UKRAINIAN ANIMATION OF THE 1922–1930S: TRANSFORMATION OF MEANINGFUL NARRATIVES

Abstract

In the article, it has been analyzed plot construction and stylistic specificity of the Ukrainian animation heritage of the pre-war period of 1922–1930 when the production was managed by such institution as the All-Ukrainian Photocinema Administration. The functioning of its propaganda (adult) and children's entertainment contexts is highlighted, although at the beginning Ukrainian animation (the so-called multiplication) was aimed at an adult audience. The analysis of animated films of the beginning of the 20th century is based on the application of historical chronology and semiotic methods. So we can trace not only the progress of technological and visual means of expression but also the complication of the plot-narrative component of pre-war Ukrainian cartoons. Animation emerged as a generally mature art form that adopted high-tech tools to create images that could be used to have a strong impact on viewers. Its children's entertainment content became completely dominant after the Second World War, when the Disney style was borrowed with all its main features – brightness, color and carnival images. But at the same time, animation has not lost its mature storytelling potential. Compared to the early animated shorts, which were designed only to make static images move, the longer-duration cartoons took on a strong plot structure and suggestive narrative – much like novels and films. They were used as promotional shorts during movie viewings to inform audiences about economic, ideological and political agendas. In just two decades, Ukrainian and world cartoons turned into a visual form for children, which additionally broadcasted hidden adult narratives. The phenomenon is increasingly in demand in the context of modern visual culture, interpreting cartoons as double-coded animated cinema.