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[THE CENTER OF CHILDHOOD IN KHARKIV] Dvorets pionerov i oktiabriat [i.e. The Palace of Young Pioneers and Little Octobrists]

Dashevskii, Yu., Kulichenko, V.

Item #2729

Odesa: Detizdat Ukrainian SSR, 1935. 64, 33-48, 81-124 pp.: ill., 6 ills. 30x23 cm. In original illustrated cardboards. No original dust jacket. Covers restored, rubbed, few pale water stains, foxing on guard
tissues. Due to a publisher’s mistake, the copy doubles the second section of p. 33–48 and lacks the third section. Inserts with colored illustrations were added between them correctly. Otherwise good.

A lesser-known photobook on Soviet children propaganda with colorful illustrations of original interior designs. One of 5000 copies produced.

In 1934, following the relocation of the Ukrainian capital from Kharkiv to Kyiv, the Ukrainian government proposed transferring the former building of the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee for
reconstruction as the Palace of Young Pioneers and Little Octobrists. This decision launched the creative work of a large team of architects, artists, and other construction specialists. Ukrainian Jewish architect Alexander Linetsky (1884–1953) was appointed the main architect. This project became one of the 20 essential buildings he worked on in Kharkiv. Collaborating with Linetsky, Vasyl Yermylov and Vadim Meller took part in the design of the Kharkiv Palace of Young Pioneers. The Palace became the first institution of its kind. The earliest similar organization (the House of Young Pioneers) was founded in Moscow in 1923, but the 1930s saw new strict resolutions for education and children’s clubs. Initiated by P. Postyshev, the Kharkiv Palace launched the chain of Palaces over the country. Palaces of Young Pioneers turned into more grandiose and complex establishments.

The building was officially opened in September 1935. Actually, it partly began to work earlier and this book combined the dreams of the future institution and the achievements of few existing clubs. Being completely free of charge, the Palace initiated interest in labour, creativity and amateur talent activities. Many rooms were dedicated to sport, cultural, technical, artistic and young naturalist clubs. This Palace was special, it was opened only to the honor schoolchildren who received recommendations of school teachers and an approval of the pioneer organization. It was definitely the Palace of Pioneers which contained the first club of Arctic researchers in the country as well as the first club of firefighter assistants, the first geological clubs. There were electric, technical, chemical laboratories where the boy or girl could conduct a small power station or learned to construct the whole vehicle, small appliances (and tested the power consumption). For educational purposes children watched documentaries and attended exhibitions there.

The book comprises several chapters, including ‘Creators of Models’, ‘Art to Children’, ‘For Iron Muscles, For Steel Nerves’, ‘Friendship with a Book and a Newspaper’, ‘Club of the Young Arctic Researchers’. The latter is the most impressive, with the opening portrait of explorer Otto Schmidt, the plans of exploration, the children’s connection with the contemporary explorers and then – a children’s trip to Kola Peninsula. The edition was co-created by a large group of artists. Cover and endpaper design was created by Ukrainian graphic artist Isaak Khotinok (1908–1980). He studied at the Kharkiv Art Institute under Ivan Padalka and Vasyl Yermylov. Mostly, Khotinok contributed to book designs. The illustrations were made by I. Daits, V. Nevskii, M. Glukhov, G. Bondarenko, the linocuts by P. Pitenko, I. Kuchkin, V. Burachkovskii, D. Zeldovich, F. Kostomakhin, D. Gromov. Each chapter is well illustrated with designs and photographs of the rooms and laboratories, the portraits of pioneers. The book contains 6 colorful full-page designs of the rooms reproduced from architectural projects. Some pages feature small monochrome sketches of children. The chapter about reading culture is supplemented with 6 small reproductions of children’s book covers in Russian and Ukrainian, and two facsimiles of children’s handwritten letters in Ukrainian. Photographs were produced by B. Zelinger, E. Bryzgalin, among their works are the portraits of party leaders P. Postyshev and S. Kosior. In fact, they initiated this institution for the children’s joy and shortly after that implemented the Stalinist repressions. After Postyshev’s execution, the Palace ceased to bear his name. The building of the Kharkiv Palace of Young Pioneers and Little Octobrists was demolished in 1941. Since then, this book has been a valuable source on structure, interiors and children’s clubs.

Worldcat shows the only copy located in Princeton University.

Price: $3,500.00