Hryhorii Skovoroda Research Articles

Emblematic Patterns and Metaphysical Meanings of Hryhorii Skovoroda

The focus of the author’s attention has been on the emblematic sense concentration in the philosophical system of Hryhorii Skovoroda. The study aims to reveal the artistic and style features of eide emblematic formation in the texts of the Ukrainian sophist, their origin, context, and conceptual classification by the author himself. The theoretical generalizations were essentially based on the philosophical treatises and dialogues by Hryhorii Skovoroda and the studies of other scholars. To analyze the issues under scrutiny, the author applied structuralist and semiotic methodology. The article highlights the emblematic sense, conveyance, and dominance in Skovoroda’s works. Emblematic forms of signification play a unique role in elucidating the anthropological, metaphysical, ethical, aesthetic, and hermeneutic dimensions of the Ukrainian poet and philosopher. Skovoroda considers emblemacity a particularly effective pictorial and verbal (iconic-conventional) type of “significative” speech, functioning as metalanguage.

Skovorodynstvo and skovorodyntsi as an Alternative Sociocultural Trend (the End of the 18th and the First Half of the 19th Centuries)

The article examines the skovorodynstvo as the socio-cultural trend of the educated class of followers of philosophical views and, most of all, the lifestyle of Ukrainian travelling philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda (1722–1794). Common to the skovorodyntsi was the fascination with the person of Skovoroda. The skovorodynstvo was in agreement with some other nonconformist trends of that time, had a connection with the Ukrainian national movement. Thus, is it a coincidence that the initiators of the Ukrainian cultural and national revival such as Ivan Kotliarevskyi, Hryhorii Kvitka-Osnovianenko and their followers are included in this movement? What features of Skovoroda’s way of life did attract his followers, and what did they bring on their own? The nonconformism of Ukrainian pre-romanticism and early romanticism coincided with the nonconformist lifestyle of the philosopher, noticeable and attractive during his lifetime and especially after his death. The skovorodynstvo can be divided into two trends: popular (among the general public) and intellectual. Skovorodyntsi from intellectual movement (intellectuals) found themselves in literary work, discovering or propagandizing the ideas of the skovorodynstvo, as well as giving the image of the skovorodynets. During the period between 1790 and 1850, the skovorodynstvo remained as a marker of the alternatives. The intellectual moods of the 19th century perceived or rejected the skovorodynstvo, oscillating between realistic materialism and idealistic mysticism, but such a trend to some extent continued, thus enriching other alternative socio-cultural or intellectual-aesthetic moves (tolstovstvo, modernism etc).

Cordocentrism and Natural Philosophy of Hryhorii Skovoroda in the Poetry of “Silent Poets”

The article has examined the influence of cordocentrism and natural philosophy of Hryhorii Skovoroda on the formation of worldviews and aesthetic program of “silent poets.” The motive and figurative constants of “silent poets,” the specifics of the creation of their poetic universe through the conceptual system of cordocentric and natural philosophical codes are clarified. It is proved, that in the poetry of Iryna Zhylenko, Svitlana Yovenko, Anatolii Kychynskyi, Volodymyr Pidpalyi, Liudmyla Skyrda, Leonid Talalai, Pavlo Movchan, Dmytro Cherednychenko the image of the heart became a symbol, which emphasized the spirituality of human, formed by the humanistic attitude to the world. The dominant place in the poetic creativity of “silent poetry” was occupied by the sensual imperative: love, love for relatives, and the native land. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the natural world endowed the lyrical hero of “silent poets” with mental harmony and freedom of choice, conditioned by moral foundations and beliefs, independent of the political situation of the second half of the 20th century.

Self-Unfolding of the Phenomenon of Hryhorii Skovoroda

Purpose. This article provides a morphological study of the life of Hryhorii Skovoroda as a philosopher’s self-construction – compared to the lives of such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger and Henry Thoreau. Theoretical basis. The study is based on the use of a monadological approach to history in combination with the biographical method. The ideas of the classical philosophical systems of Gottfried Leibniz and Oswald Spengler are applied taking into account their rethinking by Ukrainian philosophers Ivan Boichenko and Vadym Menzhulin. Thanks to this, the life of the Ukrainian philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda is considered as a monad that constantly carries out its own semantic self-unfolding. Originality. The thorough paradoxical nature of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s philosophy, which is attributed to him based on other philosophical systems, is completely removed by the performative sequence of his life as a philosopher, which is shown by systematic comparisons of the main characteristics of his life with the lives of other prominent philosophers who subordinated their actions to their philosophical concept. Conclusions. Hryhorii Skovoroda’s philosophy is a monad, that is, such a primary phenomenon that cannot be explained from other phenomena: comparison with other monads is only a pretext for identifying the characteristics of the monad under study, which are gradually revealed as a manifestation of its originality and uniqueness. The originality of the philosophical conceptualization of Skovoroda’s life should be carried out in a step-by-step comparison with the conscious life of other philosophers, and such a comparison needs to be continued, constantly carried out. The peculiarity of this study is an attempt to provide a methodological justification for such a comparative morphological-biographical philosophical research.

