The article reviews the activity of art section members of Ukrainian Scientific Society in the 1st half of the 20th century which together with the Lviv Scientific Society named after Shevchenko have made a solid contribution to formation of Ukraine study researches defining their structure and strategy that were afterwards apprehended and developed by Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The authoress narrates about dramatic life of famous art critics: K.V. Shyrotskyy, F.L. Ernst, M.O. Makarenko, V.L. Modzalevskyy, S.O. Gilyarov, M.F.Bilyashivskyy et al., about their contribution to science, culture and education of Ukraine.