Activities of the Izmail regional house of folk arts in the post-war period (1945-1953)

Abstract

An important condition for creating a holistic and diverse characterization of cultural processes in Ukraine in historical retrospect is the regional approach. Cultural life of the Izmail region’ population in the 40-50’s of the XX century was concentrated around various cultural and educational institutions and establishments. In the postwar period amateur art became especially widespread, this became an important factor in mobilizing the population to rebuild the destroyed country and the way of propagating official ideology. Methodical and organizational management of amateur artistic activities in the Izmail region was carried out by the Regional House of Folk Arts. The appeal to the problem of amateur art is determined by the fact that it is still virtually unexplored. The analysis of the materials of the Izmail Archive, in particular the fund of the Izmail Regional House of Folk Arts, allow us to state that in the postwar period in the Izmail region, despite complex reconstruction processes, much attention was paid to cultural development. The most popular form of cultural and educational work and folk art was amateur art. The Izmail Regional House of Folk Arts was a methodological and creative center for the development of this form of cultural and artistic life. The article analyzes the various activities of this institution. The author concludes that despite the lack of funds, weak material and technical base, insufficient staffing, methodological problems, excessive ideology and constant control of the Party organizations, the activities of the Izmail Regional House of Folk Arts contributed to the organization of leisure, cultural growth and involvement of the region  to the cultural achievements of national and world culture. The prospect of further research is to study the development of various genres of art in the region, highlighting the lives and works of artists of Izmail.