Freedom as an Anthropological Problem in the Christian Philosophy of Aurelius Augustine and Hryhorii Skovoroda

Purpose. The study aims to define and comprehend the phenomenon of freedom as an anthropological problem in the Christian philosophical heritage of A. Augustine and H. Skovoroda. The objectives of the study are: a) to identify the main aspects of the problem of freedom in the Christian philosophy of Augustine; b) to clarify the essence and specificity of understanding of freedom in the philosophical anthropology of H. Skovoroda; c) to compare the peculiarities of the statement of the problem of freedom by Augustine and Skovoroda. Theoretical basis. The achievement of the purpose is based on theoretical-methodological, historical-philosophical and comparative analysis of the content of the concept of freedom within the philosophical views of A. Augustine and H. Skovoroda. Also, the analysis of the original sources of the thinkers has allowed to formulate the theoretical and practical significance of their ideas in this field and their importance for the further development of world philosophy. Originality. It has been confirmed that in the religious philosophy of Augustine, freedom appears on an immanent-spiritual plane and is a phenomenon manifested as a person’s ability of self-determination in his actions. Augustine explains freedom by raising the question of free will, evil, salvation, predestination and divine grace. It is substantiated that the analysis of the problem of freedom in the philosophy of H. Skovoroda presupposes an understanding of the main components of his philosophical and anthropological theory: ontological (the doctrine of "two natures" and "three worlds"); gnoseological (the concept of self-knowledge); ethical (the problem of happiness, good, etc.). It is determined that human freedom in the work of both philosophers is defined in conceptual and semantic aspects as a moral and ethical choice between good and evil. It is established that both Augustine and Skovoroda emphasize the discovery by man of the moral, spiritual law and life in accordance with its norms – this is a kind of idea of positive freedom ("freedom for"), and the call to escape from the world of evil is the idea of negative freedom ("freedom from"). Conclusions. Thus, we continued the historical-philosophical study of the peculiarities of the understanding of the concept of human freedom in Ukrainian philosophical thought, which is manifested by comparing it with the theoretical heritage of world philosophy, with the spiritual and philosophical experience of the past. The ideological kinship of the concepts of freedom of Aurelius Augustine and Hryhorii Skovoroda is obvious.

HRYHORII SKOVORODA: PHILOSOPHICAL AND LEGAL CONNOTATIONS OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE UKRAINIAN THINKER

The article is devoted to the study of legal aspects of the philosophical teaching of Hryhorii Skovoroda. Despite all the paradoxes and symbolism of Skovoroda’s philosophical teaching, the search for a moral and religious basis in all social phenomena, and therefore both legal and state, makes him one of the most original adepts of the natural-legal understanding of the law. And in this, we see a certain heredity (with all the originality, originality, and much larger scale of the personality) of Kozachinsky’s views. The heart itself is the main thing in achieving kinship (‘kinship’) - correspondence between inner and outer, between God and 'creature'. And although Skovoroda did not use the concepts of natural law and positive law, the correspondence of the second to the first (that is, the legal law) seems to be a kinship. The thinker combines mind, heart, and action into one: “...the heart is the thought of the abyss...thoughts are the seed and source of actions”. Skovoroda's attachment to natural law understanding is evidenced, in particular, by the fact that two natures in a person are also manifested in the presence of two laws (the internal – natural and external – human, positive should be understood by analogy). Through the category of kinship, Skovoroda implements ideas consistent with Western rationalist concepts of justice and moral autonomy of the individual. They were manifested through the concept of ‘kindred work’. The kinship of each person is manifested in related work, which makes them happy, and society – harmonious. Kindred work is a consequence of ensuring justice in society, and it is embodied through law. Belief in knowledge, in humanism, in human nature and its improvement – all this gives reason to attribute Skovoroda’s teachings to the Enlightenment, and not only Ukrainian but also European. The rationalist component, the understanding of the unity of man and the world, and the search for the harmonization of the individual and society are arguments in favor of the statement that Ukrainian classical philosophy (including the philosophy of law) begins with Skovoroda. Mysticism, symbolism, and especially the intuitionism of Skovoroda’s teaching in some aspects go beyond even classical philosophy (in particular, the philosophy of law), and therefore have features characteristic of non-classical philosophy and the philosophy of law of the 20th century. For Skovoroda, the mystical and spiritual are inseparable from the rational, hence the same ‘mind of the heart’ that creates the unity of psycho-emotional and intellectual-rational principles in a person and the understanding of the content of law or natural law. The thinker did not dwell on the specifics of the philosophical justification of law itself. The doctrine of two natures and three worlds, along with a clear awareness of the non-legal nature of the positive casuistic law of Skovoroda’s time with its inquisitorial process, written and closed procedure, as well as stability, created the thinker’s original idea of justice and truth as the basis of law.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF HRYHORII SKOVORODA IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMANCENTRISM

