OLONKHO
the Yakut Heroic Epos

(Detailed description as it was written in candidate application for the 3rd proclamation of masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of the humanity)

Arts Transformation of Olonkho

HEROIC EPOS OLONKHO IN FINE ARTS OF YAKUTIA

The Yakut heroic epos is closely connected to traditional culture, it concentrates the spirit of the people, archaic vision of time and of the surrounding world, it synthesizes mythological, religious, and philosophical concepts. The artists turn to Olonkho in search for various orienting points. Some of them are interested in plots, others - in stylistic devices or general creative princi ples, based on the originality of ethnic artistic thinking. Pursuit of the elevated idea, characteristic of Olonkho, is the peculiarity of the national perception, when the epic plots are transformed into fine arts pieces.

OLONKHO IN THE WORKS OF THE FIRST ARTISTS OF YAKUTIA

Since the emergence of the fine arts in Yakutia (the 1930-s), the artists turned to the ancient epic heritage, which served as the plentiful source of ideas and images of the people.

The gallery of the people's images in the painting art of Yakutia begins in 1930 from the work "Portrait of Olonkhosut I.N. Vinokurov-Tabakhyrov" by I. V. Popov - the first professional artist in Yakutia. Since then, the personalities of the narrators constantly attracted attention of the artists (P.P. Romanov "Portrait of I.I. Burnashov-Tong Suorun", 1944; E.S. Sivtsev "Portrait of Yadrikhinskyi, 1966; L.A. Kim "Portrait of Olonkhosut", 1983; "Portrait of People's Singer Ye.N. Charpykova", 1984; S.S. Parnikov "Portrait of P.P. Yadrikhinskyi-Bedjeele", 1982).

The first expositor of the epic images was the People's Artist of Yakutia P.P. Romanov. In 1936-1937 he illustrated the epic narration "Nurgun Boo­ tur, the Impetuous", not published yet. Afterwards, the artist adapted these illustrations to another Olonkho "Non-stumbling Myuldju, the Powerful" in the Yakut language, published in 1938 in Moscow. The illustrations made in pencil as lithography are devoted to turning of a giant cripple into the warrior of the Middle World and his feats. They reproduce the epic hero's great deeds ("Warrior's Spring to the Ninth Sky", "Spring through the Fiery Abysm", "The Battle with the Abaahy Tribe Maiden", "The Battle against the Warrior Ardj aman-Dj ardj aman").

In his epic canvas "Warrior with the Bride" (1938) P.P.Romanov for the first time transfers the figurative structure of the Yakut Olonkho, rich in passions, dramatic collisions and life-assertion, into the picturesque narration about the earthly life. Reality and fiction harmoniously coexist in the canvas; painting techniques and stylistics are of folklore character and are based on the folklore world outlook.

One of the first Yakut artists, an ethnographer and researcher of the region M.M. Nosov believed that young fine arts should develop, remaining folklor- istic and distinct. In his works, he frequently used the historical and folklore motifs. These works are "Dance of the Ancient Yakut" (1946), "Battle of the Warriors" (1940), "The First Settlers on the Lena River" (1947) and the series of the graphic works "Yakutia in the Folklore Epos" (1945). The works intro duce us to the unusual fictional world, created by the author's fantasy. The series of his graphic works "Yakutia in the Folklore Epos" remained unfinished - seven graphic sheets are devoted to Olonkho heroes and the world, which surrounds them. Nosov illustrated the epos as the fantastic fairy tale, replete with the social observations, and reproduces the general poetic atmosphere of folklore with its ingenuousness and naïve realism.

Thus, in the works of the first artists, the plots and images of Olonkho undergo transformations from the naïve fairy-mythological (M.M. Nosov) to the high figuratively epic realism (P.P. Romanov).

OLONKHO IN FINE ARTS OF YAKUTIA
IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE XX CENTURY

An entirely new stage of development of the heroic epos in the fine arts was introduced by the graphics of the 1960s-1970s, when the Yakut print assumed the international cultural value. At this period, the artists have completed the period of transition from ethnographism to another to another type of artistic expression - vivification of the folklore; this period is characterized by the dialogue of the past and the present, comprehension of the pictorial symbolics of the nation's living, a new impulse for orientation to the traditional art. It was brightly embodied in the works of the graphic artists E.S. Sivtsev, V.S. Karamzin, V.R. Vasiliev, and A.P. Munkhalov, whose images tend to be epic and whose artistic language tends to be generalized. In this context, epos plays an extremely important role. This is Olonkho that was the basic form of aes thetic expression of the reality, which reflected the entire world outlook of the people and its centuries-old development, and disclosed the national spirit and way of thinking. For graphic artists and bone-carvers the way professionalism in depiction of the heroic epos images was hand by hand with recognition of their people as the creator and the keeper of cultural traditions. The artists often portrayed Olonkhohuts, craftsmen, shaman women Ugadankas, shamans, etc (E.S. Sivtsev, V.P. Vasliev, S.S. Parnikov, Yu.I. Votyakov, M.A. Rakhleye- va, T.Ye. Shaposhnikova, A.Ye. Yevstafiev) and depicted national festivities (L.M. Neophitov, Ye.M. Shaposhnikov, V.S. Karamzin, A.P. Munkhalov).

