A dissertation for obtaining a scientific degree of doctor in Fine Arts Sciences for the specialty 26.00.01 — Theory and History of Culture. Modern Art Research Institute, National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2021.
The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of Borys Lyatoshynsky in the process of interaction of cultures. Biographical and sociocultural components synthesize and gradually represent the role of the artist in the Ukrainian–Polish cross-cultural communications during the pre-war and post-war periods. The significance of Liatoshynsky as a cultural figure in intercultural communications has been studied for the first time. On the basis of the first presented or revised archival materials, previously unknown life facts are outlined, which confirm the decisive role of the artist in the promotion of Ukrainian art in the European cultural space. The introduction into the scientific circulation of the corpus of new facts that determine mature and late stages of Liatoshynsky’s artistic and social life enriches knowledge about the cultural context of the postwar era and generally clarifies the directions of development of cultural history of Ukraine in the 20th century. The study raises the issue of communicative modes of socio-cultural and artistic space. The interdependence of perception of creativity and its inclusion in the text of culture actualizes the hidden existential narrative of Liatoshynsky as a true European in a cultural sense. Through his own modern artistic and expressive system of the European model, Liatoshynsky built bridges for communication that for the first time in the history of Soviet Ukraine enabled the Ukrainian artistic component to be represented and later included into the socio-cultural space of another European state. Also, for the first time, these utterly important processes were initiated not by the imperial center, but by a cultural figure from the regional center.
The complex study of the body of sources that provides information about Liatoshynsky’s artistic and social activities enabled to outline the imagology of this famed composer and cultural figure, as well as his input in the formation of the mental image of Ukrainian culture of the 20th century. With the understanding the cross-cultural actions of the artist, his Polish roots, it becomes easier to grasp the essence of his involvement into the Slavic chapter of European culture. At the same time, a number of contradictions in his attitude to Ukrainian issues are highlighted. While in his composing practices Liatoshynsky, especially during the Second World War, gravitated towards the Ukrainian motifs, his overall identification with the space of Ukrainian culture was formed by a series of spurts, which often were quite painful. Analysis of the artist’s personal role in development and functioning of cross-cultural collaboration during the post-war era with its numerous taboos (particularly considering the specifics of Soviet regions) and of the independent initiatives of certain members of regional cultural communities motivated the rethinking of Ukrainian intellectual movement of the second half of the 20th century in the dissertation.
Investigating the conditions, forms, and consequences of Borys Liatoshynsky’s communicative acts in the socio-cultural, professional, artistic, existential spheres and the changes in his worldview contributed to solving the problem of formation of contemporary discourse of studying his legacy, defined by the cross-cultural interactions of the artist. Liatoshynsky’s prominent role and his unique place in Ukrainian cultural pantheon of the 20th century are also emphasized.
In the dissertation, the dynamic socio-cultural processes of the early and mid-20th century were reconstructed though the contextual rethinking of life and creative legacy of the prominent figure of Liatoshynsky who dominated in the national (Ukrainian) culture, as well as in the dimension of cross-national (Ukrainian–Polish) ties. Theoretical and methodological basis of the research and its conclusions may be included in the curricula of the courses on the musical source studies, on history of music, and culturology in the higher educational institutions of Ukraine in the field of culture and art. Actualization of communicative models that shape Liatoshynsky’s life and creative process calls for creating a specialized educational course about the composer that would facilitate studying his cultural legacy in all its complexity and would present Liatoshynsky as a truly unique cultural figure who contributed to forming the progressive image of Ukrainian culture in Europe.
