Mykhailo Hrushevsky's "history of ukrainian literature" in assessments of his contemporaries

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to reconstruct the process of understanding of M. Hrushevsky's historical and literary heritage in the scientific thought of his time. The methodological basis for the work is an interdisciplinary approach. The biographical method plays an important role, which involves the study of historical phenomena and processes through the prism of life and creative heritage of certain outstanding representatives of the era. In addition, the study implements methods of philosophical, general scientific and specific historical character. Particular emphasis is put on the structural and functional system analysis of historiographical facts, the comparative-historical method and the method of critical analysis of documentary material, based on the principles of objectivity and historicism. The study also used methods of periodization, classification and typology. The scientific novelty of the article is to comprehensively analyse the historiographical reception of «The History of Ukrainian Literature» during the 1920 – 1930's. Conclusions. The lively discussion of «History of Ukrainian Literature» during the 20–30s demonstrated that this work has become an important phenomenon of Ukrainian humanism during the times of national revival. Alongside with the «History of Ukraine-Rus», it was recognized as the greatest creative achievement of M. Hrushevsky and the evidence of a powerful upsurge of national science. The criticisms and suggestions of a methodological nature expressed during the critical discussion contributed to the modernization of Ukrainian literary criticism and its emergence on new conceptual and thematic horizons. Polemic observations around the ideas expressed in the «History of Ukrainian Literature» during the interwar period, laid the traditions of the historical and literary Hrushevsky studies, and not during the post-war years only. As a source for further interpretations of the literary heritage of M. Hrushevsky, they are recognized by the researchers of our time.