The
Ukrainian journal ''Osnova'' (meaning ''Basis'' in English) was published between 1861 and 1862 in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. It contained articles devoted to life and customs of the
Ukrainian people
Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the second largest ethno-linguistic community. At around 46 million worldwide, Ukr ...
, including regular features about their wedding customs and traditions. Prominent figures were associated with the journal ''Osnova'' included Ukrainian intellectuals such as
Volodymyr Antonovych and
Tadei Rylsky (father of
Maksym Rylsky), as well as poet
Pavlo Chubynsky.
[Aleksei I. Miller, ''The Ukrainian Question: The Russian Empire and Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century'' («Украинский вопрос» в политике властей и русском общественном мнении. вторая половина XIX в.), ]Central European University Press
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
, Budapest, 2003, pp. 76-77.
Overview
In the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
expressions of
Ukrainian culture
The culture of Ukraine is composed of the material and spiritual values of the Ukrainian people that has formed throughout the history of Ukraine. Strong family values and religion, alongside the traditions of Ukrainian embroidery and Ukrainian ...
and especially
language
Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...
were repeatedly persecuted, for fear that a self-aware Ukrainian nation would threaten the unity of the Empire.
In 1811, by the Order of the Russian government the
Kyiv Mohyla Academy (established in 1632) was closed and outlawed.
In 1847, the
Brotherhood of Sts Cyril and Methodius was terminated. The same year
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (; ; 9 March 1814 – 10 March 1861) was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure, folklorist, and ethnographer. He was a fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts and a member of the Brotherhood o ...
was arrested and exiled for ten years, and banned for political reasons from expressing his views.
The journal was published monthly from January 1861 to September 1862 in
St. Petersburg. Some of its texts were published in
Russian.
Publishers:
*
Vasyl Bilozersky (editor),
*
Panteleimon Kulish,
*
Mykola Kostomarov,
* Alexander Kistyakovsky (Secretary),
* M. Scherbak and others.
Hanna Barvinok (real name Oleksandra Bilozerska-Kulish) who was
Vasyl Bilozersky's sister and
Panteleimon Kulish's wife also took part in the creation of the journal "Osnova".
"''The region, the study of which the "Osnova" will be devoted, is inhabited mainly by the southern Russian people''," - said the magazine's program. The editorial board stated that it was "''opening its journal for works in both native languages''," emphasizing that "''in our time, the question of whether it is possible and whether to write in Ukrainian is a matter of course''". The editorial board of "Osnova" called to pay special attention to the "''practical significance of the vernacular in teaching and preaching''."
In 1862,
Pavlo Chubynsky associated with ''Osnova'' was exiled for seven years out of Ukraine to
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...
. The magazine ''Osnova'' was discontinued for financial reasons.
Difficulties at the opening stage
The return of Taras Shevchenko gave a new powerful impetus to Ukrainian life in St. Petersburg. It is no coincidence that in the summer of 1858 the Ukrainian Community began to operate, aiming at publishing and educational activities. On her instructions, in October 1858, P. Kulish applied to the Ministry of Education for permission to publish the magazine "Khata" (full name: "Khata: South-Russian Journal of Literature, History and Agriculture"). Although the magazine was not supposed to be political, the ministry appealed to the Third Branch and rejected Kulishev on the basis of his recall.
The refusal was due to his participation in the Cyril and Methodius Society ten years ago. As P. Kulish himself remarked: "the minister refused, and he refused, and it was me who did not, in fact, oppose the idea of the magazine".
When a year later another relative of the Cyril and Methodius Society, a relative of P. Kulish V. Belozersky, applied to publish the magazine, the gendarmerie also objected, but less vigorously. After some time, permission was granted. It is possible that the measures of "enlightened people from St. Petersburg Russians" mentioned by P. Kulish in a letter to S. Aksakov helped. The first announcement of the forthcoming publication of the Fundamentals was published in June 1860, and the first issue was published in January 1861.
See also
*
Hromada (secret society)
*
Kievskaia starina
Notes and references
{{Reflist
Defunct magazines published in Saint Petersburg
Defunct magazines published in Ukraine
Magazines established in 1861
Magazines disestablished in 1862
Defunct Ukrainian-language magazines
1861 establishments in the Russian Empire
Local interest magazines