Ukrainian Cultural Space Research Articles

Humanitarian strategies in culture in forming the newest tendencies in the Ukrainian cultural space

The actuality of the study is stipulated by the need to establish appropriate facilities for the humanitarian advancement of the country, to form a favourable cultural space for the disclosure of the personal creative potential of each citizen on the basis of substantiation of priority humanitarian strategies in culture. The aim of the research is to identify the peculiarities of humanitarian strategies in culture as factors in the formation of the most relevant trends in the in the ongoing development of the modern Ukrainian cultural space. Research methods: method of theoretical analysis comparative method, system method, method of generalisation. The main results of the study are that, from the theoretical standpoint of cultural knowledge, the concept of ‘humanitarian strategies in culture’ is interpreted as priority areas of humanitarian and cultural development, which are specified by defining the goals, methods, mechanisms and tools for their implementation, aimed at revealing human creativity, forming human capital for creating a creative cultural space. The humanistic nature of the content of art education, its focus on the comprehensive development and creative potential of society is substantiated. It is determined that the actualisation, protection and restoration of the national cultural heritage is a key factor in the formation of national identity. The process of knowledge, research, preservation and restoration of the national cultural heritage is an important humanitarian strategy in culture. Cultural diplomacy is an important resource for the humanisation of culture, an effective tool for establishing intercultural communication among the main agents – artists from different countries, creative teams, civil society institutions, and the expert community. The creative industries are a platform for the country’s economic recovery. The importance of certain humanitarian strategies in culture for the creation of an innovative, competitive Ukrainian cultural space in the post-war recovery of the country is proved. Through innovation and the introduction of the latest technologies, a creative humanitarian space can be formed based on common cultural and humanistic values

Сoncept of M. BOICHUK and the Features of Ukrainian MODERNISM

The article is dedicated to the place and significance of the ideological and artistic concept of M. Boichuk in the formation of Ukrainian modernism, which, despite connection with the global European trends, has clear originality, conditioned with historical, social and cultural processes in Ukraine. The heritage of M. Boichuk and the art school created by him has reflected the demonstrative tendency towards the national self-determination and national culture creation. This trend has distinguished Ukrainian modernism in the context of European directivities. Unlike the European modernism, the main ideas of which are related to the affirmation of the self-worth of individuality, subjectivity and open self-expression and polemics against artistic traditions, modernism in Ukraine affirms the national originality and diversity of its culture. Founded in the conditions of statelessness and indeterminacy of the national heritage, the concept of M. Boichuk has determined the essential principles of the national tradition, where folk art and the Ukrainian Middle Ages with its unique icon painting become the main phenomena. The invention of traditions, their formalization and ideological substantiation, those have become the basis of Boichukism, describe the Ukrainian cultural space, are considered to be an impulse for the further development. M. Boichuk’s school has several stages of its history. The first period includes 1908–1910–1917 (from the Revival of Byzantine Art group created in Paris to the leadership of M. Boichuk at the studio in the newly founded Ukrainian Academy of Arts in Kyiv). The second one – 1918 – mid‑1930s, formed in the post-revolutionary Soviet decades, those have subdued it to their ideological program. Constantly preserving its defined formal and figurative principles, M. Boichuk’s concept has also reflected the ideas of the National Ukrainian Renaissance and the Soviet Korenization and Ukrainization of the 1920s. M. Boichuk’s school and the artistic movement founded by it have been abolished with the establishment of totalitarian power in the mid‑1930s. Their significance goes beyond art, relates directly to Ukrainian culture creation.

