DOI: https://doi.org/10.37222/2524-0315-2021-13(29)-4
Vasyl Gabor, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Department of Ukrainian Periodicals Studies, Institute of Press Studies, Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv
Vasyl Stefanyk’s Path in Ukrainian Literature (60th anniversary of the writer in the Western Ukrainian press)
Abstract:
The article analyzes a wide range of reports in the Western Ukrainian press of 1931 focusing on the life and artistic legacy of the famous Ukrainian writer Vasyl Stefanyk during the celebration of his 60th anniversary. We aim to study the responce of leading periodicals to the anniversary of the writer, genre features and themes of publications, the prevalence of certain opinions among the back-then critics and the resulting repercussions among readers.
It was found that the leading Galicia journals, such as “Dilo”, “Literaturno-Naukovyi Vistnyk”, “Hromadskyi Holos”, “Novyi Chas”, “Novi Shlia¬khy”, “Nova Zoria”, “Hospodarsko-Kooperatyvnyi Chasopys” etc. dedicated separate issues to V. Stefanyk’s jubilee, published independent supplements and a one-day newspaper “The Path: For Vasyl Stefanyk on the 60th Anni¬versary of His Life Journey” (Lviv, 1931).
In many publications, the authors, in particular, Bohdan Lepky, Katria Hry-nevycheva, Olha Kobylianska and Volodymyr Doroshenko, vividly portrayed the image of V. Stefanyk as a person and a creative personality.
It was establishedthat during the celebration of the 60th anniversary of V. Stefanyk various camps were extensively advertising him: the Communists were furious that the 60-year-old writer “does not have such a flexible neck as some young people do”, others kept depicting him as “a poet of bound¬less sorrow”, still others tried to label him as the “peasant poet” and so on. D. Dontsov was primarily interested in “Stefanyk’s man” and “Stefanyk’s universe”, i. e. the earth, and Vaclav Morachevsky, referring to V. Stefanyk as a “poet of the village”, emphasized that his legacy is devoid of any trends or programs. From a class standpoint, the famous author’s works were analyzed by Antin Krushelnytsky, who rightly emphasized his pioneering achievements in Ukrainian literature.
The authors of the publications, in particular Luka Lutsiv, also argued that Stefanyk was so original that it was difficult for critics to place him in any existing group or trend or style.
The keynote of many publications about V. Stefanyk during the celebration of his 60th anniversary was primarily the image of the path (literary and socio-political) chosen and followed by the writer throughout his life.
Among the enthusiastic publications about V. Stefanyk during the celeb¬ration of his 60th anniversary in the Western Ukrainian press, we found se¬veral intensely critical articles about the writer. Against the background of the almost unanimous positive perception of V. Stefanyk, the fierce criticism by O. Nazaruk and M. Pasika, paradoxical as it may seem, made it possible for readers to gain a deeper understanding of V. Stefanyk as a human being, with his virtues and shortcomings, without diminishing his greatness though.
Based on the analyzed material, it was concluded that the Western Uk¬rainian press celebrated the 60th anniversary of Vasyl Stefanyk in 1931 on a massive scale, deeply and critically analyzed his artistic legacy and way of life, thereby portraying the true image of the writer and man.
Keywords: Vasyl Stefanyk, “Path”, 60th anniversary, Western Ukrai¬nian press, criticism.
References:
1. A. Ch. [Nazaruk, O.]. (1936, 95, December 10). Posmertna zghadka [Posthu-mous mention]. Nova Zoria. Lviv, p. 8. [in Ukr.].
2. A. Ch. [Nazaruk, O.]. (1931, 43, June 14). Stefanyk i Uspenskyi [Stefanyk and Uspensky]. Nova Zoria. Lviv, pp. 6–7. [in Ukr.].
3. Akademiia v yuvylei 60-littia urodyn Vasylia Stefanyka [Academy on the 60th anniversary of Vasyl Stefanyk’s birthday], (1931, 57, May 27). Novyi Chas. Lviv, p. 6. [in Ukr.].
4. Bilozerskyi, O. P. (1931). [“Vybrav sobi Vasyl Stefanyk svoiu dorohu sam…”] [“Vasyl Stefanyk chose his own path…”]. Doroha: Vasylevi Ste¬fanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, p. 2. [in Ukr.].
5. Blazhkevych, I. (1931). Maty v tvorakh Stefanyka [Mother in the works of Stefanyk]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, pp. 15–16. [in Ukr.].
6. Bodnarovych, O. (1931, 53, May 18). Literaturna premiia dlia Vasylia Ste-fanyka [Literary Prize for Vasyl Stefanyk]. Novyi Chas. Lviv, p. 7. Tema¬tychna storinka: Literatura i Mystetstvo. [in Ukr.].
7. Hranychka, L. [Lutsiv, L.]. (1931). Yoho slovo (Dumky pro Stefanykiv styl) [His word (Thoughts on Stefanik’s style)]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia.Lviv, pp. 13–15. [in Ukr.].
