Interpretation of the Theme of Ancient Rus in the Graphics of Georgy Yakutovych: Psychology of the Creative Process

The paper examines the development of Ancient Rus themes in the work of H. Yakutovych, a prominent figure in Ukrainian culture during the second half of the 20th century. Yakutovych played a pivotal role in shaping the national school of graphic art and significantly influenced Ukrainian cinema through his collaborations with S. Paradzhanov and L. Osyka. A recipient of the Taras Shevchenko State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR (1983) and the Taras Shevchenko State Prize of Ukraine (1991), Yakutovych was also a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1988), a People’s Artist of Ukraine (1990), and an academician of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine (1997). Despite these accolades, he consistently remained, above all, an artist—true to his vision, a proponent of modernist innovations in artistic language, and a devoted follower of national traditions rooted in Ukrainian folk and professional art. This study explores Yakutovych’s unwavering dedication to a subject not endorsed by official Soviet ideology. It highlights his conscious and demonstrative stance on the continuity of modern Ukrainian culture with the artistic legacy of Ancient Rus, a position expressed through both his graphic work and contributions to film. The article also delves into the psychological dimensions of his creative process and, for the first time, presents the artist’s own reflections, as recorded by the author during a personal conversation in the mid-1980s.