FEATURES OF POTTERS’ WORK ORGANIZATION IN INDUSTRIAL ARTILS OF OPISHNYA IN 1929–1960

Abstract

The article, based on publications in the district press from 1935 to 1940, archival materials of the National Archive of Ukrainian Pottery of the National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery, the works of leading Ukrainian ceramologists, memories of former workers of the pottery, analyzes the peculiarities of the organization of the work of potters in the pottery artel of one of the largest pottery centers of Ukraine – Opishnya – during 1929–1960. The influence of the Soviet ideological and propaganda system on the scale of production activities in the workshops, the organization of production, the political consciousness of workers, and the creative work of craftsmen is emphasized. The positive and negative consequences of such influence are determined. The processes of transferring artisanal pottery production to the rails of industry were followed. The peculiarities and main differences in the work of the «Khudozhnii keramik» and «Chervonyi honchar» artel have been clarified. Exhibitions in which artel’s workers «Khudozhnii keramik» participated, and their results were systematized, as they were a kind of demonstration of the achievements of the workers of the investigated industrial enterprises of a certain period. It was the exhibitions that acted as a kind of indicator of the creative activity of the masters as opposed to the pure production activity. Particular attention is paid directly to the organization of the work of potters, namely, material and technical support, working conditions, salary level, workplace arrangement, working hours, access to additional services.