The ukrainian experience of national identity transformation (On the material “under the wings of big mother” by S. Protsiuk)

Larysa Horbolis,Anna Chernysh

doi:10.34069/ai/2021.46.10.27

Abstract

This article is devoted to the investigation of Ukrainian national identity transformation, conditioned by the events of the Revolution of Dignity in the novel “Under the Wings of Big Mother” by S. Protsiuk. It was found out that the problem of national identity is the key one on the thematic, problematic, ideological, and figurative levels. The basic categories in the process of the new national identity formation in the novel “Under the Wings of Big Mother” by S. Protsiuk are pain, suffering, sorrow, and fear. The transformation of the national identity is subordinate to the moral and ethical discourse of changes, which were prompted by the revolution. The article serves to analyze political obstacles, mental traps and drawbacks of Ukrainian psychological character that prevented Ukrainians from forming a strong national identity. Changes of Ukrainian national identity is caused by the traumatic experience of Ukraine being a part of USSR, marked by genocide, linguicide, culturicide, Holodomor, and political repressions. The transformation of Ukrainian national identity in the beginning of the 21st century made possible the establishment of the key national identities (identitas): history, language, territory, basic national symbols and codes. It was proved that the modification of the national identity and the awareness of the ethnic value and self-identification are possible on the condition of understanding of mental traps and psychological drawbacks of Ukrainians that impeded the Ukrainian people of forming their identity and world view to the full extent.

Highlights

Ukraine celebrated its 30th anniversary as a separate and independent country, certifying the uniqueness of its territory, language and history
Protsiuk, basing on the artistic material, convinces of the necessity to return to the true historical past of Ukraine that will serve as a basis for resurrection of the national spirit with the purpose of reinterpretation of destructive processes of national oppression, ethnocide, linguicide, and culturicide, and formation of the preconditions for the national identity
The deadly impact on the mental core of the nation, as the author convinces, was done mainly by the introduction of totalitarian regime, which programmed mental crises and mental traumas of the generations of Ukrainians for a long time: “Suddenly Lukash understood that those twenty-something years were not enough for Ukraine to sweep communist sows and throw them out to a lay stall, they were not enough to burn off from our ill-starred land four damned letters ‒ USSR” (Protsiuk, 2015b, p. 53).the historical and mental space of suffering logically continues the personal pain of the protagonist – Lukash Kyrylyshyn

Summary

Introduction

Ukraine celebrated its 30th anniversary as a separate and independent country, certifying the uniqueness of its territory, language and history. It has fought for the right to independence, gone the thorny way to develop and realize its national identity and self-esteem. During the years of independence in Ukraine, there were significant events that proved its ability to cope with the challenges of time and problems. Anti-terrorist operations and operations to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity. These events presented a unique reaction of the Ukrainian and world community, being reflected in a number of works of art, documentary and journalistic research, covering the discourse of tragedy, suffering, pain, and loss of the Ukrainian nation

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Results

Conclusion