TYPES OF DEFENSE ARCHITECTURE OF PODILLIA ON POSTCARDS OF THE POLISH SOCIETY OF LOCAL LORE (1907–1913)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is analyze the iconography of postcards of the PCL issued before the First World War and to identify the species that popularized the defensive historical and cultural heritage of Podillya.

Research methodology. Achieving a certain goal and objectives led us to the use mainly general historical and source-research methods. Iconographic methods were used to determine the history of the origin of documentary post cards, to clarify the objects of the image, dating, authorship, the circumstances of creation, as well as to determine their authenticity. The Paleographic method is used to attribute an image object, determine its purpose, and so on.

Result. It has been investigated that since 1907, PCL members have been issuing postcards with views of the «Eastern Kress» monuments. They were considered the national heritage of the Polish people in order to promote and preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the region in the context of the policy of strengthening the state, uniting the nation and unifying the lands. In particular, the types of defensive architecture of Podillya were replicated on postcards of PCL in I (1907), II (1908), IV (1910), VI (1913) series «Polish Castles» and series «C: Podillya» (1908).

The publishing commission of the society used the photos of the photographer of the society K. Kulvich and the Kamenets photographer M. Graham to print certain postcards. Member of the publishing commission, artist and project manager M. Vyshnytsky carried out the decoration of postcards of certain series. Historical references to the types of fortresses and ruins of Podillya castles contained valuable local lore information. A pictorial series of identified postcards helps to analyze the historical and cultural monuments of Podillya, which were especially interesting and valuable for PCL members.

Novelty. The information potential of postcards (1907–1913) in the study of PTC activities in the field of preservation of historical and cultural monuments of Podillya lands was clarified.

The practical significance of the obtained results is the attention of researchers to the need to understand the specific postcards as one of the important iconographic sources of the early twentieth century.