Opanas Slastion

Opanas Slastion
Born
Опанас Георгійович Сластьон

December 2 [O.S. December 14] 1855
DiedSeptember 24, 1933(1933-09-24) (aged 77)
NationalityUkrainian, Soviet

Opanas Heorhiiovych Slastion (Ukrainian: Опанас Георгійович Сластіон, December 2 [O.S. December 14] 1855 – September 24, 1933) was a Ukrainian graphic artist, painter, and ethnographer.

He was born in the port town of Berdiansk (now Ukraine) on the Berdyansk Gulf of the Sea of Azov. He studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, Russia (where he was also known as Afanasy Slastyon), researched the Cossack documents in the archives of the Russian ministry of defense, and later worked as a teacher at the Arts and Crafts School (later renamed the State Ceramics Vocational School) in Myrhorod. A very gifted person, he perfected his talents in singing, bandura playing, ethnography, journalism, education, design, and architecture. Opanas Slastion was a true Ukrainian encyclopaedist.

Portrait of kobzar Pavlo Hashchenko by Opanas Slastion.