Wanderings with a peaceful soul under the native sky": The image of Ukraine in Russian travelogues of the early 19th century (V.V. Izmaylov, P.I. Shalikov, A.I. Levshin)

The article is devoted to the cultural, historical and artistic dominants in the Russian reception of Ukraine in the early 19th century. The authors analyze travelogues by V.V. Iz-mayov (A Journey To The Midday Russia, 1800-1802), P.I. Shalikov (A Journey to Little Russia, 1803) and A.I. Levshin (Letters From Little Russia, 1816). These travelogues belonged to the tradition of sentimentalism with its cult of nature and feelings. However, the genre guidelines of the writers were significantly different. The final version of Journey To The Midday Russia by V.V. Izmaylov and Letters From Little Russia by A.I. Levshin belonged to the Enlightenment version of the sentimental journey and included several aspects: a description of the current state of Ukraine, its people and customs, an insight into the history, and reflections on the things observed and heard. The two Journeys by P.I. Shalikov were perfect models of the travel of experiences and impressions. The 'ethnographic' component of the travelogues described the image of the 'singing and dancing' people. Imperial travelers substituted ethnography for 'naturalness': they wanted to show Ukrainians as a simpler and more natural variant of Russians. The idea was formed in the background of the landscape that was seen as aesthetically beautiful, loyal to people. Contemplating it, the narrator experienced tenderness and adoration. The sublime image of Ukraine was promoted through the specificity of the narrative with alternating descriptive and lyrical elements, including poetry. Another source of idealization was a set of stable plots and images of the sentimental journey. Particularly precious for travelers were cultural sites and places associated with historical events of Ukrainian ancient or imperial past. Among the most important were the loci described in full details in the ancient chronicles, geographical locations associated with major historical events of the imperial period (primarily Poltava), and the centers where Christian shrines were accumulated (St. Sophia Cathedral, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Cathedral of the Assumption, and the like). All these determined three themes of the narrative respectively: ancient history - the centre of imperial glory - objects of religious pilgrimage. The image of the Kievan Rus was very close to the historical and mythological image of heroic stories, ballads and poems of the turn of the 19th century. Kiev and Vladimir Svya-toslavich were in the focus of historical reminiscences, unfolding on the background of wars with the nomads and foundation of cities and temples. In terms of the content, they fit the concept of the inevitable passage of time that eliminates countries and peoples, yet cannot cancel the gradual improvement of human life and progress that for Ukraine meant returning to the bosom of the Russian Empire. In historical terms, it implied reducing the 'dark times' of Lithuanian and Polish rule that made Ukraine turn its back on the civilization and laying emphasis on the good role of Russia after the reunification. It is natural that Little Russian travelogues focus more on the imperial history, paying little attention to the 13th-16th centuries. The Russian influence was predominant in the imperial history of the region, too. Of local politicians the travelogues mentioned only Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Ivan Mazepa. On the peak of the imperial context were the acts of Russian emperors. Even P.I. Shalikov devoted the only historic episode of his journey to Poltava. The Poltava field starts the travelogue by A.I. Levshin and ends the description of Little Russia in the work by V.V. Izmaylov.

Keywords

Authors

References