TO THE DEFINITION OF THE CONCEPT “SCHOOL” IN DECORATIVE ART AND DESIGN

The article shows the results of a studying of three design schools in Russia. The relevance of this topic is necessary to clarify a number of terms for their functional application in art history, pedagogical practice and design. The last two decades in Russian art history have been marked by significant interest in regional schools of ceramics, textiles, and artistic metal processing. It is necessary to update the terminology and clarify some key concepts for further studying of Russian design schools. The purpose of this article is to determine the essential features of the concept of “school” in the decorative art and design. The objectives of the research are: 1) to study the features of the formation of design education in Russia from 1820s to 1990s; 2) to identify the main Russian centers of decorative arts and design were developed, 3) and find out the degree of their conformity with the concept of “school”. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach and includes systematization and generalization of historical data about the development of the design universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg; studying of the research works, literary sources on this issue and archival materials. The author notes that in the USSR the term “design” was less common than the phrase “industrial art”. This circumstance had a significant impact on the self-determination of regional design schools in Russia. Significant similarity in the processes of formation of the Moscow and St. Petersburg schools of decorative arts and design is presented at the end of the article. According to the author, the educational institutions were a part of the “school-industry-artist” system. In conclusion, the definitions of the concepts “school of decorative arts” and “design school” are formulated.