Contemporary Ukrainian Retro-Detective as a Means of Forming Historical Identity

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to determine how modern Ukrainian literary works in the retro-detective genre can influence the formation of historical national identity. The research methodology. The authors used historical and comparative methods, the cultural-hermeneutic approach that allows for cultural generalisations of the literary material. The scientific novelty of the work lies in analysing key periods and problems, the description of which appears in modern Ukrainian retro-detectives in the context of the formation of historical identity. Conclusions. Retro-detective is one of the genres most suitable for unobtrusively forming the reader’s historical identity by creating an emotionally expressive and historically adequate picture of Ukraine’s past. In addition to the actual criminal plot, the novels of this genre to one degree or another contain depictions of real events and individuals. The general atmosphere, problems, and contradictions of a certain period are depicted, and sometimes deeply analysed, and parallels with the present day may be drawn. Often, the authors focus on the history of a particular city or area. A promising topic is the depiction of the political life of Ukrainian diaspora and political organisations in exile. The coverage of the fates of prominent historical figures, including those insufficiently or one-sidedly characterised in historical works, can have great educational and educational significance. Given the demand for the genre, we can expect an expansion of the chronological, geographical, and plot framework of retro-detectives. Since the genre is at the peak of its heyday, this process deserves further study.