Ukrainian Symbolism: From Emergence to Revival in the Contemporary Wartime Reality

Ukrainian symbolism emerged at the turn of the century, and its took its definite theoretical shape in the early twentieth century. Intuitively sensing the forthcoming changes, the symbolists transformed the system of cognition of the world, building it on the basis of creativity, where the latter was interpreted as subconsciously intuitive contemplation of secret meanings accessible only to the artist-creator. The symbol became the central aesthetic category of the new movement and the main means of storing and transmitting the contemplative secret meaning. In their artistic work, Ukrainian symbolists relied on folklore genres (songs, vesnianky, dumy, etc.), and this was one of the main features of Ukrainian symbolism. In general, the symbolism movement, despite its rather short period of existence, had a significant impact on the further development of Ukrainian literature. It freed the poetic imagination, enriched the visual set of instruments, and created new sound and rhythmic forms driven by the desire for musical versatility. As it is evident now, Ukrainian symbolism has not disappeared but has sprouted new shoots under the influence of the brutal war in which Ukraine was dragged. The article traces the path from the conception of Ukrainian symbolism to its revival in modern times.