He became a link between the time of “Executed Renaissance” and the Era of Independence

These days people in Cherkasy remembered and honored people’s artist Danylo Narbut. Exhibition of his paintings from the series “Hetmans of Ukraine” and “Colonels” was presented in Cherkasy Museum of Regional Ethnography.

Danylo Narbut was a son of a graphic artist Heorhii Nabut. He was known as the theater artist: he worked in the decorative workshop of the Kyiv Opera Theater, was the chief designer of Kyiv Circus, a consultant artist in Kyiv Theater Museum, he also worked in theaters of Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi, and Cherkasy. During the German occupation he was a commander of a hundred soldiers of Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He became Taras Shevchenko Prize winner for his portrait series “Associates of Bohdan Khmelnytsky,” “Hetmans of Ukraine,” and also for philosophical and historical canvas Last Judgment. Narbut was the oldest member of UNA-UNSO. Friends of the artist, everyone who knew him and also those who respect his work gathered at the opening of the exhibition of paintings by “Old Man Nabut.” This is how the artist was called in Cherkasy.

By the way, soon a museum of Nabut will open in the city. Renovations in four rooms of the Oblast Art Museum are nearly done. This will be the place for regular exposition: visitors will be able to see paintings, books, and personal things of the artist there. As the head of Cherkasy Oblast Council Vasyl Kasian assured The Day, all the construction works have been already completed and only light should be fixed.

“Besides, we agreed with the Museum of Regional Ethnography that in a month this art exhibition that just opened will travel to Uman, and then to other cities of regional importance: Vatutino, Zolotonosha, Kaniv, and Smila,” said Kasian.

COMMENTARIES

Viktor KLYMENKO, artist, friend of Danylo Nabut:

“Danylo so clearly loved life. He would get up at five o’clock in the morning and start painting. This was a man of encyclopedic knowledge. If one of us drew a painting that pictured Cossacks, he had to immediately go to Nabut – he would advice you on everything, he could tell about clothing elements and peculiarities of weapons. He was our inspiration. Sometimes when you would come to his workshop and he’d be painting there it seemed as if music was playing in there. Then he would step aside and say: ‘No, it’s not good!’ He was not satisfied with his own work. Narbut often said: ‘Just think, I studied so much with Krychevsky and didn’t learn how to draw!’ Then I’d tell him: ‘It’s good that you didn’t.’ Because this way Narbut has formed his own style, his own artistic signature.”

Oleksandra TELIZHENKO, craftswoman:

“We all knew Nabut well and loved him for his talent, for that he kept on his shoulders the sky of Cherkasy intelligentsia (and it is unlikely that there will be anyone to replace him today). I think that he had a special historical mission and he fulfilled it. Continuity of cultural and artistic traditions is very important for every nation. As Yevhen Malaniuk said at some point that it is important that hand, which passes on a tradition, wouldn’t become weak and the hand, which receives it, would be strong. Narbut carried out a unifying mission from the 1920s – the time of the Ukrainian Rozstriliane Vidrodzhennia (Executed Renaissance), when 60 percent of Ukrainian intelligentsia was destroyed (including his father and infinite number of most talented artists) to the time of Ukrainian Independence.”