Galician Satire: Hutsuls, Boiko, Lemko, Kholmschaks – Separation or Personification of Ukrainianness?

Abstract

Artists of the first half of the 19th century (Yu. Glogovskyi, M. Yablonovs­kyi, etc.) depicted mainly ethnographic types of peasants of the Carpathian and Kholm regions and other territories, which corresponded to the spirit of romanticism – the search for national roots, admiration for folk customs, crafts, and clothing.

In the second half of the 19th century – beginning of 20th century caricaturists of the satirical press also added a distinct political context to the images of Hutsul, Lemko, Boiko and Kholmschak – in texts and drawings – mountain people appeared mainly as positive heroes who contributed to understanding the main idea of the transformation of society from Rusynism to Ukrainianism, the consolidation of all the above-mentioned groups in this way.

Most often, the image of a Rusyn-Western Ukrainian – Galician took on the ethnographic features of Hutsuls (illustrations by V. Lutsyk, K. Ustyianovych), Boiko (illustrations by S. Sуdorovуch, T. Romanchuk), Lemko (illustration by E. Turbatskyі), and there was less satire on the aspirations of the Verkhovyna people to separate.

Kholmschaks – a group that had not distinct ethnographic features, like the Carpathian highlanders, attracted artists to a lesser extent as an object of heroi­sation, and in satire acquired a grotesque comic quality – provincialism and low education were emphasized (illustrations from Lviv magazines of the Polonophile “Szczutek”, the Ukrainophile “Zerkalo”). Loyalty to Russian tsarism was promoted (Moscowphile magazine “Strakhopud”), which gave in perspective certain subjective stereotypes about an underdeveloped national consciousness.