The
influence of Symbolic tradition on the processes of contemporary Ukrainian
transformation: Ukraine in the context of European experience.
Ukraine
Introduction.
In
the book “Culture and tradition” Y.Lotman states that “culture is
manifestation rational and free human spirit.” In the culture of each society
some values play impotent role and valued more highly than other. They create
the essence of a culture and constitute integration of society. A loss of core
values by a society leads to disintegration, to destruction of creative
capability of survival and evolution of values to the new generations. For a
long time Ukrainian society was seriously destructed both values and national
bases. Tradition of spirit culture due to incorporation in Russian empire was
broken. Ukrainian intellectual tradition became the monopoly of Russian culture.
In the time of degradation, and alienation Ukrainian culture was connected with
a strong symbolic pagan tradition and tradition collective
unconsciousness.
The
Ukrainian socio-cultural tradition like all world societies existing nowadays
has been shaped on the basis of common pagan symbols and religion Orthodox
Christianity. The given paper shows how invariant symbols, like Jung’s
archetypes, help contemporary Ukrainians to adapt to difficult reality and
contribute the incorporation of Ukraine into the system of
cliental society. Today’s Ukraine
is essentially based upon pagan archaic pra-phenomena. These include
first of all occult and cosmogony, sacral myths that constitute the essential
element of rural Ukrainian society. It is these myths have shaped the
psycho-type of modern Ukrainians. I am talking about folk, spiritual, sacral
patterns that affected the formation of Ukrainian national identity and civil
society as a whole. These patterns are expressed in symbolic form. Symbol
reveals several patterns of continuity and changed. A few symbol’s like songs,
dances appear increasingly associated over time with Ukrainian ethnicity. Folk
music in Ukraine reflects the gains and traditions of the Kiev State. There were
many ritual songs sung capella .Historical songs–kobza-plaing appeared as
typical Ukrainian folk genres in the 1st century. Many of the dynamic
and colorful folk dancers present Cossack lifestyle - style of Ukrainian
nobility–commune. The oldest dances are the Round dance associated with the
cult of the sun. Originally, folk were accompanied by songs or by instrument.
Historically, they were exclusively females, such as the “metylytsia”, or
exclusively male the “arcan”, lately both males and females elements
participate, develop and cultivate traditional culture, to present new form of
coexistence.
Symbolic aspect of the formation of Ukrainian identity is connected with
the peripheral position of Ukraine with the relation to Western Europe. This
peculiarity resulted in the deformation and lack of authenticity of many
European ideas–The Renaissance as the revival of human personality (personalism),
the century of the Enlighten with the fundamental parameters of European
civilization, and the cult of science (scientists) as the form of conquering the
surrounding world. In contrast to these essential European ideas Ukrainian
identity has been formed on the basis of common pagan and romantic emotional
experience as unconscious reaction at the complex and specific conditions of
existence. This mutual emotional experience formed the most typical archetype of
the Ukrainian collective unconscious, namely the type of kind and fertile Land.
The archetype is hinged upon the close links of agricultural people with
Land. In this connection it is important to stress the historical character of
rural specifics of Ukrainian nation which meanwhile formed individualistic
features, orientation to the creation of small social groups, united by
emotional closeness. Meanwhile, close emotionality was not rational in nature.
For a long time people were not united by general purpose and task. Ukrainian
peasantry valued private ownership of its land. .Private farm was for him not
only his place of work and source of income but also high sacred value and
symbol of personal freedom and independence, bastion
( common ground) of his identity. In the meantime
family life in Ukraine emphasized the solidarity of the family with the
kinship groups on both sides. This Old World tradition long affected family life
in the Eastern and Western Countries. The interest in tracing the genealogical
tree was an expression of this sense of solidarity of kin. The sense of kin was
not due to consciousness of a common descent but a common descent was of
interest because of the sense of kin.
In the modern Ukraine in despite of incorporation,
Ukraine in Russian Empire, maintained the strength of family ties. As a result
of this interest in kinship people
were fond of tracing, the kinship of this family
and that family of the
community, and they counted relationship out to the second and third cousins.
Because of the emphasis on kinship people were
quick to claim relationship, particularly if the claim would reflect anew credit
on them. They were insistent on the duty of relatives to recognize the claims of
relationship and to associate with one another rather than with outsiders. There
were family reunions on holidays. And in the summer between haying and
harvesting there where family
reunions held in the open, which drew relatives from far and wide.