On of the first Yakut printmakers E.S. Sivtsev was a true national artist, whose world vision was rooted in common people's life. Among his graphic works, of special significance are the works portraying the keepers of the an cient Yakut traditions (series of etchings "Yakut National Games", 1969, se ries of the lithographs "Guest", 1978, "Shamans", 1988). The series of lin- ocuts "Narrators (1966) reflects the bright epic plots and the image of Olonkho- hut in the allegoric form (linocuts "The Past", "Battle", "Happiness").

The works by V.S. Karamzin are noted by their closeness to the folklore. Natural yearning for the capacious descriptive "Word" and sincerity are char acteristic of his works, reflecting the people's view of the reality (series of etchings "The Ysyakh Festival", 1968, "The Yakut Heroic Epos", 1969; litho graphs "Summer Holiday", 1976, "Yakut Evenings", 1978, linocuts "Yakut Folklore Songs", 1968, "Summer Season", 1986, "Fellow-villagers", 1989 and others). In the series "The Yakut Heroic Epos" (1969) the artist portrays the main character of Olonkho - warriors of the Middle and the Lower Worlds, the arch-fathers and the beauties of the Middle World, and depicts the culmi nation points - the path of the warrior, the battle of warriors, celebration of the yhyakh-uruu, devoted to the winner and his bride.

The works by V.S. Karamzin illustrate the souvenir editions of Olonkhos "Nurgun Bootur, the Impetuous" by P.A. Oiunskyi (1982, 2003) (jointly with S.S. Parnikov), "Alaatyyr Ala Tuigun" by the narrator R.P.Alexeyev (2002) from the series "Sakha Booturdara" ("Yakut Warriors") (jointly with T.A. Stepanov).

V.R. Vasiliev is the innovative artist, who always was in search for new ideas. He is the author of the series of linocuts in the so-called "severe style" "The New and the Old" (1965-1966), devoted to the historic fate of the Yakut people. The distinctness of the depictive techniques characterizes the series "The Old Yakut Masters" (1967), that reflects contemplations on the continu ity of folklore traditions in the modern art. In his triptych "Nurgun Bootur, the Impetuous" (1969), V.P. Vasiliev focuses not only on the plot lines, but also on the image structure and high spirituality of the epos. For the works on the epic motifs, the author chose the xylography technique. The triptych had acquired a new life in 1970, when the All-Union company "Melodia" released the phonorecords of the abridged version of "Nurgun Bootur the Impetuous", illustrated with V.P. Vasiliev's etchings in color.

The local Russian artist Yu.I.Votyakov continued the traditions of V.P. Vasiliev. His works, devoted to the folklore and the epos of various countries, takes a special place and nations, characterized their interest in man, his memory and the morals. The image plastic structure of his works tends to be highly metaphorical and associative. He left unfinished the series of masterly pencil- made illustrations for Olonkho "Nurgun Bootur the Impetuous", which are characterized by observation of the stylistic peculiarities of the heroic epos, its dynamics, contrasting, hyperbolization, grotesque, and alogics.

The ornamental-decorative stylization distinguishes the works by S.S. Parnik- ov. He worked out his own inimitable style, based on the ancient world outlook of the people, that was embodied in the most archaic forms - petroglyphic drawings, ornaments, narrative drawings on birch bark, and bone carving. Simplicity and clearness almost at the brink of becoming formulaic, preference of a small format, flat interpretation of space, rhythm and symmetry of composition, sharp outlines and soft coloring of the etchings are the peculiarities of Parnikov's graphic style, clearly manifested in his works on the motifs of the oral folklore ("Shaman", 1981; "Olonkhosut Bedjeele", 1982; "Warrior of the Middle World", "Warrior of the Lower World", 1984; "Udagan" (Shaman Woman) 1992).

In the 1990-s mythological plots and Olonkho images appeared in the works by the artists I.Yu. Pestryakov. In his works, created in the style of naïve realism, the author, basing on the folk aesthetics, poetically revives the genre traditions of the folklore in the form of amusing pictures (illustrations for Olonkho "Eles Bootur", 2002).

Olonkho makes the backbone of the artistic tools in the works by T.A. Stepanov. His epic works are noted for richness of the folk fantasy, colorful and expressive language, coexistence of the fantastic imagination with the sober analysis of the reality. Olonkho becomes the subject of his creative think ing. The author perceives the narratives as the source of historical information. He reproduces and artistically reconstructs not only the world of epic subjects, but also the epic time.

