Cinematography in Kamianets-Podilskyi (1897-1918): emergence and steps of development

The goal of the research is to analyze the history of emerging and development of cinematography in Kamyanets-Podilskyi in 1897-1918. A number of principles, such as historicism, scientific objectivity, socio-cultural and chronological, analysis and synthesis, historical-comparative, prosopographic, iconographic, iconological, formal-stylistic and other methods were used as the methodological basis. Scientific novelty of the research is conditioned by finding and attribution of chronical films and their fragments, filmed in Kamyanets-Podilskyi during the first two decades of the ХХ century, as well as their introduction into scientific circulation. Conclusion. The status of Kamyanets-Podilskyi as an administrative center of Podillya governorship, located on the Russian-Austrian border, permitted to implement the most advanced technical discoveries and devices, which were typical for Kyiv and Odesa. The cinematographic technology, which was created and patented in 1895 in France, was presented in 1896 in Odesa and in 1897 it was presented in Kamyanets-Podilskyi by virtue and efforts of a photographer M.Greim. Unfortunately, the first film shot by the later is nowadays considered lost. The work of his younger colleague, S. Giller, is believed to be more fruitful, as he made a dozen of films about Kamyanets-Podilskyi and its suburbs shortly before the World War I; the films were demonstrated in the cinemas of the city. In the early years of the World War I Austrian military operators have made a number of documentaries. Cinematographic work was continued by the two brothers, Srul and Abram Gillers. S. Giller’s documentaries, devoted to the grand opening of Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Ukrainian University in October, 22, 1918.