We can say about corporative attitudes in the family; a man who by any
reason was aloof from this kinship association was intensely disliked.
Family above controversies and
divisions.
Ukrainian belongs to those rare societies in Europe that did not go
through sharp strong religious or ideological divisions and controversies. When
such controversies occur in family, they weaken or break family ties. The XVI
century Reformation and Counterreformation, and subsequently the European
revolutions in England, Netherland, in the great French revolution of the XVIII
century disintegrated families. Small families appeared in Europe as early then
the time of Reformation, above all in Germany and Denmark. Families then split
and became isolated from one another because of denominational differences, or
consequent upon unforeseen social promotions or demotions. In Ukrainian, even if
ideological controversies took place; they did not evoke such radical family
divisions as in the countries of Western Europe. Family ties turned out to be
stronger then religious or ideological differences. More important factor was
the attitude toward invaders, enemies and imposed
governments. Ukrainian peoples avoided contact with family members,
relatives or cousins who collaborated with alien forces and authorities.
It is worth mentioning the particular character of
Ukrainian family Law that supported the family. In civilized Western countries
all family property passed in
the hands of one heir, most often the first born son. His brother and sisters
had to content themselves with some form of life endowment, and either to leave
the family home or be maintained there by their elder brother. Even if this law
efficiently ordered matters of inheritance and was economically advantageous for
many family members, it could cause a sense of injustice and distance between
family members and not contribute close family ties. According to Ukrainian Law
whose beginnings are to be sought in pre-Christian pagan Times, family property
belonged to all its members, rather then to just one man. It was divided among
all the children and all had equal rights to it.
Great sense of family and related sense of justice predominated over
property and economic calculation. The
sensation of justice, equal right of family member was
very strong and family ties remain tight.
Ukrainian Home– quintessence common historical experience.
The home plays very impotent role in a Ukrainian family.
Ukrainian Home is connected with
circle– the great symbol of common good which always defends home from
invasion and unfairness. The contemporary model of home has been shaped and is
reflected in many Ukrainian
books and records. It is diversified
and went through various stages of development. But during long history
we can say about ideal model of home- nobleman’s house or Kazaks house. This
model of home influence on
intelligentsia home, peasant home or workers home.
In the old Ukrainian literature (S.Orihowski,P.Mogila)
home is described as “Upright and strong”,
ancient, god fearing, hospitable, safe, cheerful
with characteristic alleys, trees in the yard. The home connected
with orange and yellow color. Historically, color has symbolic meaning in
Ukrainian culture and each color conveys peculiar information and play
significant role in the life of home, family, and community. The yellow color is
a symbolic color of the home in almost all parts of Ukraine. It is the symbol of
common good, symbol of purity and enjoyment
of life. It is the color which is used to adorn the table, to get in touch with
a good man. The` black color is a symbol of a sin, darkness, of moral decrease.
The red color is a color of affection, color of hope on new life, new
possibility in the job. The blue color is of common experience. He gives
hope to decide problems. During the
Orange revolution two leaders of president’s campaign took more popular color
in Ukraine, orange-yellow and blue.
At
the same time symbol of common experience influenced and shaped the traditional
form community–the first form of civil society. .M.Kostomarov, Ukrainian
researcher, pointed out that a principal discrepancy between Russian and
Ukrainian community should be located on the scale collectivism–individualism
and consists in the propensity of Ukrainians for individualist
style of life, as opposed to the predominantly collectivist-oriented Russians.
The Ukrainian traditional way of life was not characterized by those forms on
dwelling which were based on authoritarian discipline and indisputable
suppression of the individual by community as it was in Russia (e.g., the
Russian village commune called optima, or Mir). Ukrainian traditional form of
community called “hromada”
was based on
voluntary decisions of individual proprietors
of small land allotments to join
their efforts, tools and capitals for
a certain, rather limited span of time, in order to fulfill particular
economic tasks or in cases of scarcity of money, instruments, etc.
Each member of chromed secured the freedom and he could leave it and stop
participating in its activities any time he wanted.