Through the prism of the Ukrainian philosophical thinking issues, the article highlights the philosophical position of Hryhorii Skovoroda, which is based on clarifying the specifics of a particular human personality and focuses on the inner world of a person, the world of the “soul” and “heart”. According to H. Skovoroda, the “philosophy of the heart” is a statement of a new approach to understanding a person, the meaning of his existence and destination in theworld. It is proved that such a cordocentric approach has a long national tradition and was initiated in the early literature of the proto-Ukrainian society of Kyivan Rus. It is substantiated that a characteristic feature of H. Skovoroda’s philosophical system is the joining of a man and the world. This means creating a coherent philosophy that integrates ethics, ontology, philosophical wisdom, and moral behaviour in the philosophical dimension. H. Skovoroda appeals to the “voice of the heart”, which confirms the begin of developing his humancentrism on the national ground and acts as an alternative to the rationalist and objectivist method precisely in defending the fundamental importance, the primacy of the individual and personal, and cultural and multivocal uniqueness of human existence.

National images of Hryhorii Skovoroda

Within the article the attempt is made to study the perception of the XVIII century philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda’s image and its philosophy through the prism of the later national identities. The fact is stressed that the statement of the issue concerning the Hryhorii Skovoroda’s image Ukrainization and the history of its solution turns out to be the consequence of the process of establishing the Ukrainian modern self-identity which started in the ХІХ century. The situation is emphasized that within “all-Russian” identity one can come across its three variations: Skovoroda is a “Russian” (meaning “all-Russian”); Skovoroda is a “Malorussian” (meaning a representative of a regional variant of a “Russian” identity) and Skovoroda is a “Ukrainian” (meaning a native from the land that is called Ukraine). At the end of the ХІХ century Skovoroda’s image was interpreted within Ukrainian personal identity. The conclusion is made that during ХІХ—ХХ centuries and even nowadays two national identities for Skovoroda’s personality remain relevant: Ukrainian and Russian. The Russian one is a result of the XVIII—XIX centuries “all-Russian” syncretism state being transferred into the modern particular Russian national self-identity. The process of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s image Ukrainization (in other words its extraction from the “all-Russian” context) developed through several stages. At the beginning of the ХІХ century he was “Ukrainian” because he had a Ukrainian territorial identity and was related to Slobidska-Ukrainian province. Later he became “Ukrainian” because he represented “simple” Ukrainian people. Finally he is “Ukrainian” because he belongs to the Ukrainian ethnic nation and therefore his philosophy belongs to Ukrainian philosophical culture.

