Artistic Сrafts of Fedoskino, Palekh, Mstyora, and Kholuy during the October Revolution and the Civil War (1917-1922)

The subject of this study is the analysis of the condition of the crafts of Fedoskino, Palekh, Mstyora, and Kholuy during the first period of socialist reconstruction (1917–1922), the main content of which was overcoming the economic and artistic crisis that began long before the October Revolution of 1917 and is commonly perceived as a kind of pre-history of Russian lacquer miniatures in the Soviet period. However, despite this, it rarely attracts the attention of researchers due to the complexity and limited study of the cultural and economic processes occurring at that time. The aim of the article is to attempt to substantiate the important role of this period for the further stylistic development of lacquer crafts, despite the enormous economic difficulties and even catastrophism faced by many artists living in the post-revolutionary period. The author of the article, using narrative, retrospective, and historical-system methods of research, pays special attention to the artistic evolution of the former icon-painting crafts of Palekh, Mstyora, and Kholuy, revealing the patterns of development of their art during the key stages of the difficult period for the country, namely the October Revolution and the Civil War (1917–1922). The scientific novelty of the research lies in the attempt to provide a comprehensive description of a specific historical phenomenon: the very union of scattered icon painters and the provision of financial assistance to them during the challenging times following the revolution was already an important step. However, in addition to the economic aspect, it is essential to highlight the creative advantages of these post-revolutionary cooperatives – the recent icon painters were developing skills in creating ornamentation, began to work with everyday (non-religious) objects, learned three-dimensional forms, and finally turned to "urban" artistic motifs, even copying ready-made samples and engaging in the trend towards easel painting and poster style that emerged at this time. The justification of the fundamental thesis that these tendencies will continue even after the transition of Palekh, Mstyora, and Kholuy to the painting of papier-mch products in the 1920s and 1930s constitutes the main conclusion of the proposed article.