Mykola Anastazievsky: 135 Years Since His Birth
On August 14, 2023, the 135th birthday of Ukrainian painter and graphic artist Mykola Anastazievsky is being recalled. He was born on August 14, 1891, in the town of Skała nad Zbruchem, now the settlement of Skała-Podilskа in the Borshchiv district of the Ternopil region of Ukraine. Anastazievsky died on May 28, 1974, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
His artistic education began at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, where he graduated in 1914, and was followed by studies at the Institute of Artistic and Applied Arts in Warsaw. Between 1918 and 1919, he served as a painter and graphic artist for the Ministry of Education of the Ukrainian People's Republic in Kamianets-Podilskyi. He subsequently taught drawing in schools throughout Poland until 1939, and from 1940 to 1944 he taught at Ukrainian gymnasiums and a technical school in Chełm.
After World War II, Anastazievsky moved to Germany before settling in Minneapolis in 1950, where he lived for the rest of his life. His creative legacy centers on everyday scenes, still lifes, and holiday-themed works, especially Christmas and Easter compositions.
Marking this anniversary underscores the significant role Ukrainian artists played in world culture while safeguarding their national identity far from home. His intimate portrayals of family and daily life continue to inspire new generations of painters, bridging the past and the present. Across decades and continents, his career stands as a testament to cultural continuity during times of displacement.