Concepts Of Ukrainian Identity in The Work of Taras Shevchenko in The Context of The Modern Russian-Ukrainian War

Abstract

Background . The article is devoted to the study of the influence of national motifs in the work of Taras Shevchenko on the formation of Ukrainian national identity in the context of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war. Special attention is paid to the unfading relevance of the Kobzar's poetry in the issues of getting rid of inferiority complexes and "lesser brother" imposed by Russia's chauvinistic policy towards Ukraine. for the formation of a national worldview and national identity of the Ukrainian people.
Methods. The article used cultural-historical, biographical, and hermeneutic methods.
Results. In the Ukrainian cultural environment, the impetus for the development and preservation of Ukrainian national identity has always been, is and will be the work of the brilliant luminary, the builder of the Ukrainian nation Taras Shevchenko, who is the voice of the Ukrainian people beyond time and space. Today, more than ever, the motifs of his poetry sound relevant as rhetorical questions that point to the treachery and treachery of the unprovoked terrible war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine. T. Shevchenko, as the spiritual father of the Ukrainian nation, at one time drew a clear parallel between the destruction by the northern neighbor, who calls himself an "older brother", of the clear delineation of the boundaries of their own national identity in the mental map of Ukrainians and the physical liquidation of the Ukrainian people, which today has already grown into a hot phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Conclusions. The prophetic words of the Kobzar, written 165 years ago, today, more than ever, sound especially relevant. In this historical time of selfless and heroic defense of the Ukrainian people of their freedom and independence, Shevchenko's word for us, the heirs of his nation-building idea, is not only a guide, but also a reliable support.