A Russian and Ukrainian Historical Novel: Pantelejmon Kuliš’s Čorna Rada

Chorna rada by Pantelejmon Kulish is widely recognized as the most important Ukrainian historical novel. It was written and published in 1857, in both Ukrainian and Russian. This analysis of the differences between the two versions – and especially of their diverging ideological accents – highlights the dual allegiance felt by mid-nineteenth century Ukrainian intellectuals to an all-Russian (imperial) culture and to local Ukrainian patriotism. At that time, Ukrainian writers did not consider the two allegiances mutually exclusive, and they wrote their literary works in both Russian and Ukrainian. In spite of this, the history of the composition of Chorna rada is indicative of the growing awareness of a bond between a common linguistic code and the transmission of a shared past, historical and folk traditions, and common cultural-emotional values. In this sense, the Ukrainian Chorna rada is a landmark in the formation of modern Ukrainian literature and literary language, as well as in the gradual shift of Ukrainian literature to a monolingual basis.