The artistic interpretation of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and the understanding of the Pereiaslav agreement in the works of Mykhailo Starytskyi (based on his prose, dramaturgy, and poetry)

Abstract

The article analyzes Mykhailo Starytskyi's artistic interpretation of the Pereiaslav Agreement of 1654 as a political act in Ukrainian history. The study is based on three of his works: the historical-romantic trilogy "Bohdan Khmelnytskyi", the verse drama "Bohdan Khmelnytskyi", and the ballad "The Epiphany Night". Particular attention is paid to the realization of artistic traditions of European and national literatures, as well as folklore, as reflected in the author's treatment of themes, problems, and imagery in works written on historical material.

The research takes into account the circumstances and constraints - primarily censorship pressure - that forced the author, in the process of artistically interpreting the tactics and strategy of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi in his struggle against Ukraine's enemies in the seventeenth century, to adhere to the viewpoints of imperial historiography regarding the period of the Khmelnytskyi Uprising and its final event, the Pereiaslav Council. It is emphasized that despite these limitations, Starytskyi, as a representative of the nationally conscious Ukrainian intelligentsia and a talented artist, succeeded in convincing readers that there should be no place for skepticism or disillusionment, since Ukrainian history of this period is marked not only by defeats resulting from the betrayal of allies, such as at Berestechko, but also by great victories and achievements. These were the outcome not of situational resistance, but of the national experience of a heroic, long-lasting, and exhausting struggle for freedom over the centuries.

The article also argues for the logical evolution of this theme - previously artistically explored by the author - of the Ukrainian struggle for their rights, and examines the critical interpretation of the consequences of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi's political choice as presented in the ballad "The Epiphany Night".