The "Alphabet Wars" of 1830-1850s in Galicia in Contemporary Scientific Discourse

The article focuses on the “Alphabet wars” of 1833-1837 and 1858-1859 in Galicia from the perspective of the contemporary scientific discourse of the late 1980s - early 21st centuries. The scientific reflections of the problem under study are enriched by the use of various methodologies, including the biographical approach to the national cultural movement in Galicia in the 19th century and a discursive analysis of the language problem in its structural and functional as well as broad social contexts. The analysis of a multidimensional scientific discourse is based on a model that projects its study on three levels: specific research (works in which the problem is viewed directly or as a fragment of broad linguistic social processes), interdisciplinary level (works on linguistics and history are closely intertwined), and national historiographies (Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Austrian, German, and Canadian). The general tendencies and peculiarities of studying the “Cyrillic or Latin” dilemma in the Galician national and cultural movement of the 19th century are outlined by linguists and historians of different countries. Thus, the “Alphabet wars” in Galicia of the 19th century became the subject of a broad discussion among researchers from different countries. The analysis has shown that Ukrainian and Russian historians study this problem mainly in the context of their branch of knowledge and evaluate its position of national centrism. In contrast, linguists approach this phenomenon on the interdisciplinary level, from the standpoint of pluralism and increasing emphasis on the alphabet and language remaining the main symbol of the Rusin national identity in the context of the borderline position of Galicia and the competition of different religious and cultural discourses. This paradigm has been adopted by Polish, Austrian, German and Canadian reseachers. In general, the role and importance of Cyrillic and Latin in the national and cultural development of the Galician Rusins is being redefined: they cease to be perceived as the opposition of the Ukrainian and Polish national projects, to be considered as factors naturally woven into the Ukrainian ethno-cultural tradition.

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