SEMANTICS OF TARAS SHEVCHENKO’S POETRY IN MUSICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF MODERN PERFORMERS

The purpose of the article is to demonstrate the process of transformation of semantic paradigm of musical interpretations of Taras Shevchenko’s poetry in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The methodology of research combines general scientific methods with specific methods of musicology and literature. The use of historical and comparative methods, together with analytical method, made it possible to conduct a multidimensional analysis to identify the features of modern musical interpretations of Taras Shevchenko’s poetry through the prism of socio-political transformations and to determine changes in them compared to previous interpretations. Scientific novelty. The analysis of musical versions of Kobzar’s poetry in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war was carried out for the first time. Moreover, new and previously unanalysed song compositions have been added to the research related to musical Shevchenkiana. Conclusions. The creative heritage of the classics has always been a kind of tuning fork for the Ukrainian cultural space. Through the prism of the attitude towards it, it is possible to track both the internal transformations of the artists' creative worldview and the reflection of external challenges the whole country face. Тhe research demonstrates the transformation of semantics of the poetry of Taras Shevchenko in modern performers’ musical interpretations. It reveals not only changes, but also the process which explains why such changes appeared. The work also describes how interpretations expand the paradigm of meanings not only during their creation, but also in diachrony – after a certain time, when the socio-political context changes, thus the phenomenon of "interpretation of interpretations" appears. Through updating the semantics of Taras Shevchenko’s poetry by modern performers, a kind of intergenerational dialogue is formed. This leads to demonstration of spatio-temporal connections, which, through modern media resources, present Ukraine as a country with its own centuries-old history and unique, original culture. Keywords: musical interpretations of poetry, Ukrainian composers and performers, synthesis of music and literature, Ukrainian culture, vocal music, musical interpretation, Ukrainian poets, musical Shevchenkiana, pop studies.

Рецензіяна монографію Баталіної Христини Фрідріхівни «Дитина як втілення зла у фільмах жахівдругої половини ХХ–початку ХХІ сторіччя»

H. F. Batalina's monograph is devoted to the problem of creating the image of a child as the embodiment of evil in horror films of the second half of the 20th - beginning of the 20th century. The topic formulates an important problem, primarily of a moral and psychological nature. The relevance of the work lies in the fact that "a certain niche, currently unfilled in the Ukrainian cultural space, is being explored in a situation where Ukrainian cinema is beginning to take steps to meet the audience and enter wide distribution with genre films" [p. 22 of the manuscript]. H.F. Batalina points out that "the study of the problem of the child as a cinematographic object, except for a few exceptions, is not developed in the scientific film literature, although such a need is increasingly expressed as one of its important tasks" [p. 22 of the manuscript]. It should be added to the above that the research is also relevant because the image of a child in horror films is not a norm for post-Soviet society, is not inherent in the culture of modern Ukraine, but is planted by cultural traditions of Western countries (for example, the planting of the Halloween holiday). Therefore, the research of H.F. Batalina allows us to understand where and why other traditions appear in the culture of Ukrainians. We are convinced that the degree of validity of scientific statements, conclusions and prospects for solving the problem of finding archetypal and semiotic during the creation of the image of children in films of the horror genre, which is reflected in the monograph, has a sufficient level to recommend the above-mentioned scientific work for publication. We consider the specification of the categorical and terminological apparatus of film horror based on the philosophical and aesthetic aspects of the problem to be an important achievement of H. F. Batalina's research. We respect H. F. Batalina's confident attempt to offer the scientific community an author's vision of the paradigm of genre features of horror films. Time will demonstrate the functionality of the proposed features, and reveal the shortcomings and dominant advantages of such a paradigm. Since we are followers of the principle of Karl Popper's fallibilism (in the understanding of the concept of "fallibilism" by Charles Peirce), which implies the axiom that any scientific knowledge is fundamentally not final, but only an intermediate interpretation of the truth, which involves the subsequent replacement by a better interpretation, we assert: the author's vision of the paradigm of genre features of the horror film has the right to exist and needs further practical verification, which, in our opinion, is already a victory for scientists. F. Batalina and the victory of scientific thought in the field. The monograph is made at a sufficient scientific level, contains important theoretical provisions and has practical significance. We have an individual, theoretically and operationally supported research position that contributes to the formation of modern theory.

