The thesis is the first attempt of systematic study of B. Yakubskyi’s life and heritage as the Ukrainian literary scholar of the 1920s–1930s, unfairly forgotten. His literary-critical and scientific activity in the context of the era is researched. Having worked out numerous archives and manuscripts in the scientific circle scientific achievements have been returned, among which the materials related to Lesya Ukrainka are isolated and analysed. They are introduced in a broad context, with contemporary works about the writer, focused on the B. Yakubskyi’s merits in this area, because the scientist laid the foundations for systematic, scientific, even academic study of the Lesya Ukrainka’s life and work.
B. Yakubskyi’s contribution to the development of the history of Ukrainian literature is remarkable.. The scientist entered the history of Ukrainian literary criticism primarily as a researcher of verse, he was interested in the theory and methodology of literature, new literary methods, went from formalism to Marxism, which was reflected in his writings «Science of verse», «Sociological method in literature» (poetics). Exploring T. Shevchenko’s work, he focused on the least studied area of T. Shevchenko studies – poetics, for the first time among the Ukrainian verses widely used the statistical method of analysis of poet’s versification, analyzed in detail metrics and rhythms. The works of Lesya Ukrainka, T. Shevchenko, O. Kobylianska, Panas Mirnyi, an anthology of Russian poetry in Ukrainian translations and others were published in order of B. Yakubskyi. However, most of the scientist’s legacy is devoted to the study and publication of Lesya Ukrainka’s works.
For the first time B. Yakubskyi thoroughly explored Lesya Ukrainka’s artistic method and artistic quest for prose. He was the first to analyze the prose of the writer in the context of the scientific understanding of all her work.
Analyzing the prose works of the writer, B. Yakubskyi approached the question of determining her literary style. In general, he praised her prose, found genre features, style, publication history, highlighted the stages in the evolution of fiction Lesya Ukrainka, focused on the psychological impulses of creativity. He pointed out that it’s for the first time in Ukrainian dramaturgy exactly in Lesya Ukrainka’s work its intellectual, neo-romantic drama was reached, in which attention from everyday circumstances is transferred to the psychology of characters, rather complicated and sophisticated, intelligent experiences. The scientist summarized that Lesya Ukrainka’s dramatic work is a synthesis of world and national, historical and cultural-artistic experience, traditions of national dramaturgy, philosophical searches in the European art of the late 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries, theory and practice of the new European drama.
Having carefully studied the literary and critical heritage of Lesya Ukrainka, B. Yakubskyi emphasized her erudition and extraordinary literary and critical talent, which was not inferior to poetic skill. He highlighted the main issues that make it possible to interpret her literary views.
In general, having the object of studying a particular work from Lesya Ukrainka’s heritage, B. Yakubskyi always views it in the context of not only the era, history, biography of the writer, but also as an integral part of Lesya Ukrainka’s holistic creative process. Therefore, in his studies, the scientist often draws parallels between lyrics, prose and dramaturgy.
Following M. Zerov, B. Yakubskyi drew attention to the dramatic prose of the writer. He observed that her early prose works are characterized by features of artistic innovation, which are more fully revealed in dramaturgy. One of the chapters of the thesis is devoted to the B. Yakubskyi’s publishing activity, in particular, his work on Lesya Ukrainka’s 12-volume collection (1927–1930) of works is elucidated in details. The textual criticism peculiarities of editions (the principles of their ordering, the textual criticism solutions, etc.) are analysed. His contribution to the research of writer’s autographs is determined.
