Meritorious Artist
Encyclopedia
Meritorious Artist also translated as Merited Artist, Deserved Artist or Distinguished Artist or Honorary Artist or Honorable Actor) is an honorary title
in the Soviet Union
, Russian Federation, Union republics, and Autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern bloc
states, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states
.
The title is awarded by a national government to actors, directors, film makers, writers, dancers, singers, painters, architects, etc., for exceptional achievements in arts.
The honorary title was originally modeled after German
honorific title for distinguished opera
singers. Historically, the title was bestowed by princes or kings, when it was styled Hofkammersänger(in). In Imperial Russia before 1917, several stars of stage and film were honored with the title "Imperial singer", but after the Soviet Revolution of 1917, the new government made changes and established the title of the Meritorious Artist
of the USSR or Russia
(RSFSR).
The term is confusingly used to translate two different Russian language titles: "заслуженный артист" (literally Meritorious Artist, but better rendered as Meritorious Actor, Meritorious Dancer, etc., awarded in performing arts
) and "заслуженный художник" (awarded in some visual arts
: painting
drawing
, and photography
). Both titles are awarded for exceptional achievements in the corresponding arts.
Some other arts gave rise to special titles: Meritorious Architect, Meritorious Writer, Meritorious Poet.
In modern Russia, the term Meritorious Actor applied to performing arts, and the title Meritorious Worker of Arts is the translation of the Russian honorary title zasluzhenny deyatel iskusstv is applied to non-performing people, including visual artists, composers, etc.
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Russian Federation, Union republics, and Autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
states, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states
Post-Soviet states
The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as the Former Soviet Union or former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent states that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its dissolution in December 1991...
.
The title is awarded by a national government to actors, directors, film makers, writers, dancers, singers, painters, architects, etc., for exceptional achievements in arts.
The honorary title was originally modeled after German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
honorific title for distinguished opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singers. Historically, the title was bestowed by princes or kings, when it was styled Hofkammersänger(in). In Imperial Russia before 1917, several stars of stage and film were honored with the title "Imperial singer", but after the Soviet Revolution of 1917, the new government made changes and established the title of the Meritorious Artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
of the USSR or Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(RSFSR).
The term is confusingly used to translate two different Russian language titles: "заслуженный артист" (literally Meritorious Artist, but better rendered as Meritorious Actor, Meritorious Dancer, etc., awarded in performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
) and "заслуженный художник" (awarded in some visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
: painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
). Both titles are awarded for exceptional achievements in the corresponding arts.
Some other arts gave rise to special titles: Meritorious Architect, Meritorious Writer, Meritorious Poet.
In modern Russia, the term Meritorious Actor applied to performing arts, and the title Meritorious Worker of Arts is the translation of the Russian honorary title zasluzhenny deyatel iskusstv is applied to non-performing people, including visual artists, composers, etc.
See also
- People's ArtistPeople's ArtistPeople's Artist is a honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states , as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USSR....
- Merited Artist of UkraineMerited Artist of UkraineMerited [Performing] Artist of Ukraine is a state honorary title of decoration awarded by the Ukrainian SSR and later Ukraine for outstanding achievement in the performing arts...
- Merited Artist of AlbaniaMerited Artist of AlbaniaMerited Artist of Albania was a state honorary title for the decoration of outstanding art performers of People's Socialist Republic of Albania. It was created by law in 1960 and amended in 1980...
- Full list of recipients, by republic