The Glories of Ukraine's KINO and Chwila film magazines

When we think of the silent era in Europe, films from countries like France, Germany, Italy or the Soviet Union might come to mind. Each produced great actors and directors and landmark motion pictures. However, there were also vital film industries emerging elsewhere - in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, etc... This blog's recent series of posts highlighting Poland's KINO magazine suggest there is much to discover in other European nations - not only in their interest in American film stars, but in their own stars and emerging film industries. If you haven't already done so, be sure and check out 

The Glories of Poland's KINO Magazine, part one

The Glories of Poland's KINO Magazine, part two

The Glories of Poland's KINO Magazine, part three

Ukraine's Online Periodical Archive, The Libraria, contains a number of periodicals for those who like me enjoy surfing the internet and browsing old newspapers and magazines, even though I can't read a word (but I can "read" and appreciate the visuals). I wish to follow-up on those three Polish posts with a similar post highlighting Ukraine's KINO and Chwila  magazines, which I was able to survey. (The Chwila covers continue after the break = "Read more.")

Let's begin with KINO magazine, which was dominated, seemingly, by Soviet actors and films? Unfortunately, because of the way this database is controlled, I wasn't able to look into the magazines themselves - just their 109 covers.  But still, there are some great covers to be seen featuring the likes of Buster Keaton, Anna May Wong and others. Unfortunately, I didn't notice any featuring Louise Brooks. I have included a few other covers simply for their design, which is similarly interesting.

Buster Keaton, 1929

Anna May Wong, 1929

Ramon Novarro ? 1929

Adolphe Menjou? Douglas Fairbanks? 1928

a great design, 1926

another great design, 1928

I also came across 243 issues of Chwila, a general interest Ukrainian magazine, which sometimes put film stars on the cover. Unlike KINO, this heavily pictorial magazine can be looked into and explored. Some of the covers which caught my eye are pictured below. Besides these, I also came across covers featuring Emil Jannings, Lillian Harvey (three covers!), Shirley Temple, June Vlasek, and Lotus Long, from W.S. van Dyke's MGM film, Eskimo.

Doris Kenyon, 1930

Billie Dove 1932

Norma Shearer, 1932

Jean Harlow, 1933

Buster Keaton, 1932

Mickey Mouse, 1932

As I began this post by evoking Poland, I will conclude it by posting another Chwila cover, this one depicting the lovely Polish actress Irena Eichlerówna, who was considered "Poland's Eleonora Duse".

Irena Eichlerówna, 1932

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If you like the look of KINO and Chwila, be sure and check out Нове мистецтво (a weekly theater newspaper), Мистецька трибуна (a weekly illustrated magazine of the Ukrainian art workers Committee), or Шквал (a magazine published in Odessa). Each have some appealing covers, at least.

I posted this blog because I support a free and independent Ukraine, whose existence is being threatened by the imperialist Vladimir Putin. The Ukraine is a people hundreds of years older than Russia. For example, did you know that Kyiv's traditional founding date is 482 AD, while the first known reference to Moscow dates from 1147?