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person instead of shoes), and in Chyhyrynshchyna I found painted trunks which are now exhibited in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Art in Kyyiv and in Cherkasy historical Museum. Ivan Makarovych always consulted with the curators of museums, artistic associ ations, embroiderers, etc. Ivan Honchar was greatly disturbed by the status of the Ukrainian language. At every opportunity he empha sized the beauty, its significance to our culture, for for mulation of national identity and the importance of its use. Back in 1960’s he wrote letters to the Secretary of CK KPU, F. Ovcharenko, about the necessity of use of the Ukrainian language in our schools, technical institutions, about including a course in Ukrainian art in the curriculum. Such letters did not find any reaction in our government institutions. Ukraine is indebted to Ivan Honchar, especially for his collection of Ukrainian art during a period when museums were full of photographs of accomplishments in collective farms, factories, etc. The beauty of Ukrain ian art, costumes, painting, etc. was not important. It is no wonder that an average person at that time felt that a folk costume gradually became archaic, not fashiona ble, and not worthy of attention. Ivan Honchar, on the contrary, brought our atten tion to the beauty which was created over the years, compelled us to think and wonder about the many ornaments, colors and variety of the various regional styles of Ukrainian art. All this was also exhibited in his series of ethnogra phic portraits, painted in tempera and water colors, where he portrayed Ukrainians from different regions in their native attire. He documented each painting with details of dress, occupation of the people and their sur roundings. He named each painting, for example: “Girl with a bucket near a well,” “Boy and girl strolling,” “Woman sewing,” etc. Here you can also find scenes from various holiday observances (spring, harvest, car oling, wedding, etc.). He also created a series of historical-ethnographic photo albums ’’Ukraine and Ukrainians” based on origi nal photographs from the past. In these albums he por trays people from various regions in their native cos tumes, and also properly dressed city dwellers, among them many well-known persons from the art world. This great work of Ivan Honchar is a sort of conti nuation of work by T. Shevchenko and L. Zhemchuzhni- kov of a series of paintings and drawings titled “Pictorial Ukraine.” In addition to its great documental value which will increase with time, this work is a convincing docu ment which portrays the greatness of our nation’s spirit and its high aesthetic culture. It will be difficult for the next generation to under stand how anyone like Ivan Honchar and his work could have been so degraded and scorned. In the beginning of the 1970’s Ivan Honchar recorded his thoughts about the museum, culture and Ukrainian language on a cas sette, to make them more available to people. Members of the KGB confiscated this tape and turned it over to competent experts in the Language Institute AN USSR who labeled it as “nationalistic.” This served as a reason for more repressions. Ivan Honchar was forced to close the museum for a few years. Only his close friends came to see the artist in those difficult days. Govern ment culture officials often proposed to Honchar to give over his collection of artifacts to some government museum, but he refused, knowing well the status of Ukrainian folk art in those museums and government politics in this area. For him, as he said, his museum was his creative laboratory and it could not forcefully be confiscated from him. His ethnographic artifacts, photo albums, original sculptures and paintings — they all complement each other, into one uniform organic wholeness. When look ing at his sculpture compositions made during the last few years, when he tries to recreate characteristic Ukrainian types, their similarity to creations of folk artists comes to mind. His technique of sculpting, his idea of form, even when applying such details as eyebrows, lips, etc. His paintings are full of folk legends and mythology, where problems of existence are projected in a philosophic symbolic plan. Honchar’s art convincingly underscores the fact that folk art is the basis of the development of profes sional art. He created his own style in sculpture and painting, exhibiting a laconic form, decorativity, well roundedness, understanding of the world and romance. As a collector of folk treasures, and as an artist Ivan Honchar expresses his uniqueness. Although we have many talented artists and judges of folk art, there is only one Honchar. He has something which differentiates him from others, maybe his dedication, sense of goal and faith in what he believes which helped him over come all obstacles. Ivan Honchar was a steadfast democrat in his belief and personality and he did not believe that art belonged only to a select group of people. National and spiritual rebirth was everyone’s right — and not for a select few. He did everything in his power to raise the cultural level of our people, to reawaken and activate their spiritual being and national pride. This he did throughout his life, not only during those times when it was legal and safe to do. Ivan Honchar loved and understood folk culture in all its phases. He was one of the initiators of the Kyyivan rebirth of folk customs during the holidays. For example —carols, shchedrivky, spring songs, Kupala, etc. In his museum, even in the 1960’s, he organized caroling groups which visited the residents of Kyyiv, greeting them with the New Year and birth of Christ. I remember in spring of 1969 a group of Kyyiv youths gathered near his house and he himself helped us dress in folk cos tumes which he loaned from his valuable collection. That was the birth of the now famous Homin choir. Ukrainian folk art was Ivan Honchar’s life, always surrounded by people, in the midst of our social and cultural activities. He was often seen at various exhibits, ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ГРУДЕНЬ 1993 19
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