Archive
«Narodoznavchi Zoshyty» 2014 year, issue 4 read »
«Narodoznavchi Zoshyty» 1995 year, issue 2 read »
2010 year, issue 1-2 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2020. # 6 (156). P. 1245–1496 DOI... read »

« 2022. # 6 (168)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2022. № 6 (168), 1247—1254

UDK 930.2:[271/.272-565:398.332.416](=1:477:438-192.2)

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2022.06.1247

RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION AS A FORM OF ETHNIC INTERCOMMUNICATION AT THE UKRAINIAN-POLISH BORDER

CHMELYK Roman

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4052-029X
  • Doctor of Historical Sciences, senior researcher,
  • Director, Lviv Historical Museum,
  • 6, Rynok Sq., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: rchmelyk@gmail.com

Abstract. Ukrainian-Polish border as a place of everyday interethnic communication is a rich field for ethnological research, especially such scientific problem as the role of religiousness in the shaping of local identities.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the practices of celebration of such religious holidays as Christmas and Easter by Ukrainians (Greek Catholic, Orthodox) and Poles (Roman Catholic) as factors of interethnic discourse and traditional forms of coexistence in communities.

The source base of this publication is comprised of rich source material collected during ethnological expeditions in the Ukrainian-Polish border in 2006—2013.

Territorial scope of this research encompasses borderline areas of Lviv and Volyn Oblasts of Ukraine, as well as Subcarpathian and Lublin Voivodeships of the Republic of Poland.

Field survey material collected on the Ukrainian-Polish borderlands fully covers the object and subject of this research.

Methodological principles of systematic analysis and structural-contextological approach to analyzing filed material made it possible to substantiate the premise of common traditions of religious celebration being the result of functioning of a new kind of frontier: an open-end dynamic environment.

Shared celebration of religious holidays and respect for traditions of neighbors from other religious denomination became the result of continuous experience of interethnic communications conveyed through intermarriage, neighborly amicability, and long-term professional relationships.

Keywords: border, Ukrainians, Poles, religious celebration, interethnic communication.

Received 13.04.2022

REFERENCES

  • Napiorkowski, M., Saryusz-Wolska, M., & Traba, R. (Eds.). (2014). Myth. Modi memorandi. Lexicon of the culture of remembrance (Pp. 237—240). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar [in Polish].
  • Obirek, S., & Saryusz-Wolska, M., & Traba, R. (Eds.). Sacrum. (2014). Modi memorandi. Leksykon kultury pamieci. Modi memorandi. Lexicon of the culture of remembrance (Pp. 452—453). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar [in Polish].
  • Assmann, J. (2006). Religion and Cultural Memory. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
  • Smyrski, L., & Zowczak, M. (Eds.). (2003). At the beginning there was Kain — visions of Ukrainian history in the context of the theory of ethnicity. Podole and Woіyс: ethnographic notes (Pp. 311—322).Warszawa: DiG [in Polish].
  • Terner, F. (2011). The importance of the Frontier in American history. Ukraina moderna: borders, outskirts, peripheries (Issue 18, pp. 11—46). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 703 [in Ukrainian].
  • Vyzdryk, V. (2015). Galician village: socio-economic life and socio-political processes (1919—1939). Lviv: Instytut ukrainoznavstva im. I. Krypiakevycha NAN Ukrainy [in Ukrainian].
  • Davydiuk, R. (2016). Ukrainian political emigration in Poland: composition, structure, socio-political practices in the territory of Volyn Voivodeship. Lviv; Rivne: M. Diatlyk [in Ukrainian].
  • Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 623 [in Ukrainian].
  • Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 664 [in Ukrainian].
  • Posern-Zielinski, A. (2005). Ethnicity: categories, ethnic processes. Poznan: Poznanskie Towarzystwo Przyjacol Nauk [in Polish].
  • Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 622 [in Ukrainian].
  • Dudek, A., & Czyzewski, F. (Ed.). (2003). Annual rites and customs of the Wola Uhruska commune. The commune of Wola Uhruska in the Euroregion Bug: language and culture (Pp. 137—151). Wola Uhruska: Urzad Gminy [in Polish].
  • Demskyi, D. (2007). Borders as a patchwork: reflections from Belarus. Narodna tvorchist ta etnohrafiia, 1, 80—91 [in Ukrainian].
  • Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 621 [in Ukrainian].
  • Archive of the IN NANU. F. 1. Op. 2. Od. save 584 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kappeler, A. (2011). «Over the border»: the concept of border as an object of study. Ukraina moderna: borders, outskirts, peripheries (Issue 18, pp. 48—53). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Grigor’eva, R., Kasperovich, G., & Martynova, M. (Eds.). (2005). Identity and demographic characteristics of the population. Belarusian-Russian borderlands: an ethnological study (Pp. 37—84). Moskva: RUDN [in Russian].
  • Drozd, R. (1999). The main purpose of the «Vistula» Action. «Vistula» Action in the Context of Ukrainian-Polish Relations of the 20th Century: Proceedings of the Scientific Conference Dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Vistula «Action» (Pp. 43—48). Ivano-Frankivsk [in Ukrainian].
  • Kyrchiv, R. (2012). Field notes and materials on ethnocultural crossroads. In Narodoznavchi zoshyty, 2, 227—240 [in Ukrainian].

Read»

Our authors
Oksana Sapeliak. Senior Research Fellow, Ph.D. in... read »
Boliuk Oleh - kandidate of sciences in arts, Doctoral... read »
Stepan Pavluk. Prof., full member of NAS of Ukraine,... read »
Kuzmenko Oksana Senior Researcher, Candidate of... read »
Boikos’ pandemonium: categories of evil deceased
In the article have been presented some research-work on peculiarities of Boikos’ traditional demonological notions as for so-called evil deceased; on the basis of field records and ethnological literary sources quite a number of scum categories have been defined as well as essential habits, modes of behavior and functions of these personages of people’s demonology.
Read »

On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Wax candle as ukrainian Christmas and epiphany ritualistic text
For the first time in native ethnology the article has brought some results of special study in sign functionality of a wax candle under the context of Ukrainian Christmas and Epiphany ritualistic text (ritualism of Christmas Eve, New Year, Epiphany Eve and Feast of Epiphany). The study has stated extremely high semiotic position of a wax candle as projection of Sun, mediator between the spheres of sacral and prophane elements, symbolic analogue of human existence, apotropy, cultural symbol re-establishing borders of acculturated space.
Read »

Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »