ІСТОРІЯ ТА ЕТНОГРАФІЯ В ЛІТЕРАТУРНІЙ СПАДЩИНІ МІХАЛА ГРАБОВСЬКОГО

This research analyzes the works of the 19th-century Polish critic, writer, and public figure Michal Grabowski. In particular, the article examines the stories "Pan Kanivskyi Starosta", "Pan Zakszewski Starosta", "Blizzard in the Steppes", "Koliiv Region and the Steppes", the literary-critical work "Literature and Criticism", as well as the ethnographic study "Ukraine, Ancient and Modern." His prose works are marked by a deep interest in the history, culture, everyday life, folklore and social processes in the Polish and Ukrainian lands of that time. In the story "Koliivshchyna and the Steppes" M. Grabovsky addressed the events of Koliivshchyna in 1768, namely the Haidamak uprising against the Polish nobility and the Uniate Church in Right-Bank Ukraine. There are descriptions of the steppes; songs and dumas that accompany the events and actions of the personages, emphasizing their connection with folk tradition; the life of peasants and Cossacks – their traditions, beliefs, and way of life. In the story "A Blizzard in the Steppes", the emphasis is on the lives of individuals (Cossacks, peasants, travelers) who encounter the cruelty of nature and historical circumstances. The ethnographic motifs include the steppe space as a symbol of freedom and mortal danger; a blizzard as a sign of chaos that threatens a human being; and Cossack life, namely traditions, customs, and beliefs. The story "Pan. Kanivskyi Starosta" highlights the conflicts between a representative of the authorities and the Ukrainian population, which did not want to tolerate injustice and arbitrariness. In his work "Pan Starosta Zakszewski" Grabowski described traditions, customs, and the difficult economic situation of peasants, the conflict between Catholics and Orthodox, the "uniatization" of religion, and recreated the Ukrainian language. The ethnographic work "Ancient and Present Ukraine" is an important source for studying the history and ethnography of Ukraine, where Grabowski analyzed the history of Ukraine from the times of Kyivan Rus, the Cossacks, and the Hetmanate. He mentioned Khmelnytskyi, Ruina, and Koliivshchyna, and assessed the role of the Cossacks as defenders of Ukrainian identity. However, the most detailed analysis of the theme of the Cossacks was made by the artist in "Literature and Criticism." The defining criteria for a work of art for the critic Michal Grabowski were affinity with folk art, the reproduction of an authentic historical background, and the perfect poetic form of the text.