Thirty large-scale pieces of the series "The Yakut Heroic Epos Olonkho" (1977-1997) depict the cosmic structure of the universe. The artist chooses the key scenes from Olonkho - epic description of the three Worlds, Worlds Tree, main characters - warriors and beautiful women - keepers of the fireplace, for whose sake the warriors fight ("The Middle World" (1980), "The Upper World" (1981), "Main Characters of Olonkho" (1985) and others.

Having found his ideal in the epic narratives, Stepanov borrows Olonkho counterpoint of composition, noble harmony of deep and intense colors, and monumental images. His works are distinguished for the mythological basis of plot organization and general structure, characteristic of the epos ("Tree of Life" (1982), "Balaghan - the Cradle of Olonkho" (1982), "The Youth of the Main Characters" (1984), "In Front of the Mistress of the Fire Sea" (1985), "To Defend the Middle World" (1986), "Battle in the Sky" (1996) and others.

The epic in the painter's works is disclosed in the compositions, in which the sun and stars, water and fire are presented in their cosmic role. These compositions include "Birth of the Worlds" (1981), "The Land of Olonkho" (1984), and "Competition" (1988). This is brightly expressed in the work "Olonkho Worlds and World Tree" (1979), representing the fragment of the universe - the triadic picture of the world, which is not out torn by the animosity, and is not divided into the animate and inanimate natures. Thus, the series "The Yakut Heroic Epos Olonkho" by T.S. Stepanov stands out as the sym- bolization of the Sakha people's history.

THE EPIC IMAGES AND PLOTS
IN YAKUT ARTISTIC BONE-CARVING

In the 1940-s, Olonkho became the theme of the traditional folk arts, first of all, of the mammoth bone carving. The Yakut bone carving has gone the long way of development. Its history allows us to trace the natural development from ornamental patterns to the artistry, from the roughish archaic forms to gradual enrichment and perfection, achievement of simplicity and clearness. Revival of the bone carving starts in the early post-war years and is connected with the name of the hereditary bone-carver V.P. Popov. His sculpture composition "The Yakut Woman beside the Tether" (1947) may be characterized by hasteless epic narration. The master depicts the traditional scene of the national holiday in his own specific way.

One of the artists, who constantly utilized the images and the plotlines of the heroic epos in his works, was T.V. Ammosov. Being a wonderful narrator, gifted with the talent of the improvising singer, he was an expert in folklore and had a good knowledge of the people's life. His name is associated with revival and development of the ornamental and plot traditions, renewal of the themes and images. This shows a significant contribution of the artist to the development of the Yakut fine arts. The artist used Olonkho motifs in creation of chesses, chorons, snuffboxes, caskets and small decorative sculptures (com position "Nurgun Bootur and Soruk Bollur" (1958), choron "Yhyakh" (1965); chess "Olonkho" (1980s), casket "Olonkho" (1985) and others). The works by T.V. Ammosov preserve the hasteless narrative manner, traditional solem nity and elevated style, typical of Olonkho.

Another depictive interpretation of Olonkho was realized in the works by S.N. Petrov works, who tried to employ historic method and epic traditions and express Olonkho monumentality and bright decorativeness (composition "Groom and Bride" (1965), "My Ancestors" (1974), plate "Sons of Erkeeni" (1976), “ Reception of the Warrior ” ' (19 81). His works are noted for their plas tic integrity and rhythmic harmony; the modern figurative language of the author is warmed by the folklore poetics. Courage, quiet dignity, and chaste control of feelings are the characteristics of his epic heroes ("Yakut Warrior" (1967), "Warrior" (1967), and "Erbekhtei Bergen" (1974). The artist turns to the epic mythology, using it as a tool of artistic organization of the material and as means to express the eternal values.

Many of the works by the bone-carvers A.V. Fyodorov, T.V. Ammosov, S.N. Petrov, N.D. Amydayev, R.N. Petrov, F.I. Markov, and R.M. Pinigin are inspired by the oloknho and other folklore genres. It is worth noting here that the bone-carving tradition has established folklore themes and images, notably, the scenes of the traditional koumiss holiday yhyakh, dancing and flying sterkhs - white cranes, round dance ohuokhai, algyschits, shamans, keepers of the traditions and spiritual culture, images of warriors, who embody the heroic Olonkho characters - Nurgun Bootur, Soruk Bollur.

Thus, the heroic epos Olonkho was an important theme in the folk arts and crafts as well as in the fine arts. The specific type of historical memory and multi-stratification, characteristic of the Yakut epos characterize the structure of the works by the modern artists.

The cultural life of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) has always been focused in the personality of a narrator, epic narratives, considering the latter as the system of traditions, subject to perception and continuation. Relying on the traditions, search for stylistics, the problem of the ideal stimulate active interrelations be tween the arts and the heroic epos. Depictive transformation of the epic heritage significantly enriches the internal figurative essence of the art; it is not only the form-building and style-forming factor, but also the artistic way of thinking. It realizes the ethnic values, fosters the exchange of everlasting aesthetic and ethic ideals, and allows one to preserve the originality and distinctiveness of the na tional art in the age of the intensive integration of cultures and civilizations.

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