Chernyshevych N. Mass folk festival as cultural artistic performance in Ukraine (second half of the 19th century - beginning of the 20th century)

The dissertation is devoted to the research of the mass folk festival as cultural artistic performance of the second part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This time period is characterized by the emergence of new concepts and artistic forms of mass folk festival as cultural artistic performance in Ukraine. The dissertation is the first attempt to provide complex analysis of festival customs as a source of traditional festivities of Ukrainians. The verification and concretization of the festivals classifications and functions is presented in the work. It has been proven that such specific phenomena of cultural life as customs, traditions, norms of civil and family life, friendly communication, conversational formulas and body language, holiday magic, fortune-telling, games and entertainment are closely connected with festivals. Mass folk festival is characterized as a phenomenon of complex activities that optimize peoples' artistic creativity, involves all kinds of folk arts, creates conditions for renewal and constant enrichment of traditional artistic values. It is stated that mass folk festival is based on theatrical performance.