THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND ART IN THE NATION’S HISTORYHENESIS (on the material of literary-critical works of Ulas Samchuk)

Abstract

The article focuses on the little-known literary criticism works of UlasSamchuk. In this text is analyzed the author‘s reflections about culture and artand their influence on the nation formation processes. Ulas Samchuk considersthat literature is the essential principle of the nation spiritual foundation.We pay much attention to the author‘s aesthetic aspects, because on hismind culture, art and verbal communication should play the main transformingrole in a society. And Ulas Samchuk has his own historical and philosophicconception and particular literary view.The professional thoughts of Ulas Samchuk can be called as NationalConservatism. The main aspects of this idea have grown on harmonic andnatural understanding and feeling of Ukraine. He reached more to the literarygroup like traditionalism and he was a traditionalist in his own. The authorconsciously didn‘t accept another literary trend such as artistic avant-garde.The writer asserted that the artistic avant-garde connected with theneoteric utopian ideas in the ideal modern society. In his opinion politicalEurope in the middle of the XX century with its representatives oftotalitarianism formally didn‘t admit modern trends of life and art. However ithad the same nature as the Picasso‘s art and Marinetti‘s literary features. Ulas Samchuk made the main conclusion about mutual relations betweenHistory and Culture. He insisted on the fact that culture plays one of the mostimportant role in the state building process. Almost in his literary creationsespecially in the pre-war works is noticed the culture influence on the holenational character and political consciousness of the nation.The writer puts forward the idea about the special purpose of the artist inthe society. He proves that the artist is a ―preacher‖ in society who stands at thevery beginning of social changes. In his literary-critical works Ulas Samchukhas created his own philosophy of art and culture. The main peculiarity of thisphilosophy says about the artist‘s understanding of the outward and thecognition of the individuality of the Ukrainian nation. The important thing inthis process is the analysis of mental, historical and creative roots of theUkrainians.The aesthetics of the Ukrainian literature which was created by UlasSamchuk based on the modern European culture. The author‘s philosophycovers the present time and the future and his literary thoughts give the impulseto the society and public thinking development which can lead to the effectivesocial changes.