The Mental Space of the Zaporozhian Cossacks in representations оf Dmytro Yavornytsky

Abstract

The aim of the article is to study the mental space of the Zaporozhian Cossacks in representations of the prominent Ukrainian historian Dmytro Yavornytsky (1855–1940). Historiographic analysis and synthesis are research methods. Sources: works of Dmytro Yavornytsky, memoirs of contemporaries of the scientist-historian, modern historiography. The main results are that the author actualizes the historical and geographical aspect of the mental history of Ukraine; shows the importance of understanding spatial identification and differentiation for the realization of historical and national identity, mental understanding of the world on the examples of achievements of Ukrainian and foreign European scientists. Based on the analysis of Dmytro Yavornytsky’s creative work, it is proved that the scientist-historian came to the conclusion about the ancient, organic nature of the territory of the Steppe Ukraine to the Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Lowland Army; its external borders are established; the internal Ukrainian territorial demarcation between the lands of the Army of the Zaporozhian lower and Poltava regiments of the Hetmanate is marked. An expert on the history of the Zaporozhian Freedoms established that the space of the mental world of the Zaporozhian Cossacks covered a huge steppe expanse that ran along both banks of the Dnipro; widely used the data of hydrography, topography, climate, flora and fauna of the Zaporozhian region to understand the features of this area, which had a huge impact on the mentality of the Cossacks. The Dnipro River, which united the two banks of the Zaporozhian Freedoms, was of sacred significance for the mental world of the Cossacks. To understand the spatial component of the mental world of the Cossacks, it is important to divide the military and territorial division of the Zaporizhzhya, to show the history of the Cossacks in the context of contacts with neighbors. Noting the peculiarities of the history of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, Dmytro Yavornytsky closely linked the struggle of the Zaporozhian Cossacks not only for the rights and freedoms of Zaporizhzhya, but also of other Ukrainian lands, which confirms the mental unity of the Cossacks with other parts of Ukraine. Brief conclusions. D. I. Yavornytsky revealed the spatial aspects of the diverse mental world of the Cossacks, which gave rise to a special historical energy, the basis of freedom-loving and the strength of spirit of the Zaporozhian society. The practical significance of the article is that its material will be of interest to students, graduate students, doctoral students and historians in the study of historiography and mental history of Ukraine. The originality of the article is in understanding of little- studied mental aspects of the heritage of the scientist-historian. Scientific novelty is in the development of insufficiently studied problem of the mental world of the Cossacks in the work of Dmitry Yavornytsky. Type of article: analytical.