Chorna Rada Pantelejmona Kulisha. Ukrajins'ka ta rosijs'ka versiji: vidminnosti ta podibnosti

In this article the author analyses the differences between the Russian and Ukrainian versions of Čorna rada by Pantelejmon Kuliš, which is widely recognised as the most important Ukrainian historical novel. Both versions were published in 1857. The analysis of the differences and especially of the diverging ideo- logical accents of the two versions – highlights the dual allegiance felt by mid-nineteenth century Ukrainian intellectuals to an all-Russian (imperial) culture and to local Ukrainian patriotism. At that time, Ukrainian writers did not consider the two allegiances mutually exclusive, and they wrote their literary works in both Russian and Ukrainian. In spite of this, the history of the composition of Čorna rada is indicative of the growing awareness of a bond between a common linguistic code and the transmission of a shared past, historical and folk traditions, and common cultural-emotional values. In this sense, the Ukrainian Čorna rada is a landmark in the formation of modern Ukrainian literature and literary language, as well as in the gradual shift of Ukrainian literature to a monolingual basis.