Study of the heritage of Hryhorii Skovoroda in Germany. A brief overview

The article analyzes the main directions and cases of research and reception of the creative heri- tage of Hrygorii Skovoroda in Germany. Even though Dmytro Chyzhevskyi introduced German scientists to Skovoroda’s work back in the 1930s, its actual reception, according to the author, began only in the 1980s. The article analyzes the research of three authors who carry out such a reception today. First, Elizabeth von Erdmann examines Skovoroda’s work in the context of philosophia perennis. Instead, Roland Pietsch began his study of Skovoroda’s work by translating his works into German and later focused on demonstrating the unity of mysticism and metaphysics in Skovoroda’s phi- losophy, according to how this unity was ensured in his doctrine of self-knowledge. Pietsch demonstrated this unity in his interpretation of the Narcissus dialogue. Another essential aspect of Skovoroda’s work, explored by Pietsch, is the philosopher’s symbolic metaphysics. Pietsch’s latest works are devoted to another important issue — establishing Skovoroda’s place in European intel- lectual history, in particular, based on a comparative analysis of the concepts of Hrygorii Skovo- roda, Johann Georg Hamann, and Franz von Baader. Another German researcher who studies Skovoroda’s work today is Slavologist and theologian Günter Kollert, who has been engaged in the philosophy of Skovoroda and Pamfil Yurkevich for several years and has translated the works of Skovoroda and Mykhailo Kovalynskyi into German. The author of the article concludes that new interesting independent studies of Skovoroda’s work will appear in Germany, which will make it possible to more accurately define Skovoroda’s place in the historical-philosophical process, to think more profoundly and describe this process, as well as to pave the way to possible abandonings and comparisons of Ukrainian works thinker with other famous figures in the history of philosophical thought.

Oeuvre of Grigory Skovoroda in polish scientific thought

The article is devoted to present Polish research on the literary work and philosophical thought of Hryhorii Skovoroda. The scientific reflection on Skovoroda’s legacy was initially carried out on the historical and literary level. It was initiated by Adam Honory Kirkor in 1874. In the context of the history of Ukrainian literature, Józef Tretiak, Ivan Franko and Bohdan Lepkyi presented the general characteristics of Skovoroda’s work, seeing in it only the original style and compilation character of thoughts. Ivan Mirtchuk started his research on Skovoroda’s thoughts from the history of national philosophy, seeing in Skovoroda’s philosophy the features charac- teristic of Ukrainian philosophy, differing it fundamentally from Russian philosophy. As part of the research, it was possible to find an extensive article by Jarosław Ulwański, Philosophy of G.S. Skovoroda, published in 1930, in which the author presented arguments for a pantheistic interpretation of the Ukrainian philosopher’s thoughts. A breakthrough event was the publication of a monograph by Dmytro Tschižewskij, who formulated a view on the mystical philosophy of Skovoroda similar to the Western European mysticism of the 17th and 18th centuries. The interwar period ends with the work of Czesław Jastrzębiec-Kozłowski, in which the work of Skovoroda was analyzed against the background of Józef Hoene-Wronski’s messianic philosophy. After World War II and the 1990s, research on Skovoroda’s legacy was conducted primarily by philologists. Ryszard Łużny and Włodzimierz Mokry treated Skovoroda’s work as a Christian philosopher. In the 21st century, Polish research increasingly refers to philosophical interpretation. Denys Pilipowicz researched the ancient and patristic sources of Skovoroda’s mystical thought and compared it with the teachings of Paisij Velyczkovskyi. Iryna Betko analyzed his poetry from the perspective of Jung’s theory of archetypes. Michał Handzel conducted an in-depth historical and philosophical analysis of Skovoroda’s philosophy, seeing Skovoroda as a representative of the panentheistic trend, and Pavlo Snopkov examined the concept of Skovoroda’s self-knowledge from the perspective of Jung’s and Maslow’s psychological theories.

The practical philosophy of Hryhorii Skovoroda in the light of our experience

The article deals with the practical philosophy of Hryhorii Savych Skovoroda from the point of view of the leading trends of modern philosophical thought: the «rehabilitation of practical philo- sophy» and the communicative turn in philosophy, the components of which are the neo-Socratic dialogue, the philosophy of communication, and the ethics of discourse. The interpretation of Skovoroda’s philosophy is carried out not only in accordance with the principle «know yourself» as a method of knowledge, but primarily in the dimension of the Socratic dialogue, when the methods of morals and elenctics are used in the joint search for truth, solving moral problems. The dialogic nature of Skovoroda’s method consists in searching for the truth together with other people through argumentation, the truth that also appears as a moral category. The article shows the actualization of Skovoroda’s philosophy in the pre-Soviet, Soviet and modern periods of the study of his work in independent Ukraine. The main thesis of the work consists in the statement that Skovoroda did not reduce philosophy to life, but raised life itself to philosophy. Philosophy was his life — a practical philosophy of life that formed his dialogical habitus. Socratic dialogue appears in philosophy, in everyday practices of communication with people, in particular, in the itinerant habitus of the thinker. Traveling is an important element of his philosophy, his life, and his habitus. The itinerant nature of Skovoroda’s habitus takes his dialogues beyond epistemology, transferring the dialogue to a practical, or rather, moral-practical plane. Skovoroda as an educator, relying on the habitus of Ukrainian culture and dialogic practices, transcends this habitus, elevating it to the habitus of reason. The work asserts the opinion about the need and necessity to develop and practice neo-skovorodinian dialogue as a component of the worldwide trend of development of dialogic practical philosophy and dialogic civilization. The article shows not only the significance of Skovoroda’s philosophy as a historical-philosophical phenomenon, but also its role in modern philosophical research in Ukraine, as well as the national liberation struggles of the Ukrainian people in the fight against Russia’s aggressive policy.

