M. Lysenko and O. Rusov: ascetic activity in the process of national and cultural revival of Ukraine in the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the specifics of interpersonal communication between Mykola Lysenko and Oleksandr Rusov, to study the directions of the diverse activities of artists, to trace their mutual influence and to determine the role of figures in the Ukrainian national cultural process of the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries. The research methodology is based on a combination of complementary methods: interdisciplinary, which is an integrating factor for a holistic understanding of the material; systemic – to clarify key categorical concepts, as well as historical, cultural, and source studies. Scientific novelty. A new look at the personality of M. Lysenko was carried out through the prism of interpersonal communication with O. Rusov; a common ideological platform and features of collaboration between artists have been identified; their diverse cultural activities are revealed; mutual influence and role in the development and preservation of Ukrainian culture are determined. Conclusions. Exploring the interpersonal communication of M. Lysenko and O. Rusov, the diverse cultural and educational activities of artists are revealed, the bright pages of Ukrainian history are illuminated, and the main foundations of the process of national-cultural revival of Ukraine in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries are determined. M. Lysenko and O. Rusov, as active public figures, played a significant role not only in the popularisation and development, but also in the preservation of Ukrainian culture. This was realised in such areas of their ascetic activity as folklore, philology, publishing, and theatre. The joint ideological platform of the artists was the populist concept, which determined the vectors of their cooperation in the national cultural process.