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Section 3. History and archaeology
Section 3. History and archaeology
Babkova Nadezhda Vyacheslavovna, Kharkov State Academy of Culture, lecturer of the Department of History of Ukraine and World History E-mail: [email protected]
“Cossack with Musket” in the process of formation of Ukrainian state symbols in the 20-21 century
Abstract: the paper is dedicated to the history of national emblem formation during the establishment of Ukrainian State. It deals with the part that was played by the coat of arms of Zaporizhian Host — the “Cossack with Musket" — in such process.
Keywords: Ukrainian State, national emblem, historical tradition.
Every nation within its history pedestals in its consciousness this or that melody, this or that architectural monument, an animal or a bird, a plant or a river. Some of them become the official symbols of nation and state. Within the Ukrainian history abundant in such elements, Cossack kleinods were treated with particular respect, which was reflected in the process of restoration of the Ukrainian national statehood. One of the most important issues on such path was the development and legitimization of the national state symbols — the flag, the coat of arms and the anthem.
At the official level, the issue of national emblem creation appeared after the 29th ofJune 1917, when the representatives of the Temporary Government — O. F. Kerensky, M. I. Tereshchenko and I. G. Tsereteli — undertook an obligation to recognize the Central Council as the supreme government authority in Ukraine [8, 110]. On the 16th of September 1917, M. S. Grushevsky published his thoughts regarding the Ukrai-nian-emblem symbols in the newspaper “Narodna volia” (“National will”) [6, 4]. The author had no preferences in respect of this or that emblem image. The Ukrainian intelligentsia split down the middle on the issue of a new state emblem: supporters of a historical course, who drew upon the national and historical tradition of the Ukrainian nation, and supporters of a modern course, the main idea whereof was to develop a new emblem symbol for the young state. The Chairman of the Central Council was also among those who supported the second one.
In November 1917, a meeting of the Preparatory Commission took place under the chairmanship of M. S. Grushevsky, among the participants whereof were historians, lawyers and artists. Though there were proposals made in favor of the “Cossack with musket”, M. S. Grushevsky insisted on the idea, which also found its supporters, that the symbol was not fit for the emblem of new Ukraine [3, 5].
The Commission considered several designs of new emblems. And namely, the Central Council Chairman proposed to use a golden plough against the blue background as
a symbol of creative peaceful labour. Around the plough, in a semicircle, they had to put the symbol of the old Kievan State of Vladimir the Great, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia, and the coat of arms of the Hetmanate — the Cossack with musket. At the bottom, under the plough, there were to be the emblems of Kiev and Lvov as two major cultural centers of Ukraine. At the top, there had to be a dove with an olive branch from the seal of the so called “Great Duchy of Ruthenia”, 1657. As shield bearers, M. S. Grushevsky proposed to use the symbol of working people — a woman with a sickle and worker with a hammer [4, 28].
Independent of the authority M. S. Grushevsky had, his desires remained unfulfilled. The Commission failed to adopt any particular decision, and the problem was solved not so much due to its activity, as due to an impulse “from beyond”. In December 1917, the first bank notes of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and post stamps were issued, wherein a trident was already portrayed.
On the 1st of March 1918, the Small Council, which at that time was located in Korosten City, made a decision to adopt as an emblem of the Ukrainian People’s Republic the symbol of the Kievan State during the reign of Vladimir the Great [16, 26]. The main reason for choosing the trident as a national emblem was the need in emphasizing the heredity of Ukrainian state formation from the Kievan Rus, and the idea of unity of Ukrainian lands that were united into a single powerful state formation right in the epoch ofVladimir the Great. V. G. Krichevsky, a drawing artist, was entrusted with making design sketches of a new symbol.
Already before the official approval of trident, mass media started having heated disputes in respect of appropriateness to take such symbol for an emblem of the new state. On the 22nd ofJanuary 1918, L. M. Tsegelsky in his article gave priority, among other national emblems, to the golden Galician lion and to Cossack with musket. According to the author, it is those symbols that fully characterized the establishment
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“Cossack with Musket” in the process of formation of Ukrainian state symbols in the 20-21 century
of statesmanship in Ukraine [14, 1]. The next author’s article criticized the emblems proposed by Grushevsky — the assemblage with plough, golden stars and letters, and again proposed the Galician lion and Cossack with musket [15, 1].
Leonid K. also made a stand for the Cossack with musket, who fully considered it to be the product of creative work of only our people, and there existed no similar emblem among the emblems ofother nations. Moreover, the Cossack’s image was a creation of the magnificent and brilliant period of our history that brought glory and eternal life to our people and history. It is the emblem of a period in our history that symbolizes struggle for and defense of the whole national independence [13, 27-28].
