Anton Sereda Ukrainian Soviet graphic. Country: Ukraine

1. Biography of Anton Sereda
2. Contributions to Graphic Design
3. Other Contributions

Biography of Anton Sereda

Anton Khomich Sereda was a Ukrainian Soviet graphic artist and master of decorative and applied arts, as well as an educator. He was born in the Kiev Governorate in 1890. In 1914, he graduated from the Stroganov School in Moscow. From 1915, he was in charge of the art department of the metal production committee in Tbilisi. From 1920 to 1929, Sereda worked as a teacher at the Kiev Art Institute (now the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture). In 1930-1934, he worked at the Ukrainian Polygraphic Institute named after Ivan Fedorov in Kharkiv, and from 1934, he became a professor at the Kiev Art Institute. Sereda passed away on August 11, 1961, due to a heart attack in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, and was buried in Kiev.

Contributions to Graphic Design

Anton Sereda primarily developed ornamental motifs and fonts created by H. Narbut in book graphics, while maintaining a strict line of drawing and classical compositional techniques. At the same time, the covers he designed were characterized by stricter symmetry and balance of lines and spots, as well as a contrasting combination of black and white. Some of Sereda's best works include the designs for the following books and magazines:
- "Siyaniye" (1913)
- Monograph "H. Narbut" (unpublished)
- Collection "Sergey Maslov" (1927)
- "Eneida" by I. Kotlyarevsky
- "Complete Collection of Poetry" by T. Shevchenko (1927)
- "Bibliological Newsletter" (1928)
- "Cossack Songs" (1936)
- "Fata Morgana" by M. Kotsiubynsky (1937)
- "Kobzar" by T. Shevchenko (1937)
- "Works" by I. Franko in 25 volumes (volumes 1-12, 1941)
- "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" (1952)
- "Family Chronicle of the Lyuboradskyi Family" by A. Svidnytskyi, and others.

Sereda's graphics were exhibited in 1932 at the exhibition of the Association of Independent Ukrainian Artists in Lviv. A retrospective exhibition of Anton Sereda's painting and graphics was held in Kiev in 1969.

Other Contributions

Anton Sereda was the author of the first two stamps of the Ukrainian People's Republic, with denominations of 10 and 20 shahs. The stamps were issued on July 18, 1918, and were produced in Kiev at Pushkinska Street, 6, where Vasily Kulzhenko's printing house was located at that time, as well as in the Odessa printing house of Efim Fesenko.

In addition to this, Anton Sereda was the creator of some trademarks, such as the trademark of the "Pechatnik" publishing house (1919). Sereda was also the author of the flag of the Ukrainian SSR.

Anton Sereda wrote an article in German titled "George Narbut als Buchkünstler" (Gutenberg Jahrbuch, 1927), as well as several other professional articles.