Small prose by Ihor Kostetsky: the ethical aspect.

Abstract

The article is devoted to understanding of prose by Ihor Kostetsky, one of the giants of elite Ukrainian immigration, in terms of reading his works of high ethics, which accumulates cornerstone human values. Figure of I. Kostetsky, in addition, incorporates a broader problems associated with difficult conditions of life and work of Ukrainian immigration. A complex and painstaking daily work of man fascinated by a national and world culture emerges in prose by I. Kostetsky of 1940th; a man who did not think himselves out of high culture and modernism, selflessly worked for final modernistic canon of national literature and culture in general. The author argues that Ukrainian literature in the Diaspora throughout its history hardly seen as a professional stylist, a connoisseur of literary theory and practice as I. Kostecky. Kostetsky primarily interested in human responsibility for all other people and the world as such. In the story “Before the coming day” hero – OUN member – sent to perform dangerous tasks. The author notes that an unintended meeting with a familiar professor is a compositional center of the work, in a note that Jaroslav conveys to his interlocutor, ethical coordinates of fighter for the freedom of Ukraine with brilliant predictions historical destiny of different views on the fight are being outlined. In the context of the subsequent history of Ukrainian all these warnings become more important. The author says I. Kostetsky’s novella “Train stood still again and again” is the humanist manifesto of the writer. In the form of brief reflections of its character – Pylypenko – condensate of individual literary ethics is expressed contrasting an ocean of indifference and alienation of postwar society; I. Kostetsky acutely aware of human’s own responsibility for all the threatened world.