PISHKOVTSII SERHII

Chairman of the Mukachevo creative association "Raiduha".

Serhii Pishkovtsii was born on 18 July 1957 in Kalnyk village, which is in the Mukachevo district of Transcarpathia. When he was a schoolboy, he showed great interest in drawing. Several times, he was a member of the artistic camp for young artists, that was arranged by Zoltan Bakoniia near Svaliava. In 1976 he graduated with honours from the Uzhhorod College of Decorative and Applied Arts (department "artistic processing of wood"), where his teachers were such famous masters as Vasyl Svyda, Ivan Harapko, Sandor Petki, Agnesa Bachynska and others. After graduation, he worked as an artist-designer at various enterprises in Mukachevo, in the Transcarpathian artistic and design combine.

Pishkovtsii’s creative range is extremely diverse – it includes graphics, watercolour, painting, carving. Regarding genre diversity, there are landscapes, still lifes and even abstraction among his works. However, the carving is the priority and favourite for the artist. Here, his talent is very flourishing. "It's close to me, it's ours, traditional, Transcarpathian," the artist said. "Besides, our region is famous not only for its wooden architecture, but also for various products made of this material."

The master has decorated more than 200 churches, more than 40 iconostases, his works decorate iconic buildings of Ukraine, Slovakia, Russia. It is clear that the main emphasis has been placed on the churches of the native Transcarpathia. The first iconostasis, he recalls, was made for the parishioners of the village of Ilnytsia in the Irshava district – since that time, he has begun to fulfil orders for religious needs more often.

For many years, the artist has run the creative association "Raiduha", which consists of about 30 artists from Mukachevo. The company organizes numerous exhibitions, vernisages both in Mukachevo, and in regional centres, the capital, and also abroad. The association issued a catalogue, a large number of plein airs were held, which contribute to the successful creative realization of artists-members of the Raiduha.

Participant of regional, all-Ukrainian and international exhibitions. His works are kept in numerous private collections.