Environment of Ukrainian Humanitarians in 1920th in Memores of Nadiya Surovceva

Abstract

This Article analyses the memoires that are important for the research of the past. They are especially important, or sometimes the only source for examination of Ukrainian soviet history, as some documents just not survived or were created by the soviet ideologists. At the same time, scientists consider memoirs as a subjective source, that is influenced by the understanding of an author. Despite this, memoirs allow us to explore the social connections among intellectuals in particular. The memoirs of a writer Nadiya Surovceva, who was imprisoned by the soviet regime for many years, are important for the humanitarian intellectuals of 1920th research. The subject matter of this article is an environment of Ukrainian humanitarians in memoirs of N. Surobceva between 1925-1927 which are stored in Central State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art of Ukraine. The following special methods of historical analysis were used: microhistorical, prosopographical. It was shown that Kharkiv, as a capital of a soviet Ukraine, was living in a dense cultural life. Nadiya Surovceva in her memoirs about Oles Dosvitniy, Les Kurbas, Yurii Smolych depict the cultural life of humanitarian intellectuals, their personal, social and cultural connections. These memoirs are accompanying the colours of the day to day life of the “red renaissance” members in comparison with the book “Memories” of the Ukrainian writer. Memoirs about these famous cultural figures of the soviet Ukrainian capital in 1925-1927 also fix the information on their connections with the abroad – both personal and cultural. The analysis of the epicenters of Ukrainian renaissance in 1920th is important in memoirs of N. Surovceva. They are showing the places, where the cultural forces were working, meeting each other in Kharkiv, what was discussed by the humanitarians. The particular attention is devoted to the approach of the responsible memoirs writing mentioned by the author.