Volodymyr Bakhtov’s Creativity in the Context of the «New Archeology» of the Late 1980s to 2000s

The article is dedicated to the work of one of the interesting contemporary Ukrainian artists – Volodymyr Bakhtov. His creative path began in the mid – 1970s in the field of graphics, in which the artist bypassed the influence of socialist realism, immediately defining his main theme: the history and culture of Southern Ukraine. His series of etchings, which were awarded numerous international and domestic awards, metaphorically reproduced and figuratively interpreted the layering of cultural epochs that influenced the culture of the region. At the end of the 1980s, he turned to the contemporary artistic practices – land art, performance art, art objects, and later – to original light actions in the author’s technology «geliograffiti», which together are part of the «new archeology» that marked an important trend in contemporary art. Its emergence is connected with the idea of «revision» of culture, analysis of its experience. Similar searches are directed to the expansion of the cultural space, actualization of its historical layers in the public consciousness. The theme of V. Bakhtov’s «artistic research» was the antique heritage of the Northern Black Sea region, in particular the ancient Greek city of Olbia, which is now an archaeological reserve, and the disappeared monuments of architecture and history of the region. The artist’s long-term creative project in his own figurative way «reconstructs» the ancient heritage within the culture of Ukraine, connects it with the great European oecumen, emphasizes the role and importance of the ancient cities of the Northern Black Sea region in the formation of the Ukrainian cultural space. V. Bakhtov’s works represent artistic research and reconstruction of cultural and natural features of the historical landscape, thus combining archaeological and ecological intentions, and the language of modern art makes it possible to emphasize the special dialogic nature of the author’s expression, actively involving the viewer in participation. The artist’s work synthesizes historical-research and figurative-metaphorical components.

Sound Director in Modern Program Content of TV Channels

The purpose of the article is to determine the place of the sound director in the creation of a global information space that would ensure effective interaction of people, their access to global data resources and satisfaction of needs for information products and services using the content of television programs. The research methodology consists in the application of special methods: source analysis of the main publications on the topic (to find out the level of scientific development of the problem); historical and cultural, which led to a holistic approach to the analysis of the process of the historical development of sound engineering in Ukraine. The work also used general scientific methods: methods of analysis and description, for the general characterization and understanding of the essence of the sound director’s profession. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time, the process of sound director’s work in modern TV channel programming is highlighted. The process of formation of sound engineering and the sound director’s activity in the Ukrainian cultural space is described. Based on the study of the source base, the author outlines the trends and reasons for the emergence of the sound engineering profession and clarifies the aesthetic foundations of the formation of sound engineering in Ukraine. The article deals with the interaction between technology and art in contemporary culture, emphasizes the interconnection of technical and technological and artistic components in artistic culture, and points to several artistic trends inspired by scientific and technological progress. The qualification requirements for a modern sound director are considered. The issue of rethinking the creative activity of sound directors in the media has been further developed. Conclusions. The review of the source base proved that the work of a sound director on television has many difficulties related to the technical support of studios, the conditions of filming, and the creative process. But also due to the importance of television as a way of communication and a source of information, sound design on TV has prospects for development and improvement.

Деконструкція міфу доктрини «русский мир» про православ’я як основу російської ідентичності

The article analyzes the basic ideology of the “Russian Peace” doctrine: the myth that “Orthodoxy is the basis of Russian identity.” The existence of this ideologeme in the informational and symbolic field of Ukraine and the whole world, its manipulation, and its inclusion in the current context of the Ukrainian cultural space lead to a distorted perception of relations between Russia and Ukraine, the existing war between them. The article attempts to reveal those distortions and semantic substitutions that are ontologically contained in many ideologemes of the “Russian world” and which can be analyzed as typical errors in the context of the argumentation theory. Such research aims to develop a conditional “dictionary” for the mythologist of the “Russian world,” which could be used during the conduct of a thorough information confrontation. The author chose the myth “Orthodoxy is the basis of Russian identity” as the basic ideologeme because most other ideologues are derived from this thesis with the help of skillful semantic manipulations. Secondly, this myth is interpreted and used by Russian ideologues in incredibly diverse ways and in various contexts. Based on the analysis of this myth, the author concludes that the ideology of the “Russian measure” by definition does not meet the criteria of clarity, clarity, and unequivocalness; the meanings of its key concepts are as variable as possible, depend on the context, are used interchangeably in general formulations where clarification of the non-standard use of the term is not foreseen; there is a change of identities, which makes it possible to manipulate historical facts and people’s memory. Russian ideologues constantly use such logical errors in their argumentative practices. In the process of revealing the illogicality and paradox of the mentioned myth, it turns out that the very essence of this mythologem significantly contributes to the unfolding of the crisis of Russian culture and politics, which is spoken about by the same ideologues who praise the messianic role of Russia.

