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Mykola Gogol

Mykola Gogol (Mykola Vasilyovych Gogol) — a Ukrainian writer who wrote in russian and whose work and figure are actively embraced by Ukrainian cultural discourse. The connection with Crimea is traced directly in Gogol's artistic world: a passage from the novella "A Terrible Vengeance" mentions Crimea and the marshy Syvash as part of an imaginary map of Ukraine.

Overview

Valeriy Verkhovsky's article "Gogol as Our Everything" ("Krymska svitlytsia", 2017, No. 35) reflects on the question of Gogol's Ukrainian identity. In the author's view, Gogol delineated the boundaries of Ukraine in his works with precision: on his "map" there is no Siberia, no Kremlin, or even Belarus, but there is Crimea, the marshy Syvash, and the Carpathians. This is confirmed by a quotation from "A Terrible Vengeance", where "experienced people" recognized "and Crimea, rising from the sea like a mountain, and the marshy Syvash".

The author emphasizes that Gogol "unquestionably belonged to this land, and to no other", even though he wrote in russian. The question of "is he a russian or a Ukrainian writer?" the author considers absurd in light of present-day realities, and proposes to regard Gogol as a Little russian (Malorussian) writer. According to the article, Gogol's russian is by no means Muscovite or Petersburgian, and the insertions of Ukrainianisms in his novellas are placed aptly.

The article compares Gogol with Charles de Coster (the author of the French-language novel about Tyl Ulenspiegel, who scattered Flemish words throughout) — a Belgian writer whose national identity is not reducible to the language of his works. Gogol's heroes (Taras Bulba, the smith Vakula, Ivan Shponka, Ivan Ivanovych Pererepenko, and Ivan Nikiforowych Dovgochkhun) are examined as a single hypertextual "Little russian literature", whose verdict pronounces the credo "I gave you birth, and I shall kill you".

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Crimea and the Syvash in "A Terrible Vengeance": a passage from the novella directly names Crimea and the marshy Syvash among the spaces of Ukraine made visible "by a miracle" — a direct artistic link between Gogol and Crimea.
  • The question of language and identity: Gogol wrote in russian, but his world, the language of his novellas (with Ukrainianisms), and the author's self-identification lean toward the Ukrainian ("Little russian") tradition.
  • Gogol as a "Little russian writer": the article interprets Gogol's novellas ("Little russian Tales") as a single hypertextual construction of Little russian literature.
  • A parallel with Charles de Coster: an argument against reducing a writer's national identity to the language of their works (de Coster — a French-writing Belgian author).
  • Crimean press: the article was published in the newspaper "Krymska svitlytsia" (the "Crimea Is Ukraine" project), which places Gogol within the Ukrainian Crimean cultural context.
  • Gogol and Crimea — Valeriy Verkhovsky's article "Gogol as Our Everything" in the newspaper "Krymska svitlytsia" (2017, No. 35), the primary source for this page.
  • Saky — a resort town in Western Crimea where Gogol stayed for mud treatment.
  • Taras Shevchenko — both are key figures of Ukrainian literature, mentioned in the materials of "Krymska svitlytsia"; their figures are examined in the context of Ukrainian identity and the connection with Crimea.
  • Yuriy Kulchytskyi — the article on Kulchytskyi mentions Gogol's novella "Taras Bulba" in the context of the historical authenticity of the depiction of Cossack customs.