Where does evil come from? Paradoxes of revolution in Ukraine. On Diaries and Memoirs of Yevhen Chykalenko

Abstract

In this article author focused on the Diaries and Memoirs of Yevhen Chykalenko. He has tried to reconstruct the process of creating these books and compare them. The author creatively developed the comparative analysis of Memoirs and Diaries, because the first book is characterized by officiality, memory idyll, positive aspects of Ukraine. The second one brings bitterness and a critical judgment of his own nation. To emphasize this comparison, the author used the concept of Malgorzata Czermińska’s autobiographical triangle. Reflecting on the passivity of the Ukrainian writer during the Ukrainian People’s Republic, he came to the conclusion that it resulted from the philosophy of „not opposing evil with violence” by Leo Tolstoy. Between him and Chykalenko the author found more converging parallels. The author then dealt with the political myths of Chykalenko, among which he distinguished his fascination with Germany. If in Memoirs we deal with an idyllic and positive image of Ukraine and Ukrainians, catastrophic visions prevail in the dairies. It shows the fall of values, as well as the triumph of barbarism that prevailed after the revolution of 1917. Memoirs and Diaries by Chykalenko are very important for the study of the history of Ukrainian periodicals, we learn about the realities of the press, problems with censorship, editorial work, repressions.