Populism in Lesya Ukrainka’s Literary-Critical Heritage
Populism in Lesya Ukrainka’s Literary-Critical Heritage

Summary/Abstract: The article raises the issue of populism in Lesya Ukrainka’s literary-critical heritage and the formation of neo-romanticism as a new ideological and aesthetic phenomenon. The specific focus is on Lesya Ukrainka’s articles, in which the modernist populist opposition is vividly presented. The basic principles of populism, which are examined by the writer on the basis of Ukrainian, Polish and German literatures, are analyzed. The term “populism” is understood as a set of ideological, aesthetic and stylistic features of the XIX century literature which to a great extent influenced realism and positivism. According to Lesya Ukrainka, both realism and positivism felt a considerable impact of populist school. Lesya Ukrainka used the term “populism” quite actively, implying a whole set of ideological, aesthetic and stylistic flaws in the XIX century literature alongside its thematic limitations. She was also interested in Herder’s idea of the Slavs’ honorable mission of implementing humanity in history, which had not been realized by the Romans and Germans.

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