MYTHOLOGEMES “HERO”, “ENEMY”, “VICTIM” IN THE CONTEXT OF UKRAINIAN-POLISH HISTORY OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY

Oksana  KALISHCHUK

doi:10.24919/2519-058X.26.275200

Authors

Oksana KALISHCHUK PhD hab. (History), Professor at Department of Ukrainie history and Archeology, Lesya Urainka Volyn National University, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1272-7920

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058X.26.275200

Keywords:

Ukraine, Poland, mythologeme, “hero”, “enemy”, “victim”, World War I, World War II, Symon Petliura, Stepan Bandera.

Abstract

The purpose of the study consists in understanding of the mythologemes “hero”, “enemy”, “victim” functioning in the context of the Ukrainian-Polish history of the first half of the 20th century. The principles of objectivity and historicism are the methodological basis. To achieve the goal and objectives there have been used general scientific (analysis, synthesis, analysis) and special historical (historiographical, terminological, textological analyses, comparative and historical) methods. The scientific novelty consists in outlining of formation, content mechanisms of the mythologemes “hero”, “enemy”, “victims” based on the experience of the Ukrainian-Polish history of the first half of the 20th century, determining historians' influence of both countries on these processes. The Conclusion. Based on the results of the research, we can state that the Ukrainian-Polish relations with their centuries-long common history are a vivid example of stereotyped ideas and mythologemes compilation that originated as early as the 10th – 13th centuries, continued to form and influence the Ukrainian and Polish peoples' consciousness in the 19th century, consolidated and replenished in the 20th century. Since World War I, due to the national liberation struggle of both peoples, the experience of existence within the Second Republic, and ending with the events of World War II, the mythologemes “hero”, “enemy” or “victim” acquired a new content. At the same time, the evaluative judgment and classification of historical figures and events depends, first of all, on political views. Politicians, historians, artists of both states supported negative historical myths, which are deeply rooted in the national consciousness, played a significant role in the national historical consciousness formation of the Ukrainians and the Poles. Even today, overcoming the national stereotypes and mythologemes that function in both societies is a difficult task for historians and intellectuals.

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