Extractivist Practices of Soviet Socialism: Industry, Technology, and Nature in Ukrainian Visual Culture of the Late 1920s–1930s
Nataliia Biriuk
Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine4.3.2026, 16:00
Library of Center for Urban History
During the urban seminar, Natalia Biriuk will outline the research field (environmental art history) and the structure of her dissertation research, which focuses on the analysis of visual culture of the interwar period, which reflected the implementation of the Soviet-Russian extractivist policy. Firstly, she will explain the imperial logic of appropriation of Ukrainian minerals, primarily coal, imposed by the Russian-Soviet authorities.
In her presentation, the researcher will use textual materials from Bolshevik leaders, who discussed the need to establish an asymmetrical Center-Periphery dynamic between Ukrainian territories and the central government. She will also present the results of her work with propaganda posters, which embodied imperial colonial aspirations that were to be realized through the seizure of the Donetsk coal basin. Separately, she will outline other groups of visual materials from the late 1920s and 1930s, including paintings from the collection of the "Special Fund" ("Спецфонд") of the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
In addition, Natalia will present the results of her work with materials from the Urban Media Archive of the Center for Urban History, collected in 2020-2021 as part of the project "Un/Archiving Post/Industry" that are directly related to the above-mentioned issues.
Researcher, art historian. Since 2024, she has been pursuing her PhD. Natalia’s research interests are in the field of environmental art history, art history methodology, and history as such. Nataliia’s research residency at the Center is primarily aimed at collecting materials for her dissertation research. As part of her stay, Natalia plans to familiarize herself with the digital archive of photographs from the 1920-30s from the Pokrovsk Historical Museum, Donetsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, Kramatorsk City History Museum, and other institutions created in 2020-2021 as part of the Un/Archiving Post/Industry project.
Nataliia Biriuk
Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine
Urban Seminar will be held in a workshop format. Researchers are invited to discuss scholarly projects, research at various stages of development, and completed research that is being prepared for publication.
Participation in the Urban Seminar requires preliminary reading and discussion of the researcher's text. If you would like to join the Seminar, please email Maryana Mazurak (m.mazurak@lvivcenter.org), and we will send you the materials in advance.
Credits
Cover Image: Dziga Vertov, Enthusiasm: Symphony of Donbas, 1930 / sound film, 65 min / director of photography Borys Tseitlin, Ukrainfilm (Kyiv Film Studio), Ukrainian SSR / Dovzhenko Center collection