Dumy and the Nation: How Folklore and Folk Songs Help Compose a Distinct Ukrainian Narrative

Historiography and ethnography have played a critical role in the development of modern Slavic nationalisms, particularly in Ukraine. As these studies became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century, scholars and members of the bourgeoisie identified folk culture as the key component for the making of the modern nation. Viewed as an authentic window into national history and tradition due to their limited interaction with the modernizing world, rural folk offered the perfect opportunity to illustrate how Ukraine had always been distinct from Russia and its other historical oppressors. As folk culture fervor gripped the intellectual elite of Eastern Europe, however, the focus quickly turned to what specific aspects of rural culture could prove most useful in combating imperial narratives. As a result, history, national mythology, and language all became critical components of Ukrainian nation-building. One aspect of rural culture, however, managed to combine all three: folk songs, known in Ukraine as dumy. Unfortunately, little scholarly attention has been paid to these pieces in Western academia, leaving most non-Ukrainians unaware of the critical factors that distinguish Ukraine from other nations such as Russia. This paper seeks to remedy that deficit and its consequences by providing an accessible history and analysis of dumy. After contextualizing the need to define a distinct Ukrainian nation, it analyzes the intricate role that dumy have played in the making of Ukraine’s national identity, using the songs themselves—as well as their popular interpretations—as primary sources. It proceeds to examine the differences in dumy preferred by Ukraine’s folk versus elite. It then showcases how folk culture was ultimately translated into patriotic songs that glorified and affirmed a distinct Ukrainian identity. Finally, fulfilling its main purpose, it explores the resurgence of dumy’s popularity in light of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, illustrating how these pieces have taken on new life in Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora.