“Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine”: Illustration Experience (1999–2019)

The author’s twenty-year experience in illustrating the multi-volume historical publishing project “Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine”, which is coordinated by the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the “Naukova Dumka” publishing house, is highlighted. The initial stage of the work at the threshold of the millennium and its features are described in detail. The author’s focus is on the process of identifying various types of illustrative (iconographic) materials in archives, museums and libraries and related difficulties; creation of a database of illustrations; cooperation of the illustrator with the publishing house. Methodological problems that arose during the illustration (in particular, related to the publication of visual sources and verification of visual sources) are analyzed. The author emphasizes that the work of an illustrator of a historical encyclopedia, although it looks easy, is actually difficult, responsible and requires a number of professional, technical, and communication skills.