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Dedicated to the Day of Unity Of Ukraine

 

On January 22, 2014 the exposition of artistic works dedicated to 95th anniversary of Akt Zluky proclamation, January 22, 1919  between Ukrainian People’s Republic and West Ukrainian People’s Republic on January 22, 1919 which was ratified the next day by Labour Congress as Unification Act, was opened in Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum.

 

The holiday of Akt Zluky began on January 22 at 12 a.m. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of West Ukrainian People’s Republic  Lonhyn Tsehelskyi read and gave the head od Directorate V.Vynnychenko the approved charter of Ukrainian People’s Republic from January 3, 1919. The event was going on near  Monument To Bohdan Khmelnytsky In Kiev. In return Fedir Shvets, the representative of the Directorate pronounced a long –awaited Act: “ Today two for  centuries separated parts of the single Ukraine are being united: West Ukrainian People’s Republic (Galicia, Bukovina, Podkarpatsk? Rus) and Ucra?na Dni?per. The eternal dreams with which the best Uktainian sons were living and dying for came true.  From now there exist the single independent Ukrainian People’s Republic”.

 

But in several months the Unification Act lost its legality and at the end of 1919 it was denounced.

 

The 5th decree in the modern history of Ukraine was largerly the declaration of intentions, a good gesture, because soon after the signing, it turned out, that the leaders of two state formations were radically opposite in their views on almost all questions, except the idea of  Ukrainian State. After Akt Zluky proclamation  the two governments continued to exist (Ukrainian People’s Republic and West Ukrainian People’s Republic), there were two armies, different social-economical policies and foreign policy orientations.

 

Among the reasons, why the project “Ukrainian Unified State” failed, the researches distinguish the following: the lack of such concepts as constitutionalism and European education among the people of Ucra?na Dni?per and conservatism of Galicia population. One more reason which our countryman distinguishes – is the inability of Ukraine to be as necessary as possible for all the world and Europe, in particular, that in turn created the situation of constant choosing among the variants of other people’s choices.

 

The positive moment of Akt Zluky was the acknowledgment of common Ukrainian unity among its people, which for a long time was scattered in the various states.

 

Thus, the Unification Act of two parts of Ukraine became a symbolic sign of the desire toward unity. Therefore, January 22, 1919 rightly takes its place in the pantheon of Ukrainian key dates ..

 

The Desire to unify people, to merge the individual and the social, the ideal type of human relations, ways to combine efforts towards solving the problems existed among Ukrainian and always found its reflection in art of the Soviet period.

 

The exhibition is deployed on the background pattern of Kirovograd outstanding artist Nicholas Ignatyevich Bondarenko (1914 - 1999). The name of the picture  aims to restore the  hope in the hearts of Ukrainian patriots - "Ukraine has not  perished" (1993).

 

It shows the prominent figures who in the author's opinion contributed to state process strengthening in Ukraine - hetmans, politicians, writers and other.

 

The very same image of Ukraine is depicted as a charming girl in national clothes and a trident in her left hand as a symbol of power. The bird above her symbolizes the guardian of the Holy Spirit, so ,and our hopes, as well, for better days of  Ukrainian state and its people.

 

Also, in this exposition you can find plaster medals replicas of Andrew Nimenko, which shows the leading political and military figures during the liberation struggle of 1917-1920 in Ukraine: Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Symon Petliura and Gregory Tyutyunnik.

 

Also you can see the interesting informative material that familiarize visitors with the specifics of political thought in modern Ukraine and numerous ups and downs of its current life.

 

The idea of Unity as an organic union of free individuals united by mutual respect, is very important for modern Ukrainian society, which seeks to provide new forms of unity, simultaneously preserving diversity and completeness of its parts.

 

Olexander Otchenashko,  the researcher of  Scientific and Education department in Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum.