TARAS SHEVCHENKO IN FRANCISZEK RAWITA- GAWROŃSKIʼS JOURNALISM

Abstract

This article explores Polish literary criticism of the early 20th century, namely the criticism of the Taras Shevchenko`s creative output conducted by Franciszek Rawita-Gawroński. Franciszek Rawita-Gawroński was a Polish publicist and a public figure who in his works often discussed Ukrainian history, culture and literature. Throughout his life, Franciszek Rawita-Gawroński often touched on 19th century Ukrainian literary environment as well as the undeniably prominent place of Taras Shevchenko in it. “Taras Szewczenko i Polacy” is his most prominent article solely devoted to Taras Shevchenko, which was published in the bi-weekly journal “Zdrój” in Poznan in 1918, concerning both the life of Ukrainian writer and his creative work.

If he focused on social issues in his previous works, then in “Taras Szewczenko i Polacy” he extended his thoughts further. Mainly, the authorial intent was to highlight Taras Szewczenko`s connections to Polish culture and the Polish literary scene at the time. Here we can trace his philosophical ideas and perception of Ukrainian history. Franciszek Rawita-Gawroński`s cultural beliefs largely reflect general ideas of Polish nobility of the 20th century. Whatever literature they are looking at, polish critics working at the wake of Modernism have embraced a certain air of supremacy, which in general leads to ambiguity in their literary findings.

Нis dedication to highlighting polish connections in Taras Shevchenko`s life is admirable, but he certainly exaggerates most of his points which does not land well with the modern audience. The writer will often try to focus his readers attention on Taras Shevchenko`s relationships with Poles, as well as the influence of the Polish cultural elite on the Ukrainian poet. Throughout his works he also tends to be skeptical of Ukrainian literary scene. From the experience of reading “Taras Szewczenko i Polacy” one might conclude that Taras Shevchenko was not influenced by his Ukrainian peers at all.

Interestingly, regardless of the fact that the object of his literary study is Taras Shevchenko and his body of work, Franciszek Rawita-Gawroński also attempts to capture cultural and economic changes in Ukraine at that time. We can understand economic and political implications of his works, but clearly he could not faithfully represent the reality of most social groups in 19th century Ukraine. His arguments are rarely interrupted by concrete examples and when they are, he never takes Taras Shevchenko`s full body of work or even full-length poems into consideration. Therefore, some of his conclusions can strike modern readers as particularly surprising and clearly at odds with the more obvious interpretations of poems.