Taras Shevchenko in Confrontation with Great-Power Chauvinism of The Literary Kin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/2410-4094.2026.1(29).2/285-315Keywords:
great-power chauvinism, Slavophilia, literature, rationality, language, Christianity, textAbstract
Background. The article explains that the relevance of the topic lies in the
need for a deeper understanding of the factors that led to the current most
aggressive manifestation of Russian great-power chauvinism towards Ukraine and
the West, the emergence of the ugly phenomenon of ruscism.
Methods: Textological and lexical analysis of Shevchenko's works, especially the introduction to the poem "Haydamaki", in comparison with the texts of famous Russian writers and publicists.
Results. The author applies mainly textual and lexical analysis of the work with the involvemeThe long-established negative attitude of some Russian critics to the new Ukrainian literature, and especially Shevchenko's works, is significantly specified in the article by interpreting the polemical content of Shevchenko's introduction to the poem "Haydamaky" and by providing information about M. Popov, who, as a favorite gymnasium teacher of the famous critic V. Belinsky, could contribute to the formation of the latter's chauvinistic worldview. Shevchenko's attitude to the segment of Russian literature associated with Slavophilia is detailed. The article describes the problem of great power chauvinism in Russian literature of different periods of its existence. In the context of the topic and the issue of self-identification, Shevchenko's work "Osee. Chapter XIV. Imitation" is presented.
Conclusions. The example of Shevchenko's confrontation allows us to speak more confidently about the existence of a literary form of chauvinism, which is now being transformed into an informational one. Shevchenko's experience allows the world community to understand this threat better.
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