Treasures of Ukraine A Nation's Cultural History

Treasures of Ukraine chronicles the arts and heritage of Ukraine at a time when the country’s people, culture, landmarks, and artworks are facing destruction and devastation. Created in partnership with a group of renowned artists, curators and critics, this record of architectural monuments and artworks reaches from prehistory to the present day. It charts the development of ancient cultures from Trypillia and Scythia to early states such as Kyivan Rus and the Cossack Hetmanate,to the most important contemporary paintings and political art being produced today. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century artistic movements—from the dawn of Modernism to nonconformist art produced under Soviet rule—shine light on key periods of Ukraine’s history.

Organized chronologically across eight chapters, Treasures of Ukraine contains more than 220 color images that showcase everything from Scythian gold, Byzantine icons, and wooden churches to gold domed cathedrals, avant-garde masterpieces, and political art after the Orange Revolution, while accompanying texts reveal the history and significance behind the pieces. Examples of vernacular art, meanwhile, weave Ukraine’s dynamic and inextinguishable folk narrative through the book, providing visual texture as well as a sense of the nation’s living history.