THE PHENOMENON OF ‘MALOROSIYSTVO’ IN THE ULAS SAMSHUK INTERPRETATION (Based on the material of the trilogy «Ost»)

Abstract

Malorosiystvo is a social and political, spiritual, ethnic and psychological phenomenon. The long colonial status of the Ukrainian nation, the humiliation of culture and language, the avoiding from anything national, and kowtowing to the imperial are its main features. “Maloros” feels its inferiority, avoids communication in the native language, shows the identity by dressing in national clothes on holidays. Especially detrimental effect of Malorosiystvo is on the creativity of a person.
In the article, the author analyzed the views of Ulas Samchuk on the phenomenon of Malorosiystvo. The author examined the artistic interpretation of this destructive phenomenon in the trilogy «Ost», individual thoughts of the writer in the publicistics and documentary.
In the trilogy «Ost», U. Samchuk considered Malorosiystvo as a problem of Ukrainian national character, which was formed under the destructive influence of Bolsheviks ideology. At an artistic level, a prose writer explored the spiritual emasculation of Ukrainian creative intellectuals. U. Samchuk analysed the problem of the artist captivity in the Soviet empire. Unification of the creative process, complete control over it, dictates in the choice of themes, plots, characters, arrangement of «correct» ideological accents – all these elements made the creative person completely dependent of the prevailing doctrine. Gradually, the Ukrainian intellectual was either reborn as a representative of collaborative culture, or turned into a spiritual and physical ruin.
The author of the trilogy saw the path to national revival in the awakening of the psychological and spiritual forces of every Ukrainian. Such a national aspiration grows out of a deep awareness of their national otherness and belief in their own fullness. The efforts of some individuals lead the nation to consolidation of internal forces, awaken the will and direct actions. U. Samchuk solved the problem of overcoming the disintegration of the Ukrainian soul in fiction by creating of positive characters.
Key words: Ulas Samchuk, writers-visnykivci, malorosijstvo, The Soviet Empire, national mimicry, Ukrainian language.