A Symphony of Literary Creativity by Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko in The Context of The Challenges of The Current Russian-Ukrainian War

Abstract

This article is devoted to an analysis of the synergy and continuity in the works
of Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko. The main focus is on the study of the spiritual and Ukraine-centred ideas of Hryhorii Skovoroda and Taras Shevchenko and their influence on the formation of Ukrainian national identity in the context of the current Russian-Ukrainian war.
The article employs cultural-historical, comparative and hermeneutic methods.
One of the guarantees of the resilience and indomitability of the Ukrainian people in the existential Russian-Ukrainian war for the right of Ukrainians to exist is Ukrainian classical literature, which, in the context of wartime trauma, has acquired the significance of a humanitarian weapon against enemies in matters of the formation and development of Ukrainian national identity. The article highlights the symphonic, consistent unity of the works of Hryhorii Skovoroda and the poet prophet Taras Shevchenko, who assimilated and transformed the humanistic theories of the Ukrainian Baroque philosopher into more radical programmes of action. Hryhorii Skovoroda's life-affirming reflections, having undergone an authorial transformation in the Kobzar's poetry, evolved into nation-building ideas and became a guiding light in the struggle for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.