THE LIFETIME COLLECTIONS OF MYKHAILO IVCHENKO: TEXTUAL OBSERVATIONS

The paper examines the lifetime collections of short prose by the Ukrainian writer Mykhailo Ivchenko, focusing on textual analysis and establishing a critical text that adheres to the principles of preserving authorial intent. Since a complete collection of Ivchenko’s works has not yet been published, nor has a thorough textual analysis of his legacy been conducted, the study concentrates on the writer’s three primary collections: “Noises of Spring,” “Along the Misty River,” and “The Lands are Ringing.” The analysis of the chronology, themes, and concepts of these collections makes it possible to trace the author’s creative evolution. The printed texts are compared with available autographs and first publications, particularly in periodicals such as “Literaturno-Naukovyi Vistnyk,” “Nova Hromada,” “Robitnycha Hazeta,” and “Chervonyi Shliakh.” The research revealed that most changes in the texts of the collections involved linguistic refinement and stylistic adjustments, which made the works more concise and structured. In particular, the author aimed to avoid repetitions, conspicuous additions, and excessive rhetorical exclamations. These changes are mainly stylistic and aesthetic, rather than conceptual or censorial, which confirms the author’s intent to refine the texts. Based on the findings, the paper recommends using the texts of Ivchenko’s lifetime collections for new editions, as these versions most accurately reflect the author’s linguistic and stylistic nuances. Preserving these characteristics is crucial for fully capturing the evolution of Ivchenko’s work and his distinctive literary language. The texts from his lifetime collections fulfill the criteria for being considered definitive. Consequently, they represent the most authentic version of Ivchenko’s literary output.