UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN MENTAL AND CULTURAL CONFLICT IN THE WORK OF LESYA UKRAINKA

Abstract

The Ukrainian-Russian conflict of cultures in the creative heritage of Lesya Ukrainka is highlighted. The poems «My Way», «Prophet», dramatic works «Autumn Tale», «Cassandra», «Boyarynia», «Three Minutes», «Orgy», prose «My Way» were analyzed. The position of Lesya Ukrainka has been interpreted as a consistent protest against the supremacy of Russian culture over Ukrainian, and one that evolved from an awareness of fatal antagonism («Over the sea») to an outright hatred of Moscow (boyar) aesthetics («Boyarian») and a prophetic warning of the threat coming from East («Cassandra»). It is noted that Lesya Ukrainka debunked the myth about the special inner looseness of Russians in contrast to the oppressed European peoples, which was expressed in an unconcealed contemptuous and disdainful attitude towards them. It is claimed that this internal unfreedom of Russians cultivates hatred for those who unmask it – Ukrainians, and is a direct path to dictatorship: either in the intentions of the literary heroes of Lesya Ukrainka (Montagner), or the «dictatorship of the proletariat», fascism, racism, etc. It is emphasized that the existential threat to Russian messianism originates from the otherness of the Ukrainian cultural code, noted by Lesya Ukrainka, therefore, Ukraine «has no right to continue to exist within any borders». It is noted that a desperate attempt to save its imperial identity became the reason for the war against Ukraine. It is emphasized that Lesya Ukrainka represents the ideology of the new national aristocracy, which has lost respect for the exclusivity of the «Russian genius», conscious antagonism and threats originating from Russia. It is concluded that her work is a call to «return to the sources», cultural identity, as a guarantee of preserving the freedom and autonomy of the nation. Keywords: Lesya Ukrainka, Ukrainian-Russian conflict of cultures, «riznochynna intelihentsiia», Ukrainian intelligentsia, Russian intelligentsia, cultural (state) nationalism.