Blashchuk Svitlana
Institute of History of Ukraine of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine),
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1430-6353

Yas Oleksii
(Institute of History of Ukraine of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine),
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5816-2876

Abstract:

Purpose of the study. The aim of the article is to clarify the chronological attribution of the photo of Liudmyla Drahomanova, to relate it to M. Drahomanov’s biography, his epistolary contacts and communicative practices, as well as to the working approaches of the Italian photographer Michele Schemboche. The methodology is based on a combination of analytical and comparative approaches applied both to the known prints of L. Drahomanova’s photo and to M. Drahomanov’s correspondence. Scientific novelty. The study establishes the chronological attribution of L. Drahomanova’s photo and outlines the biographical contexts of M. Drahomanov connected with Italy and Florence, in particular his communication with M. Buchynskyi and the exchange of photographic cards as a specific cultural ritual. The article highlights the key professional practices of M. Schemboche as a photographer. Based on the analysis of the graphic elements on the reverse side of L. Drahomanova’s photo produced by M. Schemboche, the study examines his strategy of professional self representation. It is shown that Schemboche’s photographic services were highly sought after by the aristocracy of the time, while remaining accessible to broader social groups. The scale of Schemboche’s creative legacy is emphasized, with his photos preserved in the collections of many renowned museums, galleries, and libraries worldwide. Conclusions. The article argues that L. Drahomanova’s photo was taken on May 11, 1873, the same day as the photo of her husband. It is noted that M. Drahomanov was rather skeptical about exchanging photographs with his correspondents, although he understood the cultural function of this practice. In most cases, it was not Drahomanov but his correspondents who initiated such exchanges. The study demonstrates that the exchange of photos within epistolary communication in the second half of the 19th century constituted an engaging and informative cultural ritual.

The full text of the article is available at the link: 

http://rksu.nbuv.gov.ua/doc/rks_2026_3_3