Brizhitska S. The national self-affirmation of Taras Shevchenko and his influence on the formation of the national identity of the Ukrainians (the second quarter of the ХІХ century - the middle of the 20-s of the ХХ century)

Dissertation is first complex research of the process the national self-affirmation of Taras Shevchenko and his the influence on the formation of the national identity of the Ukrainians. On the vast basis of sources the components of the national self- affirmation of Shevchenko are determined. It was proved the existence of Т.Shevchenko's influence on the formation of the national identity of his contemporaries through their letters to him. It was established that the Books of the impressions of the visitors of Shevchenko's grave (1896-1926) are the sources by which the realization of the national identity of the Ukrainians was observed. It was established ideological new formations of the Soviet period relatively to the interpretation of the creative legacy of Shevchenko in the process of identification of his image from national to bolshevist (Soviet) one.It was determined the importance and social function of the image of the poet for the Ukrainians.