Oles Honchar in a Modern Ukrainian Documentary Cine-Text: On Spiritual Grandeur and Toughness of the Artist

The article pays attention to Oles Honchar, an iconic figure of Ukrainian culture. In 2023, we celebrate the 105th anniversary of birthday of the famous Ukrainian, whose creation is relevant today and inspires descendants to be indomitable and to strive for eternal values. Not only our, but also the entire European cultural space, in particular the cine-space, records the actualization and a request for understanding the heritage of prominent Ukrainians who created the Ukrainian culture at different times and influenced the formation of orientations and value dominants. The modern historical background – terrible and insidious aggression against Ukraine by the northern under-empire is particularly important. Today, both Oles Ponchar’s figure and his works as a writer are worthy of attention not only by specialists in philology and cultural studies, but also of the general public. And this is due to the artist’s relay of dominant values characteristic of the Ukrainian cultural space. He is the bright representative, who in his linguistic creation demonstrates the ethical and attitudinal aspirations of the Ukrainian people, as well as its morality. The study attempts to comprehend the modern Ukrainian documentary cine-texts on Oles Honchar, which were created prior to the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022, in particular, O. Honchar’s “The Cathedral” (1993); The Giant of Steppes;The Architect of Human Soul (2001); Oles Honchar. The Cathedral (2008); Global Star of Oles Honchar (2011); Oles Honchar. People and Their Destinies (2014). All these films are especially focused on the role, in the artist’s life, of the novel The Cathedral, which divided his life into before and after. And this is not accidental, because the work is directed at deep meanings and philosophical reflections on the eternal, it appeals to every soul. And the latter is already the transcendental realm, that is, which is beyond the possible experience. The article also focuses on the writer’s figure in the films The Architect of Human Soul and Oles Honchar. The Cathedral. The article’s special attention is paid to the relevance and extraordinary timeliness of such cultural products as Kateryna Strelchenko’s film Oles Honchar. The Word as a Weapon, as well as other documentary cine-texts, biopics about outstanding Ukrainians that are already available and yet to appear in our and global cultural spaces.

Establishment of the Art Market in the Context of Ukrainian Historical and Cultural Tradition

The origins of the art market in Ukraine are analyzed on the basis of the life of artists, art exhibitions, art salons and creative circles of the 17th - early 20th centuries. The author researches the socio-cultural processes of different periods of Ukrainian culture that influenced the phenomenon of the art market, in particular its educational and commercial aspects. The peculiarity of the art market in Ukraine is connected with the popularization of young Ukrainian artists, the creation of favorable conditions for the realization of their talent, the unification of artistic forces from different Ukrainian regions and on. The art market is considered as a value-semantic space, where works of art are circulated, thanks to which new ideas emerge in the Ukrainian cultural space. The author uses the cultural-historical method, which allows to analyze, describe and generalize the patterns of origin, formation and development of the art market as an important component of socio-cultural evolution of Ukrainian culture. The important role of patronage, which contributed to the development of the Ukrainian art market, is considered. The origin and development of art exhibitions, which gained popularity in the 19th century, despite the long-standing tradition of exhibition activities in Ukraine, are studied. Mobile art exhibitions became a unique phenomenon, which determined the main trend in the fine arts of the last third of the 19th century. The activities of the Taras Shevchenko Scientific Society, which contributed to the creation of a portrait gallery – the largest project related to the fine arts, headed by M. Hrushevsky – are reviewed separately. The author emphasizes that the activities of progressive Ukrainian of art contributed to the creation of many artistic associations, which played an important role in promoting the works of Ukrainian artists, awakening public interest in art.

