Coryphaeus

He came from a family of priest, his father’s friends were the old Ukrainian Kyiv Society people, V.Antonovych and T.Rylskiy. He studied in the 3rd Kyiv School (graduated with gold medal), in Kyiv University under V.Antonovych (graduated in 1901). After his graduating from the University he stayed for a work in Russian History Department. In 1902 Shcherbakivskiy’s first article “Library of Vyshnevetskiy Castle” was published in “Kievskaia Starina (Kyiv Antiquity)” magazine. публікація Until 1905 performed archeological excavations in Kyiv and Kherson Region under the instruction of Organizational Committee of the ХІІІ Archaelogical Conference; he was a pioneer of planned archaeological research of Scythian hills. He discovered the Trypillia settlement with artefactual remains of drawn ceramics in Sushkivtsi village. When he was free of expeditions, he taught history in Uman schools. Cooperated with Kyiv City Museum of Antiquity and Art, during his travels over Ukraine he collected embroideries, paintings, icons, carpets, ceramics, pysanky and took photos by the order of Biliashivskiy. These materials completed not only Kyiv Museum collection, but Poltava State Museum as well. In 1910-27 – he was a full-time employee in Kyiv City Museum of Antiquity and Art, held the position of the head of historical and household department and folk art department. He gathered a great collection of Ukrainian folk art objects (over 30 thousands exhibits). For the first time he initiated analysis of the folk decorative items as the art objects. In 1911-1913 he studied museum works in Lviv, Krakow, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Dresden, Nurnberg, Munich, Verona and Venice. Simultaneously he taught geography in the 7th Kyiv School and the Second Non-Classical Secondary School. In 1914 as a commission secretary of the “Stariy Kyiv (Old Kyiv)” department he worked for Petersburg Museums. During the I World War he was the artillery lieutenant, then as a battery commander at Halytskiy front. From autumn, 1917 at the call of Education Secretariat of Tsentralna Rada (Central Council) Shcherbakivskiy came back to Kyiv, participated in Ukrainian Academy of Arts opening, held the position of academic secretary. He was a member of antiquities protection committee, member of the Academy of Science Ethnographic Committee (from 1920). He was an academic secretary of Ukrainian Scientific Society Art Section in Kyiv. Deputy Head of All-Ukrainian Archaeological Committee. In 1922-1923 after the Russian authorities issued Decree on church valuables withdrawal in favor of starving people, Shcherbakivskiy by deputy of Golovpolitosvity of USSR stood agains museum ruin by special cheka commissions, which exported historical valuables (including hetmans’ and tsars’ presents to church) from Ukraine. Shcherbakivskiy achieved restitution of 5 000 items from Moscow and Petrograd to Kyiv, including the golden cross presented by B.Khmelnytskiy to Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Base on the restituted exhibits department of the ancient Ukrainian golden art was created in the museum. (In the mid 1930th the exhibits had been re-seized to Moscow and mainly sent for the meltdown). In 1924 Shcherbakivskiy founded Kyiv Ethnographic Society, actively worked in the Art History Department of it. Performed planned researches of Podillia and Volyn Regions with the Art Department of All-Ukrainian Archaeological Committee. He explored the history of musical life in Ukraine. Was in charge of “Studio’ seminar in the museum and seminar for Art History Department’s post-graduate students. In 1923 after the museum director was changed a campaign for Shcherbakivskiy’s baiting began. On June 10, 1927 Shcherbakivskiy’s dead body was found with the stone on his neck near E.Bosh’s Bridge at Dnipro. In 1934 Shcherbakivskiy was posthumous blamed in bourgeois nationalism; his grave was leveled to the ground. All-Ukrainian Archaeological Committee was smashed, a lot of his followers were arrested at the end of 1933, including P.Kurinniy, F.Ernst. His works are more than 40, including: “Kurgans (Hills) excavations on the line of Kyiv and Kherson Hubernii” (1905), “Kozak Mamai” (1913), “Symbolics in Ukrainian Art”, “Ukrainian Wooden Churches...” (both in 1921), “Orchestras, chorus and chapels at Panshchyna period in Ukraine” (1924), “Ukrainian Portrait of 17-20 centuries” (1925, in cooperation with F.Ernst), “Book covers done by Kyiv golden artists in 17-18 centuries” (1926), “Ukrainian carpet” (1927).

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