcome the ideological constraints imposed on art, expand the expressive possibilities of artistic language, and draw inspiration from folk culture, historical memory, and individual artistic expression. In this context, a prominent role belongs to the senior-generation artist Fedir Manailo, whose work became one of the spiritual and artistic reference points for younger artists. The article outlines the circle of artists who absorbed the ideas and experience of the Sixtiers while studying in Kyiv, Lviv, Tallinn, and Leningrad, including A. Shepa, E. Medvetska, M. Medvetskyi, F. Seman (Ichi), A. Dunchak, M. Mytryk, and V. Skakandii. The new artistic tendencies were also embraced by graduates of the Uzhhorod School of Applied Arts, including V. Mykyta, E. Kremnytska, P. Bedzir, I. Ilko, I. Brovdi, and others. Their activities contributed to the formation of a new artistic environment in Uzhhorod that combined the traditions of the Transcarpathian School of Painting with modern trends in Ukrainian and European art. The author focuses on the artistic life of Uzhhorod during the period under study, emphasizing the importance of creative interaction, exhibition practices, and intergenerational dialogue. It is concluded that the generation of artists inspired by the ideals of the Ukrainian Sixtiers Movement played a decisive role in securing nationwide recognition for the Trans- carpathian School of Art within the former Soviet Union and facilitating its integration into the broader European artistic context.