ЗАСАДИ СУЧАСНОЇ ГЕОСТРАТЕГІЇ УКРАЇНИ В РОЗРІЗІ КОНЦЕПЦІЇ ГУМАНІТАРНОЇ АУРИ НАЦІЇ ЛІНИ КОСТЕНКО

The range of the scientific problem of the chosen topic of the article determines the combination of methodological and integrative disciplinary approaches in order to solve it. The logic of the research involves the establishment of a mutual connection between the creation of geostrategy and the nurturing of the humanitarian aura of the nation. On the basis of L. Kostenko’s concept of the humanitarian aura of the nation, modern trends that influence the formation of modern geostrategy of Ukraine are analyzed, and strategic national priorities are outlined within the framework of the development of its political and legal model. The context of the work is imbued with the need to develop the state infrastructure policy, which is interpreted as the locomotive of sustainable development of Ukraine, the formation of the investment and innovation model of the state, on the basis of the implementation of the developed geostrategy. Contextually, the issues of strategic narrative in terms of noopolitics and deconstruction of destructive stereotypes, export and expansion of the Ukrainian cultural space are discussed.

Skovoroda`s images and motives in the works of Hanna Barvinok

The task of our article is to consider Skovoroda’s images and motives, in particular heart and happiness, in the works of Oleksandra Bilozers’ka-Kulish. Discourse analysis seems to be an appropriate method of research, since it allows us to build a chain of texts on one topic and find out the peculiarities of its detection at each stage, taking into the current contexts. This approach is quite productive and relevant for modern literary criticism, as it allows us to confirm or refute conclusions about the stadiality of Ukrainian literature, the continuity of the literary process, the sources of creativity of a particular author, etc. The article discusses the images and motives of the stories of Hanna Barvinok, which are key in the philosophical concept of Hrygoriy Skovoroda. This is the image of the heart and the motive of happiness. The works of Hanna Barvinok are studied in a broad literary and cultural context, which includes the works of M. Kovalyns`kyy, H. Danylevs`kyy, P. Kulish, M. Sumtsov, D. Bagaliy and others. The author of the article came to the conclusion that in the second half of the nineteenth century, the perception of the figure of H. Skovoroda in the Ukrainian cultural space acquired certain features: he became known as the author of philosophical and literary works. His live was an example of his moral and philosophical doctrine. He represented the Ukrainian man with his image. There are various images of happy people in the works of Hanna Barvinok. These are those who live with God and according to His rules, and those who have a favorite work, and those who had an experience a high feeling of love. The heroes of the works of this author are emotional, mostly with traditional concepts of human happiness. It should be noted that really happy are those characters who combine Christian commandments in their behavior and are guided by their heart. The heart is the main means of character formation and an indicator of the picture of their world in the texts of Hanna Barvinok. And this just corresponded to the teachings of H. Skovoroda.

The affirmation of the national identity in the modern renaming (on the basis of Ukrainian urbanonymicon)