IMAGES OF CHRIST AND THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE POETRY OF HRYHORII SKOVORODA AND WIRA WOWK

The paper analyzes the images of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God in the poetry by Hryhorii Skovoroda and Wira Wowk. Until now, this topic has not been the object of scholarly research although the creativity of writers has many common features: aphoristic style, philosophical mood, and biblical figurative elements. The purpose of the paper is to characterize the specifics of interpreting the images of Christ and the Mother of God in the authors’ poetry. The analysis is based on the collections “The Garden of Divine Songs” by H. Skovoroda and “The Rosary for Christ”, “The Rosary for the Mother of God” by Wira Wowk.
 Peculiar in the reception of the figure of Christ in the poetry of both authors is its outer featurelessness and deep semantic content. H. Skovoroda used the concepts of ʻlifeʼ, ʻjoyʼ, ʻpure heartʼ and the biblical symbols of fire, stone, word, and grain; Wira Wowk preferred the symbols of word, light, heart, and ear of corn. Each author is characterized by the original interpretation of the biblical image of the Savior. He is embodied in the figures of a guest, an astronomer, a doctor hurt for human faults (poetry by H. Skovoroda) and a doctor, a heavenly gardener, a helmsman on Cheremosh (poetry by Wira Wowk).
 The image of the Virgin in H. Skovoroda’s work is less pronounced than the image of Jesus and is revealed only in three poems, while Wira Wowk dedicated three separate collections to the Virgin Mary. There are different symbolic hypostases of the Mother of God in the poems by H. Skovoroda, which have been singled out. Wira Wowkʼs interpretation of this image is characterized by such features as iconographic specification, biblical dynamics of unfolding, and symbolic content (images of the Winged Mother of God, the Mother Princess, Lilia, Oranta). The image of Mother Mary is common to both authors (Mary, Mother of Jesus — in Skovoroda’s poems and Mother of humanity, the world, and Ukraine — in Wira Wowk’s ones).
 Special attention has been paid to the biblical prototext in the poetic works by H. Skovoroda and Wira Wowk, important in the interpretation of the figures of Christ and the Mother of God, as well as to the moral and axiological depth of these images and their conceptual significance.

ΟΝ THE MOHYLIAN SUBTEXT IN HRYHORII SKOVORODA’S DIALOGUE «ARCHISTRATIGUS MICHAEL'S FIGHT WITH SATAN»

The paper explores Hryhorii Skovoroda’s dialogue “Archistratigus Michael's Fight with Satan” (“Bran Arkhystratyha Mykhaila so Satanoiu”, 1783), which contains several quotations from two authors — Teofan Prokopovych and Varlaam Liashchevskyi – who belonged to Skovoroda’s Alma Mater, the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. Being a unique occurrence in Skovoroda’s writings, these quotations from contemporary authors have been analyzed as an instance of a peculiar “Mohylian subtext” that sheds light on the relationship between the Ukrainian philosopher and his Alma Mater. In “Bran Arkhystratyha”, the angelic ranks battling against demonic forces sing a song taken from Liashchevskyi’s tragicomedy “The Chased Church” (“Honymaia tserkov”) and from Prokopovych’s 1709 epinikion in honor of tsar Peter’s victory near Poltava. While Prokopovych’s verses have been slightly changed (Antichrist replaces ‘apostate’ — ‘otstupnyk’) to reflect the major theme of “Bran Arkhystratyha” — the fight against Satan — the presence of two fragments from Liashchevskyi's tragicomedy in the text is even more important, as “Bran Arkhystratyha” is the only available source for reconstructing the textual content of this tragicomedy, of which we do not possess any extant copies. Of particular interest are also the paratextual materials attached to the quotations from Liashchevskyi and Prokopovych. All three citations are accompanied by an explanatory note stating: 1) the author to whom the citation belongs; 2) the authors’ affiliation to the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy; 3) information about the fire that destroyed the library of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on February 29, 1780. This choice testifies to a specific urge on Skovoroda’s part to honor Alma Mater and its representatives three years after the fire that threatened its book collection and cultural legacy. In this personal tribute, the notion of memory acquires a specific meaning for, in the case of Liashchevskyi, “Bran Arkhystratyha” preserves a text that would not otherwise have been transmitted. Thus, the ‘victory’ glorified in the dialogue becomes first and foremost a victory against oblivion, through the projection of the Word into the realm of eternity.

