The relevance of the thesis is due to the fact that environmental problems have become urgent problems in the modern world. This issue has become especially acute after the active development of scientific and technological progress. The use of nuclear energy for the needs of humanity with disregard for safety led to one of the most significant disasters – the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. This event and its consequences were reflected in history, art, and literature because Ukrainians are still experiencing the consequences of the accident. Writers, including children’s writers, are increasingly turning to this issue since it reflects the problems of the existence and functioning of humanity and its future.
The object of research is the genres of ecofiction in Ukrainian children’s literature of the 20th–21st centuries, including novels, short stories, comics, picture books, and nonfiction that reflect the Chornobyl topic.
The purpose of the thesis is to comprehensively investigate the genres of ecofiction in Ukrainian children’s literature of the 20th–21st сenturies using the material on the Chornobyl topic.
The scientific problem has led to the use of a system of methods, in particular: interpretation, critical analysis, comparative-historical, methods of comparison and juxtaposition, methods of ecological hermeneutics and ecocriticism, the Matrix «Nature in Culture» (developed by the NaChiLit group), prognostic.
The first chapter highlights the features of the concept of children’s literature and young adults, analyzes the approaches of domestic and foreign researchers, represents the genres and directions of childrenʼs literature, among which one of the main ones is literature about nature, reveals the terms for designating such literature, and also contains information about the research methods – ecological hermeneutics and ecocriticism.
The second chapter outlines the features of the coverage of events in historical and literary directions by researchers in the Soviet Union and abroad, which highlights two opposing views: on the one hand, the heroization and sacrifice of the accident events, and on the other, the coverage of facts and exposure of those responsible for the disaster; analyzes works of the 20th century, in particular, the documentary story by L. Daien «Chornobyl is bitter grass» and the collection of stories by Y. Hutsalo «Children of Chornobyl», which demonstrate the transition from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric approach.
The third chapter reveals the features of 21st-century ecofiction works, the impetus for writing, which was the Chornobyl accident and the war on the territory of Ukraine; outlines the presence of specific characters; highlights one of the main elements of modern works – the presence of cultural memory in both the picture book and non-fiction genres.
