LANGUAGE SITUATION IN LVIV BASED ON THE LITERARY TEXTS BY YURII VYNNYCHUK

Abstract

In the article, the linguistic situation of Lviv in the twentieth century has been explored. The “Tango of Death” (Ukrainian: “Tanho smerti” (2013) and “Censor of Dreams” (Ukrainian: “Tsensor sniv”) (2016) by Yurii Vynnychuk were chosen for analysis. These novels depict a special Lviv type, who speaks colourful Ukrainian “Lviv” language and who is ready to fight for the city and for his presence in it.
Since Lviv had been chosen as the place of action, ethnic and language situation in the city was described. The study showed that Ukrainian, Polish, German and Jewish languages had been utilized in the social and cultural space of inter-war Lviv. Moreover, Yurii Vynnychuk described his characters as those people whose level of language stability was high. For them Ukrainian language was not only as a means of communication but also as a tool of resistance.
On the other hand, language situation and changes that took place in the city’s space during the Soviet Union period were depicted in the aforementioned texts. Furthermore, the author examines the influence of Bolshevik policy on the internal structure of Lviv koine and linguistic landscape.
Thus, our research explores that in the novels by Yurii Vynnychuk space of Lviv as well as mentality, historical collective and individual memory, signs, symbols and language situation have been changing during the XXth century.