Ukrainian modus of Slavophilism

Abstract

The article provides a historiographic review of a Ukrainian modus of Slavophilism as a historiosophic phenomenon, and Slavophilism is covered as a social and literature movement of Ukrainian intellectual elite, which originated approximately in the mid-19th century. Moderate activity of Slavophilists initially did not bother officials. But establishment of the “Basis” Ukrainian almanac (1861-1862) in Petersburg and scientific theoretical and publicistic activity of M. Kostomarov induced a negative reaction of the government and supporters of the “single Russian nation”. In the polemics concerning his article “Two Russian nations”, where the issue of commonness and dissimilarities between the Great Russians and South Russians was raised, and the right of the latter for education in native language was justified, the scientist was blamed in the Ukrainophilism and separatism. M. Kostomarov defined the hierarchy of national identity of Ukrainians as Slavonic, Great Russian, South Russian and Little Russian. Through the power of his scientific publicistic talent he influenced the society by inducing a desire to join the process of the nation creation in the intellectual elite.

Keywords

• Slavophilism, Ukrainophilism, Slavicity, assimilation, Great Russians, Little Russians, dialect, lingual policy, Ukrainian language, Kostomarov.