Malorossianism in contemporary Ukrainian historical and journalistic discourse

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the concept of “Malorossianism” in the modern Ukrainian scientific discourse. Leaders of the Ukrainian national movement in the Russian Empire argued about Malorossianism. They considered it a negative phenomenon, a mental inferiority complex, provincialism. During the Bolsheviks’ policy of Ukrainianization in the territory of Soviet Ukraine, disputes about the legitimacy of the name “Malorossi” began to cease. The Bolsheviks chose the term “Ukrainian” as the official name of the population of the Soviet republic. During the period of Soviet Ukrainianization, the name “Maloross” became synonymous with the oppressive policies of the tsarist government. Outside the Soviet republic, proponents of the Ukrainian idea continued to write about the Malorossians and Malorossianism. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the question of Malorossianism became popular again in modern Ukraine. Modern Ukrainian specialists actively write about Malorossianism and consider it a negative phenomenon. Specialists in the field of literary and cultural studies, as well as specialists in other branches of social sciences write about it. The concept is often found in historical and historical-politological and historical-philosophical works. In modern domestic literature it is not given enough attention. This article examines the concept of Malorossianism, which is characteristic of modern Ukrainian science and Ukrainian historical grand narrative.