HRYHORII SKOVORODA AND DISCOURSE OF UKRAINIAN MODERNISM

The aim of the paper is to explore the line of Ukrainian Modernity which is expressed in the writings of Hryhorii Skovoroda by combining the Christian concept of human life and the experience of Antiquity, perceived through the prism of Christianity. In this context, the motive of spiritual renewal is directly conditioned by the understanding of the interaction of God’s Word with the human one, which is manifested in the persistent work of revealing the biblical meaning and creating a new form for its preservation and transmission. In this way, the timeless nature of the human ideal and its function in distinguishing the temporal forms of the new and the old, the real and the false, is affirmed. It is noticed that Skovoroda's concepts and images agree with the theories of modernism and modern identity of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
 Against the background of the elongated, even irritating discourse of Ukrainian Modernism caused by external and internal transformations of national existence, Skovoroda’s markers prove that spiritual, moral, and expressive priorities may be conflicting but not deny each other. This is mostly true for language and correlation of religion and metaphysics. According to Skovoroda, the art of the form serves as a shell, amulet, and translator of the divine meaning revealing life-giving depths. In this sense, the whimsical clothing of the word draws attention to the process of cognition, gives an opportunity to see the inner behind the external. In this regard, the continuity between the Baroque and Romanticism determines primarily their common spiritual space, due to the whirlpool of the same sources.
 It is concluded that Skovoroda’s creative figure always becomes a landmark for Ukrainian Modernism, because due to him even modernity is understood not only as a certain era or ideology but as the inner state and inner world of an author. This state can coexist with the patriarchal way of life and with the phenomena of real or conditional progress. In this sense, the thesis of the unfinished project of Ukrainian modernism must be understood from the perspective of eternal travel and distant horizons, which may not always equally reveal but do equally contain sources of Antiquity and Christianity.

THE IMAGE OF HRYHORII SKOVORODA IN POETIC INTERPRETATIONS BY PAVLO TYCHYNA AND VASYL STUS

The comparison of works by P. Tychyna and V. Stus allows us not only to see the common and different in the interpretation of Hryhorii Skovoroda (comparative aspect) but also to notice the reasons for one or another interpretation (historical aspect). In P. Tychyna's works H. Skovoroda is inscribed in the character's historical time (Koliivshchyna) in the same way as the author of the poem is inscribed in his historical reality (Sovietism), while in V. Stus’s poems both the character and the author are outside their time (Koliivshchyna and Sovietism respectively). For both poets — H. Skovoroda and V. Stus — the external appeared as transient, and ‘the inner man’ had the status of eternal one. Tychyna and V. Stus use the image of Н. Skovoroda as their alter-ego. The former author describes Н. Skovoroda as a revolutionary who stands on the principles of class ideology. Tychyna had been writing his poem-symphony “Skovoroda” in the period from the formation of Soviet power to the time of Stalinism as its most brutal version. This poem-symphony is a tribute to the time, which helped him phisically survive. In V. Stus’s version, Н. Skovoroda is thinking about moral self-improvement. He is a philosopher who cares for the fate and future of the Ukrainian people. V. Stus, living under the Soviet system, did not accept it and put up a strong resistance to it as a representative of the sixtiers. Stus’s poetry considered in this article may be regarded as a polemic with the poem-symphony “Skovoroda” by P. Tychyna. Moreover, the poem “Introduction to the poem “Skovoroda” by V. Stus shows that this polemic was planned in the format of the same genre — the poem, although it never unfolded, remaining only in fragments. Tychyna’s work also has a fragmentary nature due to both the long time of writing and the two-layered image of H. Skovoroda. The poet tried to show Skovoroda as a philosopher and a revolutionary (with the dominance of the latter).

