The dissertation is devoted to the study of the language as a form of Ukrainian culture being, which preserves national memory and develops even in the colonial conditions of the Russian Empire, as a culture tool that forms the personality of the native speaker, through the language imposed on him and the picture of the world laid down in the language, mentality, human values, etc., that is, through the culture of the people which is a means of national unity and communication.
It is emphasized that the study of the question of language and civilization phenomena correlation is greatly complicated by the presence of mutually exclusive concepts of civilization, which leads to ideas variation about the relations of the studied objects. In the interpretations of the civilization as socio-cultural integrity, conclusions regarding language issues are made within the framework of provisions, characterizing the interaction of language and culture, and only partially vary depending on the criteria, recognized as essential in the isolation of local civilization. It is noted that within the limits of the linear approach, the development of language issues is limited to the statement of the important role of writing in civilization development (V. Kelle and other).
Attention is drawn to the attitude towards Ukrainian language as an ethnic feature in the Russian Empire in XVIII- early XX centuries. The chronological and territorial boundaries of the study cover the territory of Ukrainian lands, incorporated into the Russian Empire, for which were characteristic processes, on the one hand, formation of Ukrainian literary language, and, on the other hand, reducing its social prestige through the use of a wide range of political instruments and indirect levers of influence. Activation of Ukrainian movement in the second half of XIX century, faced severe measures to restrict the use of Ukrainian language. Repressive methods against Ukrainian language by Russian government and Russian Church, which were still used by imperial and Soviet authorities to fight Ukrainian language and conscious Ukrainians, are analyzed.
A wide range of national-cultural issues that confirmed the historical and cultural identity of Ukrainian people, its long-standing civilization traditions on its land were propagated on the pages of Ukrainian sociopolitical, literary and artistic magazine «Osnova», the main idea for which was the language problem, as well as Ukrainian identity formulation. It was indicated that Ukrainian intelligentsia representatives advocated the idea that the language was a connecting link between educated part of society, in which the perception of Ukrainian political nation was formed, and wide strata of the population. It was this generation of intellectuals who acted in a single cultural field, played a leading role in common Ukrainian identity formation.
It has been found that discussions around the Ukrainian language, were both scientific and political in nature, at the same time contributed to a deepening of cultural understanding of it. Despite numerous censorship bans, Ukrainian-language literary works of different genres were published. Their publication and distribution became significant in the context of Ukrainian movement, translation of Ukrainian identity in society in XIX – early XX centuries. In this process, Ukrainian language played an exceptional role, despite ethnic differences. In the second half of XIX – beginning of XX centuries, the efforts of Ukrainian cultural elite representatives were directed towards formation of Ukrainian literary language and expansion of its sphere of use. Linguistic activity of M. Kostomarov, P. Kulish, T. Shevchenko and others, whose work captured all the existing literary genres at that time, is characterized by the desire to synthesize in Ukrainian literary language eastern and western dialects of Ukrainian national language. A special role in this process belonged to T. Shevchenko work. Thanks to the representatives of Ukrainian elite of that time, Ukrainian language revolted as the main and indispensable part of personal and collective identity, and, ultimately, as a main form in the struggle for its national culture.
Key words: language, Ukrainian language, language picture of the world, civilization, national culture, ethnos, literary works, linguocide.
