HUTSULIAN VIEWPOINT OF CREATIVE WORK OF SYDOR VOROBKEVYCH (FICTIONAL PROSE AND DRAMATURGY)

Abstract

Introduction. Sydir Vorobkevych (1836–1903), Ukrainian writer and music-cultural figure, is a native of the city of Chernivtsi. Two years of his life (until 1867) he spent about as a priest among Hutsuls in the village of Ruska Moldavytsia (Southern Bukovina). It favours the acquaintance with his native land, expanded his conception of the world, enriched with new impressions, that were reflected in writer’s artwork. At the very beginning of literary work, he stood on a romantic basis. Hutsulshchyna also appears in the early works of Vorobkevych in romantic reproduction. The first of the poems written about Hutsulshchyna is the diptych «Gutsulka» (1863). In general, a significant amount of poetry texts of Sydor Vorobkevych is devoted to Hutsulshchyna. This region of the Carpathians is poorer represented in artistic prose and dramaturgy. Purpose. The purpose of this article is the examination of examples of fictional prose (story «What people unites» ) and drama (melodrama «Strayed Gnat») by Sydor Vorobkevych in terms of displaying Hutsul realities in them. This will complement the panorama of Hutsul discourse of poetry by Sydor Vorobkevych that we have begun in previous publications. Originality. This article reveals new aspects of creative work of Sydor Vorobkevych. The researcher draws attention to the reflection of Hutsulshchyna in fictional prose and drama of this author. In his sight there are the peculiarities of creation of Hutsul colouring by Sydor Vorobkevych. In particular, the researcher notes that Sydor Vorobkevych successfully selects and uses the details, typical for everyday life, folklore, mentality of Hutsuls. Using the comparative method in literary criticism, the author compares approaches to the reflection of the Hutsul colouring, typical for Sydor Vorobkevych and Yuriy Fedkovych. Results. Sydir Vorobkevych was not Hutsul, that is why he had no reason to devote all his works to this region. He approached to the theme of Hutsulshchyna only when the creative conception required it. In «Hutsul» story «What people unites» (1895), the author shows a controversy over the valley of two wealthy Hutsuls – Fedir Dereduda and Lesya Borsuk. Vorobkevych creates mountain colouring in the story through description of the place of action, emphasizing the peculiarities of the relief, as well as the high standard of prosperity of both owners. The narrative has a melodramatic plot: Les’ daughter Kalyna is in love with Fedir’s son Kuzma; the girl’s father wants to have Yuriy as son-in-law; Yuriy dies trying to kill Kuzma. The fact that the author speaks about Hutsulshchyna, we take on trust. That is the text does not reproduce the colouring of this region. Not comoletely Hutsul, but a piece of «Hutsul life» is also the melodrama of Sydor Vorobkevych «Strayed Gnat « (1875). The writer tells the story of love of the widow’s daughter Kateryna and the abandoned orphan Gnat. In order to finally combine their destinies, the heroes go through difficult trials. Vorobkevych sometimes even exceeds with regionally colored words, which must testify that the action takes place in Hutsulshchyna. He is attentive to the details and specialties of the mountain valleys life; notes the peculiarities of Hutsuls’ temper, for which spending summer with the sheep on the valleys becomes the way and content of being. The author touches both the inner world of Hutsuls and only external signs. He successfully uses popular phraseology, which is based on the use of clothing elements. Author lists traditional occupation of men of Hutsul region: timber rafting, hunting, burning of charcoal. In the play the bright theme of social iniquity concerning the distribution of mountain wealth sounds. Sydir Vorobkevych, creative work of which developed in the sphere of romanticism, had not passed over Hutsul legends, beliefs, demonology. Conclusion. Sydir Vorobkevych in his works about Hutsulshchyna uses regionally-colored vocabulary, ethnographic elements as well as the elements of Hutsul folklore and demonology. All this gives him the opportunity in a truthful manner to reproduce a certain colouring, to emphasize in what exactly region of the Carpathians the act of one or another work is being performed. At the same time, it is noticeable that in contrast to Yuriy Fedkovych, who organically learned the colouring of Hutsulshchyna, Sydir Vorobkevych nevertheless made stylization, but executed with sense of taste and high level of creative skill. The writer provided the prose with the necessary colouring, consistently introducing the appropriate lexical material and symbols in it, whereas Yuriy Fedkovych thought as a Hutsul.