The Spirituality of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s Work in Taras Zakydalsky’s Research

The purpose of the article is to introduce into scientific circulation works by Ukrainian scholar Taras Zakydalsky on the philosophy of Hryhorii Skovoroda. Taras Zakydalsky is a representative of the Ukrainian diaspora, philosopher, and member of Canadian NTSh (Shevchenko Scientific Society of Canada). Theoretical basis. We consider the uniqueness of H. Skovoroda’s philosophy, which stimulates not only intellectually but also spiritually enlightens the reader. The reasons for the complex perception and interpretation of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s philosophy are highlighted. We have verified the main methods of its interpretation given in the works by Dmytro Chyzhevskyi. The influence of philosophical thought of thinkers of Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Aristotle, Epicurus, the Church Fathers, and Tertullian has been studied. We have comprehended H. Skovoroda’s interpretation of the Bible as a two-layer existence, the symbolic world that makes the foundation of his philosophy. The peculiarity of the thinker’s division of the heart into "internal" and "external" is analyzed. Hryhorii Skovoroda’s position on the Good and the evil is stated. The Good is identified with God, and the evil – with the real world, the man can choose between the two. Much attention is paid to the understanding of man as a microcosm – rational thinking, and thought is the fundamental cause of human activity, which generates all existence. Hryhorii Skovoroda’s philosophy of metaphysics as the existence of three worlds is highlighted: the first is the macrocosm (the whole surrounding world), the second is the microcosm (the man), and the third is the symbolic world (the Bible). "Monodualism" as a characteristic feature of H. Skovoroda’s work is analyzed. We have highlighted H. Skovoroda’s attitude to the transcendence of God, which is not separated from the world but is present in it directly. The understanding of faith as a forced act of self-love is analyzed because by loving ourselves we love God. The criteria for true and false faith have been clarified. The significance of H. Skovoroda’s aphorism that what is necessary is useful, and not useful is unnecessary is considered. Examples of ethical principles in H. Skovoroda’s philosophy are considered. Peculiarities of the concept HAPPINESS are revealed. This concept is a universal means of existence of the Good, its source is gratitude to God. Originality of the article is in the systematic presentation of the philosophy of the heart by Hryhorii Skovoroda and the analysis of the integrity of the "inner man", the true meaning of life as interpreted by Taras Zakydalsky. Conclusions summarize the "anthropological pragmatism" of the philosopher, whose main idea is to apply practical skills for the benefit of society.

THE USE OF GOOGLE EARTH PLATFORM BY THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER DURING TEACHING GRAMMAR

The article describes the possibilities of using Google Earth in teaching English grammar to education seekers. To achieve this goal, the following methods were used: theoretical – analysis, synthesis of personal and domestic scientists’ pedagogical experience regarding the Google Earth usage in teaching English; statistical – analysis of students’ survey results. The author highlightes the main online platforms of the Google Company for teaching English to students, among which Google Earth, a free platform for the satellite displaying planets Earth, Mars and the Moon virtually, is considered to be promising for it. A survey has been conducted (104 students of the Faculty of Ukrainian and Foreign Philology of Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav, Ukraine, aged 17 to 19, both sexes), containing 5 main questions ("Do you know the Google Earth platform?", "Do you know how to use Google Earth?", "Have you already used Google Earth?", "Do you know how to use Google Earth to teach English vocabulary to school students?", "Do you know how to use Google Earth to teach English grammar to school students?", "Are you interested in learning about the possibilities of using Google Earth to teach English to students?"). The results of the survey show that the Google Earth platform is well-known only to19% of future English teachers, but is interesting to all of them in terms of future usage in teaching English, including grammar; only 7% of respondents know how to use it in teaching English vocabulary and 4% know how to use it in teaching English grammar to school students. The article describes the advantages of the Google Earth platform over Google Maps, names the possibilities of using this platform by an English teacher to teach English grammar, which could allow students to improve skills in morphology and syntax, develop creativity and intercultural competence, providing intercultural dialogue. The prospect of further research is a detailed study of the platform advantages and disadvantages for the formation of the future English teacher’s foreign language competence.

