'Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine'
Abstract
The paper deals with the approaches of Ukrainian playwrights to the defining values that underlie the Ukrainian national mentality: freedom, dignity, truth, honor, and faith.
Russian imperial authorities did not recognize the Ukrainians as a separate nation in the 19th century, and struggled against “separatism”, in particular by forbidding the production of plays in Ukrainian, the book printing, and even the importation of such books from abroad. Nevertheless the Ukrainian authors ignored those prohibitions and instructions/demands to show only peasants and their lives on the stage, and wrote works abundant in love for their native Ukraine and national self-respect, attention to the history of Ukrainians and their struggle for freedom and dignity. These works contributed to preserving the historical memory of the people and offered the specific Ukrainian perception of the world. The artists used every opportunity to play performances, which created positive heroic images of Cossacks-patriots, artistically interpreted complex problems in tragic historical situations.
Developing the traditions initiated by Taras Shevchenko, the authors contemplated the moral and political principles realized in the activities of the characters associated with Ukrainian history. (Some of them, such as Ivan Mazepa, Dmytro Vyshnevetskyi, are real historical figures; Gandzia and Sava Chalyi are semi-legendary persons; Tetiana Bondarivna is a heroine of the folk song.) These principles form the ideological and thematic essence of the two tragedies with the same title “Sava Chalyi” by M. Kostomarov and I. Tobilevych (I. Karpenko-Karyi), “Pereyaslav Night” by M. Kostomarov, “Bayda, Prince Vyshnevetskyi” by P. Kulish, and are also important in such works by I. Tobilevych as “Bondarivna”, “Gandzia”, “Mazepa”.
A detailed analysis of the tragedies “Sava Chalyi” by M. Kostomarov and I. Tobilevych reveals that the romantic work of the former writer shows the character as a victim of circumstances and intrigues. In the realistic work of the latter playwright, it has been proved by artistic means that reaching a compromise in relations with an insidious conqueror is impossible, since such attempts lead an honest, trusting person to treason, and hence to dishonor.У статті простежується утвердження у творах українських драматургів (написаних після відомого Емського царського указу 1876 р.) високих козацько-лицарських ідеалів свободи, гідності, правди, честі. Наголошується на головній особливості художніх образів українського козака-лицаря – спрямованості на захист свого поневоленого народу й України від численних загарбників
