Nikishenko J. Ornament as a source for studies of the ethnical culture of Ukraine (on the example of the materials of XIX - the beginning of XX century).

This dissertation is devoted to the problems of functions of ornament in the ethnical culture as a communicative mean, to researching of its status and sign properties. Ornament in first time was described as important source for studies of history and culture of ethnos. Here are picked up some separate historical aspects of forming of ornament as a system of signs. Work is analyses the connections of ornament with the symbolism, folklore and written language. As a result ornament is taken as a nonverbal language of a culture. This work is analyses the status of ornament in the ethnical culture through its cultural functions. In this occasion ornament is taken as a part of sign system of the ethnical culture. The signs which ornament includes and combinations of them in ornamental complexes are correspond to the level of development of ideology of concrete society, the system of communications and means of passing of information in synchronic and diachronic levels. The theoretical theses of dissertation are verifies on the embroidery on the shirts from the right Part of the Ukraine and its evolution in XIX - XX centuries. The functions and levels of existing of ornament were picked out, also ornament was analysed as a symbolical structure, which absorbed the signs of ancient sacred symbolical systems and some later motives on different levels of its being. Also investigates the role of ornament in complex of the embodied clothes played in the culture and consciousness of Ukrainians at the end of XIX century - on the beginning of the XX century. The main result of this work is that ornament was taken as independent and faultless source for studies in history of development of ethnical culture in different periods of its being.