Idea of Art Synthesis by Marc Chagall: from Vitebsk Mystery to Total Creation Introduction: overcoming boundaries as the philosophy of creativity The idea of art synthesis, key for the avant-garde of the early XX century, acquired a unique, deeply personal dimension in Marc Chagall. A native of the multicultural Vitebsk, where Yiddish, Russian, and Belarusian were spoken, where the life of a Jewish shtetl mixed with symbols of Orthodox churches, Chagall initially perceived the world as a whole, although paradoxical, polymorphic space. His desire for synthesis was not a formal experiment, but an existential and almost mystical attempt to express the inexpressible: inner truth, memory, love, spiritual enlightenment, for which a canvas or paint was not enough. Synthesis for him was a way to achieve maximum expressiveness, creating a "total work of art" (Gesamtkunstwerk), encompassing the viewer from all sides. Theoretical Origins: Vitebsk, Petersburg, Paris The formation of the concept occurred under the influence of several sources: His own cultural hybrid experience. Folkloric imagery, the musicality of Yiddish, the vividness of signs and murals on Vitebsk shops, the religious prohibition on depiction in Judaism, which Chagall overcame through poetic metaphor — all this formed a natural basis for syncretic thinking. Russian symbolism and ideas of "Mystery". In Petersburg, Chagall found himself in an environment that dreamed of a new synthetic theater capable of reviving the ancient mystery. The ideas of Vyacheslav Ivanov and Alexander Scriabin about collective art involving all senses had an impact on him. The Parisian environment and "Russian Seasons". In Paris, he saw the triumph of synthesis in the Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons" ballets, where music, dance, and painting (including his compatriot Leon Bakst) merged into one. Practical Realizations: Key Projects and Media 1. Theater: from "Theatrical Revolution" to GogolIn the theater, Chagall realized synthesis mos ... Read more