Floral symbolism in Ukrainian painting of the second half of the 20 th century

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the need for a comprehensive study of floral symbolism as
an important means of preserving and the transmission of national identity in Ukrainian painting during the period
of ideological restrictions (1940s-1980s), which is of particular importance for understanding the mechanisms of
cultural resistance and the formation of national consciousness. The aim of the study was to conduct a comprehensive
analysis of the development of floral symbolism in Ukrainian painting in the second half of the 20 th century and
to determine its role in the formation of national artistic identity. A set of art history methods was applied:
iconographic analysis of symbolic meanings, stylistic analysis of artistic features, and a semiotic approach to reveal
the system of symbols. The work of leading Ukrainian artists (M. Glushchenko, V. Kostetsky, T. Golembiievska, I.
Krasny, O. Shovkunenko, T. Yablonska, E. Volobuev) in the period from 1940 to 1980 was analysed. The evolution
of floral symbolism is traced from the symbols of hope in the 1940s through the search for national identity during
the “thaw” period to the philosophical understanding of being. The research has clarified the symbolic meaning of
key floral motifs, for example, the peony is associated with rebirth, the cornflower with love for the native land, the
mallow expresses the idea of family well-being, and the combination of the daffodil and the ear of corn embodies
the cyclical nature of nature. The use of floral images as a means of indirectly expressing patriotic feelings in
conditions of ideological restrictions has been proven. It has been established that the multi-layered semiotic
system created by artists functioned at the level of individual expression and collective memory, which ensured the
transmission of national values in changing historical conditions. The results of the study can be used in teaching
Ukrainian art history, art history, cultural studies, curatorial activities, and the creation of museum exhibitions