Oleksii Pustomitenko
Kyiv University of Culture, Kyiv
ORCID ID 0000-0001-7705-3088
DOI: doi.org/10.37627/2311-9489-29-2026-1.153-161
Keywords: cinematographer, director, Ukrainian cinema, shot, lighting, auteur film.
Abstract.
This article examines the development of the Ukrainian school of cinematography through the lens of auteur cinema and the work of the renowned Ukrainian cinematographer and director Yuriy Illienko. He entered the history of Ukrainian cinema not merely as a participant, but as an authoritative figure who shaped the concept of “high” Ukrainian visual aesthetics. As the artist’s legacy remains incompletely studied, there is a need to re-evaluate his work within educational, critical, and cinematic discourses. Such innovation which was ahead of its time calls for analytical study rather than myth-making. The scholarly study of Yuriy Illienko’s works requires further steps specifically, a comparative analysis of his cinematography choices, as well as restoration and archival work to enable a true appreciation of the authentic visual style of his films.
Author’s biography.
Oleksii Pustomitenko, postgraduate student in the specialty 021 “Audio-Visual Arts and Production”, Private Higher Education Institution “Kyiv University of Culture”, Kyiv
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The article was received by the editorial office on 12.06.2026.
The article was accepted for publication after review on 18.06.2026.
The article was published on 30.06.2026.
Section: UKRAINIAN CULTURE.