The Fourth 'Book of Schemes'. Album #1, the Second Folder 1978

Valerii Lamakh made this piece, 'The Fourth 'Book of Schemes'', using ink and possibly tempera. The title suggests that this image belongs to a larger series of works exploring symbolism, geometry, and perhaps even secret, coded languages. Made in Soviet Ukraine, the visual style suggests a connection to folk art and traditional Ukrainian crafts, which were sometimes subtly used to express cultural identity in a context of political control by Moscow. Lamakh was active in a period when artists were often expected to conform to the style of Socialist Realism. His exploration of abstract forms and patterns might be read as a subtle form of resistance against these official artistic doctrines. The cross-in-circle motif could be a veiled reference to religious or cultural symbols suppressed at the time. To understand this work more fully, one might research the history of Ukrainian art during the Soviet era, looking into the ways artists negotiated the demands of the state. This would bring further insights into the artwork's possible meanings. The interpretation of art is always enriched by understanding its context.