Scythian–Sarmatian art as part of the cultural landscape of Crimea

The subject of the study is Scythian-Sarmatian art in the cultural landscape of Crimea, expressed in sculpture, monumental and decorative arts. The object of the study is the Crimean artifacts of the Scythian-Sarmatian culture (details of jewelry, weapons, sculpture, vase painting) in comparison with similar objects from other regions of settlement of the Scythian-Sarmatian nomadic peoples. The author pays special attention to the identification of the main distinctive features of the Scythian and Sarmatian culture, which is complicated by how much mixed culture develops in the Northern Black Sea region and transformations of the animal style of the Scythian-Sarmatian culture in the Crimean diaspora associated with the influence of ancient culture and Near Asian civilizations. The use of the animal style as part of all subsequent styles, including the Crimean Art Nouveau, which is a reflection of the synthesis of cultures of the multiethnic cultural landscape of Crimea, is also traced. The article uses the method of historicism in retrospect of Scythian-Sarmatian art in the cultural landscape of the Crimea, the comparative method in the comparative analysis of artifacts of the Crimea and the entire territory of Scythia, the method of stylistic analysis in the decorative and applied arts of the Crimea. The main conclusions of the study are: 1. The Crimean cultural landscape is diverse due to the historical polyethnicity of the region, associated with its geographical location and a unique natural complex, which has become a place of numerous ethnic migrations throughout history. This is also connected with the appearance of the Scythian-Sarmatian culture in the Crimea in the ancient era, which left a significant mark on the peninsula. 2. The characteristic features of the Scythian – Sarmatian animal style are simplification of form, linearity and geometrization, which harmoniously fits into the classical anthropomorphic proportions in sculpture, wall painting, vase painting of ancient art. The constructive expediency, conciseness and harmony inherent in the Scythian-Sarmatian animal style through the prism of ancient art became the reason for the global introduction into subsequent architectural and artistic styles, up to the present time. 3. The Scythian-Sarmatian art in the Crimean cultural landscape is unique in that it embodies the original style of the Scythian-Sarmatian people.

Crimea, Cultural landscape, Scythian-Sarmatian culture, Art, Sarmatian signs, Synthetism, Polychromacy, Antique style, Scythian animal style, Stylization