 Mykhailo Maksymovych Ukraine's First Social Historian By Valentin BAHINSKIY |
In 1856, an unprecedented event happened in Russia - nothing similar had happened before in Europe of that time. No, it was neither an attempt to assassinate the tsar, nor a political plot, nor even a frontier conflict. This event was very peaceful. The number of the participants was tiny. But it, no doubt, had historic and cultural significance.
One of the biggest Russian magazines, Russkaya Beseda, published the private correspondence of two authoritative professors, who had known each other since they had studied and worked together at Moscow University. What made this publication historic was the scientific dispute published for the first time on the pages of the mass-publication magazine.
One of the addressees was Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin, a professor, historian, writer and journalist who worked in Moscow and had great influence in the circles of the conservative political elite.
The second addressee was Mykhailo Olexandrovych Maksymovych, a former botany professor in Moscow and Russian language professor in Kyiv who had been retired for more than 15 years and was living in a remote region on the shore of the Dnieper River.
Maksymovych was 52 years old. He had been forced to retire as the first rector of Kyiv University and end his scientific career due to arthritis and poor eyesight. He used a magnifying glass to read.
Pogodin and Maksymovych had much in common. They shared many different scientific interests in history, natural history and languages. They had also both been acquainted with the most prominent representatives of the Russian culture of the time, including Pushkin and Gogol. Moreover, Maksymovych's real friendship with Gogol (in his letters, Gogol addressed Maksymovych "My soul") dates back to his 20s. Maksymovych was writing his master's thesis at that time, prior to compiling his doctoral thesis in botany at Moscow University.
While a friendship between a poet and a professional scientist may seem extraordinary, it was genuine. Maksymovych was such a talented lecturer that after his lessons, scholars used to say: "What is the difference, then, between science and literature?" His published works were a demonstration of the harmonic combination of scientific content and poetic expression.
Also, in 1827 Maksymovych collected and published a book, Ukrainian Folk Songs which had his comments. It was the first publication of its kind in either Russia or Ukraine, and was extremely popular among Maksymovych's compatriots, stimulating research throughout Eastern Europe.
Both Gogol and Pushkin noted the book. "I am stealing your songs here," said Pushkin when Maksymovych found him reading "Ukrainian Folk Songs." Gogol found the book a source of inspiration and help when he was working on "Dead Souls."
But back to 1856. Maksymovych is arguing with an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the officially recognized historian Pogodin. The subject of the argument is the Ukrainian language. One should note that this was a purely scientific, exceptionally correct and polite discussion.
What was more important was the cultural and political background. The two opponents were in two opposing camps: Pogodin was supporting the official opinion, Maksymovych took a defensive position.
The official policy of the Russian Empire at that time was expressed by the slogan of "fight for the purity of the language." Several zealous purists had accused the Ukrainian language of bringing foreign elements into Russian and thus polluting it. That begged the question: What status does the Ukrainian language have?
Pogodin was rather categorically loyal to the official policy: The Ukrainian language is a perverted version of Russian with an obvious influence from Polish, German and Scandinavian languages. In his 11 "Philological letters to Pogodin" (each of them is a separate self-sufficient scientific work), Maksymovych calmly cites ancient literary works and folk songs to prove that Ukrainian is more authentic than the modern territory of Ukraine, and that it had existed and developed since the 11th century. This development has been simultaneous with that of Russian. Ukrainian has never disappeared and thus has the status of a distinct, independent language.
On December 21, 1835, before leaving the post of rector, Mykhailo Maksymovych delivered a brilliant and eloquent farewell speech to the members of Kyiv University. He said: "I think that everything private, personal and individual should coincide with the universal law of necessity, without losing its distinct nature." For Maksymovych the "universal law of necessity" had a very interesting implication that he interpreted in his own way: Enlightenment, truth, faith in the future, the cooperation of peoples for the sake of progress.
Maksymovych died on November 10, 1873 at the place where he wrote his letters to Pogodin. Three months before his death, he ordered a coffin, picked out a grave and put his affairs in order. He gave instructions about his will and presented some possessions and books to his friends. In the morning of November 9, he blessed his wife and daughter and invited neighbors to spend some time in witty conversation.
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More in the section:
Samuel Adams: Ukraine's Contribution to American Liberty
Read also previous issue' articles:
A heat wave in Ukraine
"The Spirit of Hollybush" Comes to Donetsk
The new wave of Labor Migration
Home Discoveries
Asserting dignity
New Public Health for the New Ukraine
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