Jaroslav Rozumnyj analyzes Shevchenko's use of the word "Moskal" (05/06/01)

Jaroslav Rozumnyj analyzes Shevchenko's use of the word "Moskal"

by Fran Ponomarenko

MONTREAL - In commemoration of the 140th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's death, the Shevchenko Scientific Society, Prosvita-Lachine, and the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association of Montreal hosted a talk in Ukrainian by Prof. Jaroslav Rozumnyj on the subject of the use of the word "Moskal" in Shevchenko's poetry, and the subsequent commentaries on this word during the Soviet era which define it as "soldier" or "tsarist officer," but never "Russian" or "Muscovite." The lecture was held at the Ukrainian Youth Center in Montreal on March 16.

Based on newly available material about Shevchenko, Prof. Rozumnyj of the University of Manitoba advanced the thesis that Shevchenko's decision to use the word "Moskal" with its ethnic designation of "Muscovite" was a conscious political choice stemming out of the poet's anger at Russia's domination and oppression of Ukraine.

He stated that in using the term "Moskal" the poet was reflecting the prevalent "anti-imperial attitude amongst the (under-privileged) Ukrainian population," as well as his own "anger and judgment about the conduct of Russians in Ukraine."

By using the words "Moskal" and the traditional pre-Petrine appellative "Moskovschyna," Shevchenko called into question the historical right of Russian absolutism and even the political conception of imperial Russia.

This was how "Kateryna" was read at the time, stated Prof. Rozumnyj, basing his research on the 1990 collection of materials and documents dealing with the history of the clandestine Brotherhood of Ss. Cyril and Methodius. This material was published by Naukova Dumka in Kyiv under the title, "Kyrylo-Mefodiyivske Tovarystvo" (three volumes.) In the investigations against Shevchenko in 1847 the term "Moskal" in "Kateryna" was translated by the officials of the Third Section under Count Orlov's supervision (the tsarist equivalent of the KGB) to signify Russian. The famous lines: "Kokhaitesia, chornobryvi, Ta ne z moskaliamy, Bo moskali - chuzhi liudy, Robliat lykho z vamy" are rendered into Russian as follows: "Liubitie, chernobroviie, tolko ne russkikh, oni chuzhiie i vvedut vas v bedu, russkii shutia poliubit i uhdiot v svoiu Rossiiu ... oni chuzhiie i smeiutsia nad vami."

Although Ivan III (1462-1505) had used the term Rus' in his title the "ruler of all of Rus' " (gosudar vsiyeyi Rusi), it was to Peter I who introduced by decree (in 1713) the term "Russia" as a designation for the traditional "Muscovite" state. The hetman territories were henceforth to be known as "Little Russia." Ukrainians never accepted that appellation.

Furthermore, regardless of Peter's decree, the terms "Moskal" and "Moskovschyna" flourished in Ukraine, in common speech, in folklore and in literature, as is evidenced in the dictionaries of the period such as the ones compiled by Pavlo Biletskyj-Nosenko and Borys Hrinchenko, and in Kostomarov's "Book of the Genesis of the Ukrainian People." In Shevchenko's creative works the term "Russia" is used once (in the poem "Neofity"), while the words "Russian" or "Great Russian" never appear at all.

In Soviet era studies, Prof. Rozumnyj pointed out, explanations and commentaries for the word "Moskal" in Shevchenko anthologies were always given as "soldier" or "tsarist officer," and never as Muscovite or Russian, in what was obviously a concerted attempt to eradicate the negative associations surrounding the word term.

The Soviet purging of the word "Moskal" was built on the foundations of the new Russian Empire. It became imperative to eliminate all the negative connotations associated with the words "Moskal" and "Moskovschyna." New idealized images connected to humanitarianism, progress and culture could be created and would replace old meanings that conjured up serfdom, colonization and oppression. The Russians were now to be considered a "fraternal" nation, the "eldest brother" amongst the Eastern Slav nations.

The result was that Ukrainians during the Soviet period were essentially robbed of Shevchenko, for his works were annotated and altered on the basis of Soviet interests and Communist ideology. Thus, a Soviet reading of "Kateryna" shifted in significance: the girl is no longer victimized by a Russian, but by a soldier or a tsarist officer. The result is that the tragedy of Kateryna becomes a universal story of heartbreak or a Marxist reading focusing on class-struggle where victimization is due to class differences rather than victimization at the hands of a representative of the colonizing nation.

Prof. Rozumnyj also examined Kateryna's expulsion from her parents' home, maintaining that this was a punishment for betraying her nation and herself. Her mother tells Kateryna to leave her homeland and migrate to Muscovy in the lines, "Doniu moia. Idy od nas."

Many other aspects surrounding the word "Moskal" were discussed, and other works by Shevchenko were also examined in detail such as "Velykyi Liokh." Prof. Rozumnyj concluded by stating that, unfortunately the current situation with regard to explanations about the word "Moskal" had not improved noticeably over Soviet times. He provided several examples from the 1991 edition of Shevchenko's poetry.

After the talk there was a lively discussion period moderated by Prof. Yarema Kelebay, who also introduced the speaker. The following day Prof. Rozumnyj traveled to Ottawa where he delivered the same talk. This presentation in the nation's capital was attended by the Ukrainian ambassador and other Embassy staff. A third presentation followed a few days later in Winnipeg.

Many participants remarked that Prof. Rozumnyj is to be commended for reopening discussion on a subject that has been marked by interpretations based on political expediency rather than proper scientific hermeneutics.

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