Coming into ERH-373, Art in the 21^st Century Ukraine, I wasn’t really sure what to expect or what I would learn. Other than what I had seen on the news about Ukraine and crisis between them and Russia over Crimea, I was not aware of the situation or the revolution taking place in the country. I assumed we would be looking at different works of art that had come from within Ukraine and how they depicted a post soviet country and its development. Instead this class aided me in opening up my mind when looking at an analyzing art and looking deeper into its meaning and what is can mean for a country. I have learned that through art there is potential to change policy within a country and drive revolution.

Over the course we looked at different works and how they each had their own influence throughout the country, how people viewed and reacted to different pieces and they impacted the community. However, the biggest struggle art has faced in Ukraine is the censorship by the government. This censorship through corruption in the government has molded the art scene and what people are allowed to view, sparking controversy and forcing citizens to push for a change. Censorship blocks the flow of ideas and creates more controversy between those in charge and the average citizens.

One of the more recent acts of censorship that has sparked controversy was the covering of Volodymyr Kuznetsov’s work, “Koliivschina: Judgment Day”, within the Art Arsenal in Ukraine. The act of painting over Kuznetsov’s unfinished work by Natalia Zabolotna, the art director of the Art Arsenal, enraged citizens and pushed them to protest outside of the museum for such act. The people of Ukraine are calling for change in the laws on censorship and are using art such as Kuznetsov’s as their motivator (Kennedy, Can Art Change Policy?).

Another more recent act of censorship within the state took place in September of this year as Vasyl Cherepanyn; an art teacher at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, had an entire exhibit get shut down by the government before it was even opened to the public. Cherepanyn’s work to try and display certain works and fight back against the censorship have gained him much attention in the contemporary art movement and helped him gain support by those involved in the revolution. Cherepanyn has made it his personal goal to try and change censorship laws and take a stand against the government and its ability to censor due to corruption (Kennedy, AN ART TEACHER FROM A UNIVERSITY IN KYIV WAS ATTACKED ON 9/23/14 IN #KONTRAKTOVASQUARE BY #MILITANTS FOR HIS VIEWS. HOW CAN WE ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE? #EUROMAIDAN).

An example of this corruption for censorship occurred in August as the government passed a law that permitted both the president and National Security and Defense Council the right to censor whatever they please without a court order. However due to recent protest over this censorship the government is going back to relook at this law and reform how it is written. Policy is being changed due to art and its impact that it had on society (Kennedy, Can Art Change Policy?).

In the end, I have learned that art is one of the most influential and driving factors for individuals in a revolution. Art has the power to generate conversation, spark new ideas, and influence peoples minds and how they view a situation. Art has the ability to speak to everyone, regardless of language, education level, or position within society. If it were not for certain works and the message they shared, along with the response that came along with it, change would not be possible. Art has changed policy by bringing attention to issues within the government and rallying people to call for a change.

Works Cited

• Kennedy, Taylor. “AN ART TEACHER FROM A UNIVERSITY IN KYIV WAS ATTACKED ON 9/23/14 IN #KONTRAKTOVASQUARE BY #MILITANTS FOR HIS VIEWS. HOW CAN WE ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE? #EUROMAIDAN.” 9 October 2014. Taylor Kennedy’s Blog. Taylor Kennedy. 14 December 2014 <https://sites.vmi.edu/kennedytm1558/2014/10/09/an-art-teacher-from-a-university-in-kyiv-was-attacked-on-92314-in-kontraktovasquare-by-militants-for-his-views-how-can-we-allow-this-to-continue-euromaidan/>.
• —. “Can Art Change Policy?” 14 December 2014. Taylor Kennedy’s Blog. Taylor Kennedy. 14 December 2014 <https://sites.vmi.edu/kennedytm1558/2014/12/15/can-art-change-policy/>.