Background. The article is dedicated to 1225 names of streets, alleys and squares in Ukraine, renamed during April – August 2022 as a result of the process of de-russification. Urbanonyms were changed not to neutral ones, but, on the contrary, in the new names Ukrainian national values were emphasized, as well as the belonging of communities to the Ukrainian cultural space, demonstrating the difference between Ukrainian and Russian identity.Сontribution to the research field. These findings may help us to understand the impact that the last political events in Ukraine as well as the war have made on the national identity of Ukrainians, especially in the linguistic approach. The analysis of urbanonyms according to the markers of national identity showed the main trends in the change of modern urbanonymicon.Purpose. The comprehensive analysis of the renaming in Ukrainian urbanonymicon because of the process of de-russification in the cultural space of Ukraine and in the aspect of affirmation of national identity in names.Methods. The research methodology is based on the general scientific methods and on the linguistic methods, especially descriptive and comparative (to compare the urbanonyms before and after the renaming).Results. The research consists of two parts. First, we analyzed 1225 former names of the streets and identified six groups of these names. Then, we analyzed the renamed urbanonyms and focused on 8 groups of them, which appeal to certain markers of the Ukrainian national identity: 1. Common beliefs – 263 names of streets (21,47 %); 2. Common territory, or homeland – 247 (20,16 %); 3. Common actions (decisions, achievements) – 242 (19,76 %); 4. Common myths and historical memories – 229 (18,7 %); 5. Common language – 90 (7,35 %); 6. Common culture – 70 (5,71 %); 7. Common economy – 47 (3,84 %); 8. Common religion – 37 (3 %).Discussion. By comparing new names with markers of national identity, we can assert that during the hot phase of the war, when there is a threat to the existence of the country, Ukrainians come to the fore for common worldview orientations, which allow to unite, common actions and decisions, which are aimed at obtaining certain results, deep understanding of the concepts homeland, our territory, awareness of the importance of preserving historical memory for the formation of the successful Ukrainian society today and to pass it on to the next generations, so that our language and our culture are always relevant.

The Image of Taras Shevchenko in modern artistic practices

The interpretation of the image of T. Shevchenko in modern artistic practices is analyzed. Its characteristic features are noted and its correspondence to the main trends outlined in the early 10s of the 21st century is traced: the desire to articulate and understand the basis of the pain points of modern society through the image of Shevchenko and to present him as a certain image-thoughtform (spirit, energy). It is noted that, turning to the interpretation of the image of the poet in modern artistic practices, artists adhere to the transmission of his physiognomic features. Accordingly, the authors of posters, digital collages, illustrations for Shevchenko's poems most often rely on the most common types of images, in particular, Self-portraits of T. Shevchenko (1840; 1843), photographs of the artist during his lifetime (works by I. Doss and A. Denier). However, these traditional, matrix, types of the poet's image are subject to certain modifications. Among them: conceptual «rejuvenation» of both specified types; image of T. Shevchenko as a warrior, defender. When interpreting his image, the image of a monument to the poet becomes in demand, including as a manifestation of a new way of sacralizing Shevchenko's image — a guarantor of identity preservation. Groups of works are considered separately: those where the reception of his personality, as a constant value of the Ukrainian cultural space, is revealed through symbols of creativity; interpretations of T. Shevchenko's poems. The interpretation of the poet's image is considered in the socio-cultural context of modern history; it is shown that the main inspiring factor of cultural creation in Shevchenko's theme is the disclosure of the nation-building meaning of Taras Shevchenko's poetry.

Musical projects in Ukraine of the XXI century as trends in contemporary art

The relevance of scientific work is determined by the need to identify and justify the syntactic-semantic connection between contemporary musical art and the socio-cultural world space. The aim of the article is a comparative analysis of tradition-innovation relation in the context of musical art in modern Ukraine on the example of leading musical projects. Achievement of the objectives was possible due to the use of a number of methods of scientific research, among which analysis, synthesis, generalization, and systematization, as well as the method of comparativism. The relevance of studying the correlative connection between traditional Ukrainian cultural space and global artistic trends, gravitating toward pluralism and multiculturalism, as well as the establishment of intercultural communication was confirmed. The novelty of the scientific article consists in the study of musical projects as objects of the sphere of art for the identification of Ukrainian tendencies. The practical value of the work is focused on providing the scientific space with qualitative information content on the topic of the formation of Ukrainian festivals and explaining their specificity. Thus, the authors have summarized a comprehensive cultural research and identified the prospects for further developments with the online measurement of audiovisual int of modern Ukraine.

