KYIV BLACKSMITH SECESSION IN THE WORK OF VOLODYMYR DYOMIN

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to analyze the works of the Kyiv-based artist blacksmith Volodymyr Diomin (4.07.1957– 29.11.2021) in the context of studying the legacy of the iconic figures of European and Ukrainian blacksmithing art. The historical-chronological approach was used to substantiate the periodization of Volodymyr Diomin’s creative activity; the systemic approach enabled a complex and throughout study of the development of blacksmithing art in the 1970s–2020s; the cultural and art research approaches added a comparative dimension to the study of Diomin’s work as contrasted with the processes of revival and development in European and Ukrainian blacksmithing art of the second half of the twentieth century and up to the 2020s. The specialized literature on the revival of blacksmithing art and craft in Ukraine in general and in Kyiv and Kyiv region in particular was evaluated in the context of the milestone creative legacy of Volodymyr Diomin. The main stages in the development of Ukrainian blacksmithing art were analyzed with regard to Volodymyr Diomin’s involvement in these processes. The artist’s works since the 1970s and up to the present time were examined. The sociocultural component of Volodymyr Diomin’s creative legacy was considered. Scientific novelty. The throughout study of the creative legacy of the acclaimed Kyiv artist–architect–blacksmith Volodymyr Diomin constitutes the novelty of the paper. Diomin’s creativity and public life was discussed. His role in the revival and transition to the second stage of the development of blacksmithing in Ukraine was determined. The little-known facts and documents about Diomin’s life and creativity were publicized. The practical significance of the research is in broadening the knowledge on the process of development of blacksmithing in Ukraine in general and more specifically, in Kyiv, during the 1970s–2020s. The results of the research are grounded in revealing the little-known details of Volodymyr Diomin’s professional activity. These materials will be a valuable source of information for further research on the history of Ukrainian blacksmithing art.