« 2025. # 4 (184)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2025. № 4 (184), 1011—1018

UDK001:39](477.83)

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

PROFESSOR ROMAN KYRCHIV IN MY MEMORY: THE HUMAN DIMENSION (TO THE SCIENTIST’S 95TH BIRTHDAY)

TARAS Yaroslav

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7241-9466
  • Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor,
  • Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • Head of the Modern Ethnology Department,
  • 15, Svobody Avenue, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine;
  • Lviv Polytechnic National University,
  • Department of Architecture and Conservation,
  • 12, Banderу street, 79013, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: etnomod@ukr.net

Abstract. The relevance of the article is due to the fact that this year Professor Roman Kyrchiv would have turned 95. This is an important occasion to recall the scientist who made a significant contribution to the study of folklore and ethnology. Today, it is relevant to involve in the scientific heritage of the memories of professor Kyrchiv of people who worked with him, communicated not only on scientific topics, but also beyond them. We are talking about everyday life, which has always been a component of science. This is relevant for understanding how the scientific achievements of the scientist took place, in what environment the professor lived and worked.

The object of the study was the everyday life of professor Roman Kyrchiv.

The subject of the study covers the history of Roman Kyrchiv’s life path, a layer that existed alongside the scientific one and, due to certain stereotypes, is not always covered.

The purpose of the article is to find out the human factor and recreate the everyday life in which Roman Kyrchiv lived and worked.

The source base of the work is the memoirs of Yaroslav Taras, daughter Natalka about Roman Kyrchiv.

Methodological research is based on the principles of systematicity and objectivity.

The article takes a place in the coverage of the Kyrchiv’s parental estate in the village of Korchyn, his memoirs about the family.

This concerns his stay at the Institute of Ethnology, work in the department of contemporary ethnology, academic defense councils and the Shevchenko scientific society.

Attention is drawn to his nobility in communication and attitude to work.

The focus is on his manuscripts and communication be havior.

Keywords: Roman Kyrchiv, folklore studies, ethnology, Institute of Ethnology of the NAS of Ukraine, Korchyn, Galicia.

Received 22.07.2025

REFERENCES

  • Kyrchiv, R., & Yablonska, V. (comp.) (2010). Roman Kyrchiv (on the occasion of his 80th birthday): Bibliographic index. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • (2010). To the Roman Kyrchiv’s 80th anniversary The Ethnology notebooks, 1—2 [in Ukrainian].
  • Diakiv, V. (2015). The multi-vector nature of humanist scientist Roman Kyrchiv (Word about the Teacher). The Ethnology notebooks, 2, 321—326 [in Ukrainian].
  • Demian, H.V. (2018). Kyrchiv Roman Fedorovych (Original work published 2013). In: I.M. Dziuba, A.I. Zhukovsky, M.H. Zhelezniak. Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine (Vol. 13). Kyiv: The NASU Institute of Encyclopedic Research. Retrieved from: https://esu.com.ua/article-6514 [in Ukrainian].
  • (2012). And those mountains of ours became a stronghold for us in the fierce time…: Memories of the typist of the Main Propaganda Center of the OUN and the UPA Daria Malyarchyn-Shpytal. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Kyrchiv, P. (2015). Images from Galician everyday life. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • (2005). Echoes of the Holodomor-Genocide of 1932—33. Ethnocultural Consequences of the Holodomor. Lviv: Shevchenko scientific society [in Ukrainian].
  • Kyrchiv, R. (2020). How they tried to enlist me. Istorychna Pravda. Retrieved from: https://www.istpravda.com.ua/articles/5ecd039694eb4/ [in Ukrainian].
Our authors
Traditional folk clothes of velikobychkovsky hutsuly of XIX — the first half of XX century
In the study based upon numerous field materials, literature sources as well as ethnographic, historio-cultural and regional museum collections has been performed complex analysis in traditional folk clothes by Hutzul population of Velyky Bychkiv village in Transcarpathian region. Detailed descriptions of femi­nine and masculine clothing complexes of the mentioned area have been presented. In characterizing of those main attention has been paid to the detail of cut in separate components of dress; cut of feminine shirt has been added as an illustration.
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 »

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 »

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 »