Demchenko S. Parable an ancient Ukrainian literature: evolution of the genre

The dissertation is the first trying to systematize all information we know about the genre of parable in Ukrainian literature from ancient times till 19th century. The research works out definitions, suggests a detailed analysis of the parables' texts and parables' devices (proverbs, sayings, aphorisms etc) in the works of Kiril Turovskiy, St.Prist Illarion, Danila Zatochnik, Vasilij Suraskij, Klirik Ostrozkij, Ivan Vishenskij, A.Radivilovskij, I.Maaksimovich, G.Koniskij, S.Velichkao, S.Polotskij, G.Skovoroda and in some anonymous works ("About pseudo-teachers'', "The parable about female malice'', "The parable about the Knight and the Death'', "The malorosijskiy variant'', in ''Fatiy'' and in others). Evolutionary peculiarities of the early Ukrainian literary parable of the given period were discovered (at the form and content level, functions). Among the most important principles of the early Ukrainian literature the following principles were distinguished. From ancient times till 16th century the practice of overworking the borrowed plots dominated. The first examples of the literary works of this genre appeared in 17th -18th centuries. In 10th -14th centuries the content of the parables was marked by obvious Christian moralizing. In 16th -18th centuries social and philosophical problems began to appear. The best examples of parables and parabolas can be found in works of G.Skovoroda.