The quintessence and
embodiment of the Ukrainian national symbolic spirit was Cossack– a
freedom-loving individualist. Despite a seemingly encouraging impact on the
unfolding of the entrepreneurial spirit, the Cossack ethos in fact is far from
being so unequivocal in its effects. Cossacks themselves had never been
systematically engaged in trade or other form of economic activity. They were an
essentially military estate whose rhythm and way of life was intrinsically
connected with war. The symbol of circle is typical for Ukrainian tradition and
Cossacks always embodiment symbol defended of land from conquers. Their economic
achievements were dwarfed by their military deeds. Since Cossacks regarded
themselves as defenders of Ukrainian people and Orthodox religion.
Coming back to the issue of mentality, it is
interesting to note another essential quality of Ukrainians, namely: their high
level of emotionality or cordocentrism. Ukrainians are distinguished by
introversion and high spirituality that exhibit them in the extraordinary
developed national folklore with inimitable lyricism and spirituality. Lack of
rationality can not contrite high intellectual reflection Ukrainians. In
political and economic spheres Ukrainian priority, emotionality led to negative
consequences that were rightfully emphasized by several Ukrainian thinkers from
Vyacheslav Lipinskiy to Dmitro Dontcov. Ukrainians could not create their own
economic market environment which to become the basis for
the creation of integrated Ukrainian nation. Politically Ukrainians
lacked pragmatism, calmness and propensity for creative and business
communication. One may well posit the lack of Ukrainian’s responsibility not
only for their own fate but also firm destiny of the whole community. This lack
of responsibility is deeply rooted in mythological perception of the past. The
typical example of this kind is great spiritual leaders of Ukrainian people,
Feofan Procopovich and other intellectuals who having achieved high skillfulness
in interpretation of Biblical texts , differ
sacred and profane in high culture. As a whole
were mostly helpless in economic and political life.
In this context only in 19 century, in despite of
intellectual isolation from Europe we can see the process of the union nation,
and the attempt to the building of
the Ukrainian state. She was not impossible without appearance great symbol of
Slavonic culture T.Shevchenko.
Ukrainian Promiteus.
The
main symbol of Ukrainian national culture is T.Shevchenko. He is Ukrainians,
Ukrainians Prometheus, punished and chained to the rock by the Russian power.
The mythological face of T.Shevchenko has moved to the Ukrainians folklore and
literature and has not changed for many times.
According to the Ukrainians researchers in the character of national
Prometheus
there is preserved the ancient mythological type of heroes, which give
political freedom and happiness. T.Shewchenko is ancient archetype, the symbol
of death and resurrection and eternal renovation. This is the main cultural
symbol of Ukrainians, and it influences the social-political and cultural
history of Ukraine.
The ancient Greek mythology of death and resurrection, eternal returning
Heroes has become for Ukrainians great symbol of fighting for human dignity and
Liberation from slavery.
Taras Shewchenko historically developed old
conception of the Ukrainian home. He based his theory on the conviction that in
the situation of restricted Ukrainian culture (due to incorporation in Russia)
division of culture into official and hidden forms, earliest ways of life and
customs undergo important
transformations. The Ukrainian home absorbed what had been destroyed or
oppressed in Ukrainian public sphere. Homes like cherishes became special place
in the heritage of T.Shewchenko. They preserved traditions, memory and
faith, forces that according to great genius are most essential in the
process of becoming national feelings.
According to T.Shewchenko, Home is symbol of Tradition,In preserves the national
memory. Language has very important
role. It is, as he wrote, the language content historical and family life.
Ukrainian language creates unique climate and contributes to close link
of nation. Oral heritage, songs, legends, poems of T.Chewchenko preserved the
Ukrainian collective memory, collective unconsciousness, carried forward living
truth, and constructed a moral spirit of free people.
Ukrainian
genius, similar as a Slovak genius S.Groh divided
three different level
of evolution of national self-consciousness as a folk spirit, theoretical
spirit, and political spirit of freedom. T. Chewchenko criticized Hegel, which
divides cultures on historical and unhistorical, non-political subjects to
natural cyclical processes. Historically National hero was connected with
romanticism’s symbols and Europeans patterns. But, step by step he came
to conviction that freedom must be reached in political and public sphere. In
October 1847 a national uprising burst out. After its suppression the property
of Ukrainians leader was confiscated and he was exiled to Siberia. The Russian
empire going to destroy memory
about national hero,
communist regime going to adopt Ukrainian symbol to their interests, but
image of T.Chewchenko lived
in Historical memory as a symbol of
national dignity and freedom.