8. Hrynevycheva, K. (1931, 113, May 24). V zaranni [In the early]. Dilo. Lviv, p. 2. [in Ukr.].
9. D. D. [Dontsov, D.]. (1931, V, May 18). Mai 1871 – mai 1931 (V. Stefanyk) [May 1871 – May 1931 (V. Stefanyk)]. Literaturno-Naukovyi Vistnyk. Lviv, CVI, pp. 465–467. Pidp.: [in Ukr.].
10. Doroshenko, V. (1931). Yak tvoryt Vasyl Stefanyk [How does Vasily Ste-fanyk]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, p. 17. [in Ukr.].
11. Zhyvotko, A. (1931). Shliakhom do zavtra (V. Stefanykovi) [On the way to tomorrow (V. Stefanykov)]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, pp. 5–6. [in Ukr.].
12. Zhuk, A. (1931). Z videnskykh zghadok pro Vasylia Stefanyka [From the Viennese mentions of Vasyl Stefanyk]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, p. 7. [in Ukr.].
13. Kobylianska, O. (1931). Spomyn. [Memories]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefa¬nykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, p. 6. [in Ukr.].
14. Krushelnytskyi, A. (1931, 6, June 14). “Bo pany Tebe ne pryimut…” (Za¬mist pryvitu na shistdesiatylittia — V. Stefanykovi) [“Because the ladies will not accept you…” (Instead of greetings for the sixtieth anniversary — V. Stefanyk)]. Novi Shliakhy. Lviv, pp. 273–280. [in Ukr.].
15. Lepkyi, B. (1931, 114, May 26). Lyst do Stefanyka [Letter to Stefanyk]. Dilo, Lviv, pp. 3–4. Rubryka: Feilieton “Dila” z dnia 26 travnia 1931. [in Ukr.].
16. M. P. [Pasika, M.]. (1931, 41, June 7). Vasyl Stefanyk. U 60-littia yoho urodyn [Vasil Stefanik. In the 60th anniversary of his birth]. Nova Zoria. Lviv, pp. 6–7. [in Ukr.].
17. Makukh, I. (1931). Hromadianyn [Citizen]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, pp. 6–7. [in Ukr.].
18. Malytska, K. (1931). “Dusha liudyny, mov ta rozha Yerykhonu…” [“The human soul, like the rose of Jericho…”]. Doroha: Vasylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, p. 16. [in Ukr.].
19. Na literaturnu premiiu dlia V. Stefanyka [For the literary prize for V. Ste-fanyk]. (1931, 129, June 13). Dilo. Lviv, p. 3. [in Ukr.].
20. Nevestiuk, F. (1931, 20/21, May 17). “Shche khlopchykom malym u bilii sorochyni…” [“As a little boy in a white shirt…”]. Hospodarsko-Koope¬ratyvnyi Chasopys. Lviv, p. 1. [in Ukr.].
21. Nyhrytskyi, L. [Luzhnytskyi, H.]. (1931, April). Syn Zemli [Son of the Earth]. Sviatochnyi dodatok “Novoho Chasu”. Dodatok do 39-ho chysla “Novoho Chasu”. Lviv, p. IX. [in Ukr.].
22. Polskyi diiach [D-r Vatslav Morachevskyi] pro Vasylia Stefanyka [Polish figure [Dr. Vaclav Morachevsky] about Vasyl Stefanyk]. (1931, 118, May 30). Dilo. Lviv, pp. 2–3. [in Ukr.].
23. Pro Vasylia Stefanyka — v yoho 60-littia [About Vasyl Stefanyk — in his 60th birthday]. (1931, 6, June). Kooperatyvna Respublyka. Lviv, pp. 1–2. [in Ukr.].
24. Sviatochna Akademiia dlia vshanuvannia Vasylia Stefanyka [Festive Aca-demy in honor of Vasyl Stefanyk], (1931, 115, May 27). Dilo. Lviv, p. 3. [in Ukr.].
25. Tvory V. Stefanyka v odnim tomi. Zaproshennia do peredplaty [Works by V. Stefanyk in one volume. Subscription invitation], (1931, 278, Decem¬ber 11). Dilo. Lviv, p. 3. [in Ukr.].
26. Chornobryvyi, Ya. (1931). Vasyl Stefanyk [Vasyl Stefanyk]. Doroha: Va-sylevi Stefanykovi u 60-littia Yoho dorohy zhyttia. Lviv, p. 1. [in Ukr.].
27. 60-littia Vasylia Stefanyka [60th anniversary of Vasyl Stefanyk], (1931, 18, May 16). Hromadskyi Holos. Lviv, p. 3. [in Ukr.].
28. 60-littia Vasylia Stefanyka. [60th anniversary of Vasyl Stefanyk], (1931, 105, May 14). Dilo. Lviv, p. 1. [in Ukr.].