Modern Tools for Creative Learning of English in a Blended Learning Environment: Practices of Ukrainian Universities

The practice of teaching English in higher education institutions confirms the efficiency and the popularity of using the blended learning methodology. The purpose of this study is to identify the tools of creative learning of English in a blended learning environment and establish their impact on the level of English language proficiency. To cover the purpose of this study, the authors employed theoretical and empirical methods, namely abstraction, theoretical analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, observation, questionnaire survey, description, comparison, and generalisation. It is established that blended learning, as a new method of learning English, involves the use of modern interactive and innovative technologies in the educational process, so that the conventional educational process transforms into a creative process with an innovative approach to obtaining professional competencies by students. It is determined that the use of information and communication technologies in a blended learning environment opens up opportunities for students to independently investigate educational material, but this process should take place under the guidance of a teacher. It is proved that online platforms are equally important for creative learning of English, the advantages of which are mobility, systematicity, interactivity, and controllability of knowledge. It is established that teachers of the Departments of English and foreign languages of the Olesya Gonchar Dnipro National University, Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav, and Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University offer students to use such online platforms as Quizlet, Freerice, Learn English from the British Council Vocabulary.com, Microsoft Teams and the Flipgrid application for creative learning of English the effectiveness of which has been confirmed by a survey of students. The practical significance of the results obtained in this study indicates that the approach, according to which it is planned to survey students using a questionnaire method to identify the influence of information and communication technologies and creative learning tools on the academic achievements of students in learning English in Ukrainian higher education institutions, is of universal importance

Implementation of nomadic practices in creativity of Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko

In view of modern social demands, understanding of nomadic practices regarding formation of a worldview and search for ways of self-realization of an individual acquires special relevance. The embodiment of nomadic practices of vagantism in the life and work of Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko is considered. If Hryhorii Skovoroda earned a living on his own and studied in his homeland, Taras Shevchenko mostly lived at the expense of patrons and received his education abroad. The authorities persistently tried to sedentarize both of them: Hryhorii Skovoroda was invited to the imperial court, and Taras Shevchenko was imprisoned. Hryhorii Skovoroda’s enlightening activity was aimed at exposing social defects, and the educational one was directed at introduction of innovative education methods, creation of one’s own system for evaluating knowledge, abilities and skills of schoolchildren and students, which resonate with the modern scale. Taras Shevchenko was concerned with preservation of the ethnographic heritage of the Ukrainian people and participated in political life, created his own picture of the world, gave moral and value instructions. Both figures introduced practices similar to nomadic ones, participating in creation of neo-tribes: Taras Shevchenko implemented his democratic beliefs in the Cyril and Methodius Society, Hryhorii Skovoroda nurtured the idea of the “Heaven Republic”. Awareness of his own unconformity with the world forced Hryhorii Skovoroda to renounce its charms in favor of seclusion and a wandering life, instead, Taras Shevchenko’s personal freedom was limited by punitive authorities. The nomadic features inherent in the self-awareness and self-realization of Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko, determined by the totality of the given circumstances, are compared. It is noted that public servants, applying nomadic practices similar to mobbing, constantly reminded them of their low social status, “uselessness to the world and time”, and also tried in every possible way to hinder the innovative cultural and political activities of Taras Shevchenko, the innovative educational and philosophical activities of Hryhorii Skovoroda. It has been established that Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko were people who were significantly ahead of their time in terms of their way of life and thinking. The purpose of the article is to embody nomadic practices in the works of Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko.

HRYHORII SKOVORODA: UKRAINIZATION OFTHE IMAGE

Within the article the attempt is made to study the perception of the XVIII century philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda’s image and its philosophy through the prism of the later national identities. The fact is stressed that the statement of the issue concerning the Hryhorii Skovoroda’s image Ukrainization and the history of its solution turns out to be the consequence of the process of establishing the Ukrainian modern self-identity which started in the ХІХ century. The situation is emphasized that within “all-Russian” identity one can come across its three variations: Skovoroda is a “Russian” (meaning “all-Russian”); Skovoroda is a “Malorussian” (meaning a representative of a regional variant of a “Russian” identity) and Skovoroda is a “Ukrainian” (meaning a native from the land that is called Ukraine). At the end of the ХІХ century Skovoroda’s image was interpreted within Ukrainian personal identity. The conclusion is made that during ХІХ-ХХ centuries and even nowadays two national identities for Skovoroda’s personality remain relevant: Ukrainian and Russian. The Russian one is a result of the XVIII-XIX centuries “all-Russian” syncretism state being transferred into the modern particular Russian national self-identity. The process of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s image Ukrainization (in other words its extraction from the “all-Russian” context) developed through several stages. At the beginning of the ХІХ century he was “Ukrainian” because he had a Ukrainian territorial identity and was related to Slobidska-Ukrainian province. Later he became “Ukrainian” because he represented “simple” Ukrainian people. Finally he is “Ukrainian” because he belongs to the Ukrainian ethnic nation and therefore his philosophy belongs to Ukrainian philosophical culture.