Ukrainian national code in the context of the processes of Globalization
Since the middle of the 19-the century there is beginning to awake the
national self-consciousness
in Ukraine. National self-consciousness historically based on symbol of circle.
The sacred circle filled with a cross pointing from the center to the spirits of
the wisdom and freedom, wich must to liberate peoples from the slavery. We
should bear in mind that the main part of Ukraine was incorporated in the
Russian Empire. Since the beginning
of the XIX century there was the main principle: autocracy, orthodoxy and
nationality where society was dominated by the state, and initiated the priority
of Russian culture over the colonial peoples, the Ukrainians being one of them.
The Ukrainian national origin has been progressing simultaneously with a
civil society origin. But the same time the Ukrainian national identity creation
was rather complex and dramatic. Because of incorporation in Russia, permanent
clash and misunderstanding among Ukrainians, the Ukrainian nation formation had
not been finished neither in the 19th nor, as well see, in the 20th
century. Even after a decade of
independency the Ukrainian national
identity has not been realized by the majority of Ukrainian society, at the same time political leaders
very frequently
used Ukrainian symbols
for specific manipulation.(
for example the great symbol
of justice –yellow belt was used byV.Yushenko
in the last political company,
his opponent represents
symbol bravery– saber).
Can we regard that the Orange Revolution, as people’s manifestation of
their civic and national position? Is the indication of national identity common
symbol for all Ukrainians? Is it the symbol of freedom, a symbol of struggle for
human dignity? Is it the symbol and
common ground for unifying European values, such as respect of law, private property,
morality, separation of business and power?
Evidently, the answer to this question cannot be unambiguous. There are
too many problems in contemporary Ukrainian Society. It is too hard to overcome
the cliental regime– the regime of oppressions, alienation of society from the
state, hostility between different regions and groups, society of non-freedom.
Cliental regime historically was based on the idea of vertical correspondence
between macrocosm and microcosm, sacred and profane, state and society. As one
scholar of Ukrainian mentality argues, for Ukrainians freedom and power are
antipodes, hence each power is given by God is not seen as justified in
Ukrainian spiritual tradition. The archetype of popular consciousness holds: The
supreme power belongs to God not to human being. At this context, the power was
historically wery strong, and based on
Ukrainian heritage. St.Oryhovsky, looks like Plato recounts of the soul
into three parts, corresponding to the three orders in the state. Cliental
regime presents exclusive role of the state in social life and the concentration
of huge recourses in the hands of the Soviet state. The vertical static model of
social development suppressed people initiative and independent social and
economic activity. Processes of post-communist transformation connected with a
major concept of which is clientelism. Sociologist studying social changes in
the post-communist world, particularly in its Ukrainian part, postulate the
formation of neo-patrimonial regime, in which a clientel dependence between
workers and management common under state socialism, is retained and combined
with individual private property. Neo-patrimonial regime operates within
political system with authoritarian and paternalistic components. The Ukrainian
government in spite of declared western values and the wish of integration in
the European Union is still
afraid to take active steps towards democracy.
On the other side we can observe
the idea of local self-government, horizontal communication is revived in
non-governmental organization, and which uses the sacred Ukrainians symbols.
Today Ukrainian society represents the clash of
discourses, ideas of freedom and non-freedom, paternalism and civic initiative.
National development of Ukraine in future depends on how Ukraine will be able to
transform its best symbolic traditions to adapt to demands of globalization.
Symbols can serve agents of change, whether political or social-cultural. At the
same time we must try to restrict fasces tendency in Ukrainian society, to
minimize used of Fascist symbolism in political life.
Historical
background of fascist symbolism and
his influence on Ukrainian political life.
Clientel system of power originated from the ancient Rome and connected
with fascist symbolism. The word fasces means bundle and refers to the fact that
is a bundle of rods, which surrounded an ax in the middle. In ancient Rome, the
lectors carried fasces before consul, praetors and dictators. Other people
escorted by lectors with fasces were governors, and the commanders of legions.
On festive occasions (e.g., a military victory),
fasces could be crowned with
laurel, on the hand when the city was in the mourning, the fasces were sometimes
cloaked.