Traditional pop song: conceptualization of the concept

The purpose of the research. The study attempts to conceptualize the definition of «traditional pop song» from the standpoint of contemporary musical variety studies. The research methodology is based on the use of historical, cultural, systemic, contextual, and analytical methods, the combination of which made it possible to determine the specific features of the traditional Ukrainian pop song. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time in Ukrainian science the concept of «traditional pop song» is conceptualized. Conclusions. The traditional pop song occupies a significant place in the Ukrainian cultural space, while it has not yet been comprehended as a cultural and artistic phenomenon in Ukrainian science. Based on the selection of three parameters (socio-cultural, age and style), the specifics of the Ukrainian traditional pop song were revealed. It is revealed that its stylistic features were formed during the 1950–1970s. («classic pop song»), in the 1980s. there has been a process of stabilization, since the 1990s. the identification of the traditional pop song as a specific, conservative stylistic direction begins, which focused on the achievements of the classical Ukrainian pop song and opposed the influences of the Western trends of popular music, trying to preserve the originality of the Ukrainian musical variety art. The fundamental non-commercial nature of the traditional pop song is rooted in the art of the Soviet era and is the opposite of show business with its desire to quickly update musical styles. During the period of active development of the commercial direction of pop music in the 1990s. the traditional pop song was considered archaic and opposed to the «fashionable» directions of «youth music». Today, this opposition is not relevant: the traditional pop song as a stylistic direction based on the aesthetics of the second half of the 20th century is popular among performers and listeners of all ages. The stylistic diversity of the traditional pop song is associated with a long time of formation of the Ukrainian classical pop and its artistic achievements. Therefore, despite a certain conservatism, the Ukrainian traditional pop song is a significant layer of Ukrainian musical culture.
 Key words: variety musical art, vocal variety art, Ukrainian musical tradition, traditional Ukrainian pop song.

Ukraine's Quest for Identity: Embracing Cultural Hybridity in Literary Imagination, 1911–2011

Ukraine's Quest for Identity: Embracing Cultural Hybridity in Literary Imagination, 1911–2011

Морально-етична термінологія в українській філософській думці

The submitted study is an attempt to consider the notion of GRATITUDE in the light of the philosophical conception of H. Skovoroda, a significant figure of our culture, just today, when Ukrainian ethnos is fighting for existence, and the problem of GRATITUDE becomes even more relevant. The phenomenon of GRATITUDE is described in the scientific and cultural space as a peculiar means and opportunity for a particular person to change life qualitatively, feel the value of themselves and others. The 300th anniversary of Hryhoriy Skovoroda birthday is celebrated this year. The value of GRATITUDE for him is undeniable. A person who is satisfied with what he has is happy. The thoughts and views of the Great Ukrainian are important and necessary nowadays, because we are talking about eternal, imperishable values running up to centuries and actualize the sacred meanings in the minds of modern man. A modern view on the concept of GRATITUDE, which has appeared in the Ukrainian cultural space, namely the understanding of GRATITUDE as a memory that works is submitted in the article.

EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL POTENTIAL OF INCLUSIVE COMICS

