Printed Educational Materials for Students of Creative Faculties in Ukrainian Universities in the Context of the Ban on Russian-Language Sources: Problem Statement

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of re-evaluating of art history textbooks published in Russian. In light of new legislative restrictions – specifically, the Draft Law on Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Concerning the Prohibition of Information Sources from the Aggressor State or the Occupying State in Educational Programs, as well as in Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activities – this problem necessitates: 1. a thorough revision of existing bibliographies; 2. the development of new art history textbooks or the translation of authoritative works from other languages, authored by both Ukrainian and international specialists. Art history textbooks that require review and restructuring for use in contemporary creative higher education institutions may be tentatively divided into three categories: 1. Works authored by specialists of the Soviet period, many of whom received their artistic education before the October Revolution of 1917 – for example, N. Punin, M. Alpatov, N. Konrad, and other scholars whose twentieth-century publications are now regarded as classics. 2. Publications by modern art researchers related to Russia, who were educated abroad and produced noteworthy Russian-language studies of European and/or modern art, such as B. Groys. 3. Lectures and textbooks by respected Ukrainian art historians published in Russian, such as a textbook by V. Klevaiev, V. Dzhulai, etc. The Ukrainian art community should collectively determine its position regarding the scholarly legacy of Soviet art historians who systematically researched and taught the history of European and Eastern art. It is essential to reach conclusions about whether to: translate the works of established Soviet art historians into Ukrainian; identify and adopt publications by scholars from other art-historical traditions – such as Polish or Italian – whose research on European art merits attention; or develop entirely new, contemporary Ukrainian textbooks on European art history.