«I FEEL UKRAINIAN...»: GENRE-THEMATIC MARKERS OF THE CREATIVE WORK OF VASYL VYSHYVANYI

Abstract

The present article focuses on creative work of Wilhelm von Habsburg (Vasyl Vyshyvanyi), who perceived Ukraine and the Ukrainian and mentality so deepty that he became a patriot of the country. Vasyl Vyshyvanyi is the author of the poem collection «Mynayut Dni...» (1921) and miniature fragmentary prose published in the magazine «Volya» (1920). The relevance of his work is outlined, as in a difficult time for Ukraine, attention should be paid to little-known figures who shaped Ukrainian history day by day and remained faithful to their cause till the end. The goal of the present work lies in elucidating the genre-thematic markers of Vasyl Vyshyvany's creative work. The article clarifies leading motives of the collection of his poems: the heroic struggle accompanied by the hope for victory, the transience of life and mourning for fallen soldiers, existencialism and the search for homeland, the beauty of Ukrainian song and the nature of Ukraine. Considering Vasyl Vyshyvany's works as representative of the creative work of Sich Riflemen writers, it is suggested to view his poems as songwriting, highlighting some types of literary-origin songs: the call song, lyrical march, elegy song, humorous song, anthem march. The main marker of Vasyl Vyshyvanyi's work is emphasized as a “tragic optimist” (D. Dontsov). This is traced both in poetry and in prose poems. Ukrainian symbols (willow, rocks, mountain song, nightingale, charms of the night), as well as toponyms (Karpathians, Tscheremosch, Chervonohor, Hutsul Region, Pokuttia) abound on the pages of his sparse but so sincere creative heritage, the main marker of which is Ukrainianness.