The article deals with the research on comics' educational and cultural potential, particularly inclusive comic books, and their influence on inclusive culture formation. Inclusive graphic stories have long been part of the readership abroad. Gradually, this tradition is becoming popular in the Ukrainian cultural space. The chronology of the implementation of inclusive education in Ukraine is established, a brief overview of the regulatory framework is given. There is more and more inclusive literature on the Ukrainian book market: it is both translations and works of domestic writers, it is literature for the youngest, teenagers, adults, and it is fiction and nonfiction. In 2019 the first inclusive comic book "Friends 2.0" appeared. It was published with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation within the framework of the Inclusive Art program. The comic book "Friends 2.0" is an illustrative material for the analysis. The given research identifies the features of inclusive literature and clarifies its role in forming a tolerant society. The main evolutionary steps of comics are conveyed (Egyptian drawings in the burial chambers, "Ocelot's Claw", The Bayeux Tapestry, William Hogarth’s caricatures, stories in drawings by Rodolphe Töpffer, "Max und Moritz" by Wilhelm Busch, "The Yellow kid" by Richard Outcault and others). The basic terms and concepts of comic book culture are explained, taking into account the specifics of their translation. The history of Ukrainian comics is written daily, undergoes great changes, forms the main slogans and ideas in which it operates and develops. Currently, Ukrainian comics are established as a separate literary and art genre. Inclusive "Friends 2.0". comics are five stories based on real events. Every story is a story of struggle and victory. These are the first inclusive stories in the Ukrainian cultural space. They proclaim that everyone in the world is important, that disability is not a sentence, the importance of adaptation and inclusion, faith and dreams that come true. The article highlights the structural and semantic components of the stories in the comic book "Friends 2.0", analyzes the role of the motto in the content of the stories of this book, the background of panels, characters, and more. The analysis of inclusive comic strips as achievements of comic book culture and as examples of graphic texts in which the inclusive component dominates is offered. It helps to identify a special type of superhero in "Friends 2.0". The educational potential of such comics and their influence on the context of inclusive culture are identified.
 Keywords: inclusive literature, inclusive comics, comic book, diegesis, narrative, encapsulation, motto, superhero.

Аналіз та деконструкція основних ідеологем доктрини «Русский Мир»

The article analyses the three prominent ideologues of the doctrine of “Russian world”: the myth that “Orthodoxy is the basis of an identity”; the myth of the openness and friendly attitude of the Russian people to other ethnic groups and religions, and the myth of the Eurasian/Russian civilisation that opposes the “rotten” West. The existence of these ideologues in the information and symbolic field of Ukraine and the world, manipulating them, and placing them in the actual context of the Ukrainian cultural space, lead to a distorted perception of relations between Russia and Ukraine and the war between them. The article attempts to reveal those distortions and semantic substitutions ontologically contained in the ideologies of the “Russian world”, which can be analysed as typical errors in the context of the argumentation theory. The study aims to develop a conditional “dictionary” of mythologists of the “Russian world”, which could be used during an all-out information confrontation. The author chose the myth “Orthodoxy – the basis of Russian identity” as the basic ideology because, firstly, most other ideologies derive from this thesis with the help of skilful semantic manipulations. Secondly, this myth is interpreted and used by Russian ideologues in various contexts. Based on the analysis of this and two other myths, the author concludes that the ideology of the “Russian measure” does not meet the definition of the criteria of clarity and unambiguity; the meanings of its key concepts are as variable as possible, depending on the context, used with the substitution of meaning in general formulations, which do not provide for clarification of non-standard use of the term; there is a substitution of identities, which makes it possible to manipulate the historical facts and memory of the people; such informal logical errors as recourse to force, alternative to fear, false Scotsman, wholesale bargaining, and source poisoning are always used by Russian ideologues in their argumentative practices. In the process of revealing the illogicality and paradoxical nature of these myths, it turns out that the very essence of these myths significantly contributes to the crisis of culture and politics, which speaks of the same ideologues who glorify the messianic role of Russia. This array of ideological myths cannot be called a balanced system of political dogmas but rather a rhizomatic system of manipulation, the fluidity of which provides its ability to evade counter-arguments and identify historical substitutions.

The Subject of Holodomor in the Ukrainian Artistic Space

The Great Famine (Holodomor) is man-made famine that convulsed the Soviet republic of Ukraine in the 1930s. Since 2006, the Holodomor has been recognized as a genocide of the Ukrainian people carried out by the Soviet government. The article aims to highlight specific historical, cultural and social conditions that contributed to the dynamics of the Holodomor theme in music. It focuses especially on the musical compositions of this historical tragedy performed at the Kyiv Music Fest Competition. We can observe the linguistic and musical semantics of the opus of tragic imagery, along with the ethnic motifs of the Ukrainian cultural space, including musical rhetorical figures of the Baroque period, Christian symbolism of suffering and salvation, infernal stylistics.