The fasces were a symbol of authority, but the
precise meaning is unknown. It is often claimed that the rods could be used to
lash people. This may have been true in the days of the monarchy, but not during
the republic. After the Laws of the twelve tables, no Roman magistrate could
summarily execute a Roman citizen.
The Romans believed that the fasces were introduced
in Rome from Etruria. According to historical traditions, fasces has been found
in Etruria, in the so-called Tomb a Del lit tore near Vetulonia, in the 1890.
This finding has been hailed as confirmation of the tradition, but
archaeologists only found a lot of small rusty flakes, which were interpreted as
Etruscan fasces. They were entirely made of metal and had two blades.
Historically word fascia symbolized power and
authority in Rome. The symbolism of the fasces at one level suggested strength
through unity. The rods symbolized the state’s power to punish delinquents. In
1920s, eager to portray itself as a revival of the glorious Roman imperial past,
adopted the fasces for its symbol. In 1921 Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
called his political movement Fascia di combattimento, fascia being the Italian
word for peasant organizations and labor unions. Symbols of fasces were used in
Spanish, Portugal, Germany
and other countries.
In Ukraine symbols of fascism used in 1930s
national liberation movement and famous politics D.Doncov and N.Sciborski.
On the last elections the national movements which based on
fasces symbols took 3%. Fascist’s symbols and rhetoric’s very popular
on the west Ukraine.
In
future we must try to create stable political system and civil society
to give possible minimized fascist tendency.
In Ukraine we must retain
National symbols and adopt them
to global reality.
National symbols in Ukraine.
National symbols are the symbols of the country as a unified unit. They
express the pride and uniqueness of the nation. National symbols of Ukraine are
created during the time after Independence.
Basic national symbols such as national flag, national emblem, national
bird, and national song were adopted as national symbols after independence.
Other national symbols as Palm of Mercalov, yellow trees, specific Ukrainian
clothes (vishivanca) were national symbols before Independence. National symbols
are usually taken from the tradition to represent the Ukrainian unity. They are
common to all groups of individuals. Ukrainian national symbols, as a symbols as
a whole, are the subject to change when the public and political unity of the
people changes. National symbols must be reconfirmed by political elite of
Ukraine. In this context the role of political symbols is very important.
Political symbols are the symbols of the national political parties. These
symbols represent the tradition and ideology of political parties.
The existent party system of Ukraine gives possibility for existence of
parties at both national and regional level with rich modification of symbols. I
can to give some symbols of the some political parties.
1) Our Ukraine; the roots of Our Ukraine party are
based in the freedom movement for Independent Ukraine. The history of this party
was started by I.Drach and Pavlichko in the 1987.
This party plays a great role in the Ukrainian politic as a symbol of
National dignity and national freedom. It was transformed after Independence in
more strong Political party and based on political support of western and
central Ukraine.
The present brand of “Our Ukraine is the named
V.Chernovol and V.Yuchenko. The yellow piece of flag and orange trees and
Mother-land are the symbols of the party. The
greater symbol- Mother Land symbolizes readiness take care of rural population
and gave help, patron ash.
2) Party of regions. The roots of this party one
can find in a shadow economy in Independent Ukraine. The history of this party
is connected with Donetsk regions as a enclave of the non-legal business. The
party on ideological level tried to represent itself as the symbol of all
Ukrainian territories.
Blue color of flag is the symbol of PR. Sable is
too great symbol of PR. Sable has a significant place in the Ukrainian history.
It is connected with brave time of Cossack history, with great victories in the
Middle Ages.
3) Communist party of Ukraine-Leninist. The
influence of communism is very strong in Ukraine. Though there was only one
political party with communist ideology, different versions of communism were
developed. The symbols of Ukrainian communist are the red star, red flag. Red
color symbolizes great affectation of revolution due to communist idea was a
very strong in 20 century.
4)
Socialist party- new version of old communist party which came into parliament
through symbol of justice which was connected with memory of T.Chewchenko. The
ideology of socialists is mixed between communist and national memory.
The
leaders of all political parties used political rhetoric which is connected with
Ukrainians symbols.
References
Lotman Y. 1992.Culture and tradition.Russia’s road to
capitalism. Vol. 2.,43.
Miranda
Bruse-Mitfird, 1996.The illustrated
book of sign and symbols,58.
Carl
G.Liungman, 1991.Dictionary of Symbols,.282.
Burawoy M.2001.Transition
without transformation,45.