THE ARCHITECTURAL LEGACY OF OPANAS SLASTION AS THE EMBODIMENT OF UKRAINIAN MODERN

Abstract

The article highlights the problem of preserving the architectural heritage of the outstanding painter, graphic artist, ethnographer and public figure Opanas Georgievich Slastion (1855–1933). It emphasises that the lack of a comprehensive state programme for the restoration and promotion of the architect’s work is leading to the gradual loss of an important part of national identity. The architect’s active public position on the need to incorporate Ukrainian style into the spatial and decorative design of buildings, in particular, zemstvo schools, educational buildings from 1910–1916 in the Poltava region, is noted. This is not only about material factors, but also about shaping the younger generation’s national consciousness and pride in their own culture. O. Slastion’s innovative approaches to the design of district schools are outlined, in particular, the separate planning of educational and administrative-economic blocks, the division of classrooms using sliding wooden partitions with the subsequent possibility of transforming the space into an assembly hall. The variable approach to the facade design of schools and the overall economic flexibility of the projects are emphasised. The relevance of preserving Opanas Slastion’s legacy in modern conditions and its significance for the awareness of national cultural identity are considered.