MYKOLA MUŠINKA AS A RESEARCHER AND PROMOTER OF VOLODYMYR HNATIUK’S LEGACY

Abstract

The article is devoted to highlighting the contribution of the renowned folklorist, literary scholar, Ukrainian studies researcher, organizer of academic events, and Academician Mykola Mušinka to the study of the outstanding Ukrainian folklorist and ethnographer Volodymyr Hnatiuk. It emphasizes that this topic occupies a central place in Mušinka’s scholarly work and is closely connected to his own formation and development as a researcher. Both his candidate (PhD) and doctoral dissertations were dedicated to examining the life and creative path of V. Hnatiuk.
The article underscores the originality and novelty of Mušinka’s studies, his enhancement of previous scholars’ work on this subject, and lists his key academic publications in this field. In particular, attention is given to the monograph “Volodymyr Hnatiuk: His Life and His Work in the Fields of Folklore Studies, Literary Criticism, and Linguistics” (first published in 1987 and reissued in 2012). The author notes that this book represents the first comprehensive attempt to characterize Hnatiuk’s scholarly activity and to portray his personality against the backdrop of his era. Mušinka analyzed Hnatiuk’s contribution to the study of various folklore genres, as well as the methods he used in collecting and processing materials.
Special attention is also given to Mykola Mušinka as an organizer of academic events and a promoter of Ukrainian folklore, with a focus on his efforts to disseminate knowledge about Volodymyr Hnatiuk’s work and to properly commemorate his legacy (through organizing thematic scholarly conferences, arranging the restoration of the folklorist’s grave, and other initiatives). Notably, it was Mušinka who proposed naming the Pedagogical Institute in Ternopil after Volodymyr Hnatiuk (now Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University).
The article concludes that Academician Mykola Mušinka made a significant contribution to the study of Volodymyr Hnatiuk’s life and work, as evidenced by his academic research and active organizational efforts.