Having taken the above statement as a basis, the Cossack with musket was supported also by G. I. Narbut and V. L. Modzalevsky, who later became the authors of the Ukrainian State emblem project at the times of Hetman P. P. Sko-ropadsky [10, 122].
After the Hetmanate was established, V. L. Modzalevsky and G. I. Narbut started working toward cancellation of the approved emblems and seals of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, while criticizing them for unsatisfactory aesthetic appearance and incompliance with heraldic standards. In a reporting notice addressed to the State Secretary, S. V Zavadsky, dated 19 June, it was stated that G. I. Narbut agreed to develop proj ects of new privy and great state seals, as well as an emblem [5, 101].
A project of privy seal was finished by Narbut on the 23rd of August. It depicted a Cossack with musket in an 8-side shield; the shield framed a baroque cartouche and crowned a trident; in a circle on both sides there was an inscription saying “Ukrainian State”. Those were the elements that indicated the continuity for the Hetmanate not only of the historical tradition of the Kievan Rus formation and the Cossacks, but also that of the Ukrainian People’s Republic [16, 1-2]. Narbut managed to finish the final versions of the state seal and emblem only in the middle of November. The projects were transferred to the Head Administration of Arts and National Culture by the State Secretary,
S. V Zavadsky. Under his signature, on the 21st of November, invitations were sent out to participate in commission’s work chaired by PYa. Doroshenko, on the agenda whereof it was to discuss the emblem and seal projects [17, 1].
According to P. P. Gai-Nyzhnyk, the sketch designed by G. I. Narbut was approved on the 29th of November 1918 by the Special Commission for Ukrainian Emblem Development as the National Emblem of Ukrainian State [2, 108]. However A. B. Grechylo considers that such symbol was never actually officially adopted. An evidence thereof was also a reporting notice of the Chairman of Commission for Development of Emblem Design for the Ukrainian Peoples Republic of the Directorate times, which stated that no emblem — the Cossack with musket in a shield and the symbol of Prince Vladimir in a crest — was never approved by the Hetman government [11,118]. But still, it was used in various spheres in the era of P. Skoropadsky’s government.
When the Directorate’s government came to power and the Ukrainian People’s Republic was restored, the issue of
state symbols development came up again. After the deed of association of the West-Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Ukrainian People’s Republic, there appeared a need in the creation of an emblem of the United Ukraine. A project approved by the Ministry of People’s Education of the Ukrainian People’s Republic provided for making an emblem in the form of a shield that is vertically divided in two parts; the first one would depict a Cossack of blue color with a rifle, against the golden background (the symbol of the Zaporizhian Host, the Hetmanate and partially of the Right-Bank Ukraine), in the second one — a golden lion in a blue field (the emblem of Galicia from the ancient times), along the vertical line — a panel depicting the golden symbol of Prince Volodymyr against the blue background. The crest would be a flying dove with an olive branch (the emblem of the Great Duchy of Ru-thenia, 1659), instead of mantling — a cartouche in Ukrainian baroque style [11, 119]. Due to the military and political situation of Ukraine that came about in the end of 1919 - beginning of 1920, the project couldn’t be implemented.
Only after proclamation of the modern Ukrainian State, there again came up the issue of using the coat of arms of the Zaporizhian Host in state heraldry. Thus, Article 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that the Great National Emblem of Ukraine shall be established taking into account the small National Emblem of Ukraine and the coat of arms of the Zaporizhian Host [9, 6]. For execution of the Supreme Council’s Decree “On State Symbols of Ukraine” dated 3 September 1996 and the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 2 November 1996 “On Holding a Tender for the Best Design Sketch of the Great National Emblem of Ukraine and the Best Text of the National Anthem of Ukraine”, a specially formed State Commission for preparation and holding of the tender for the best design sketch of the Great National Emblem of Ukraine, on the 11th ofJune 1997 approved a project prepared by a team of contributors composed of M. F. Dmy-triyenko, O. A. Ivakhnenko, V S. Mitchenko, Yu. K. Savchuk.
The new state symbol looked as follows: a golden trident on a blue shield held by a yellow lion in a crown and a Cossack with musket. Under the shield there was a band in national colors and wheat ears interwoven with cranberry bunches. And a crown above everything. The image of lion represented western regions of the country, of Cossack — eastern part of the state, cranberry — the aggregate image of Ukraine, crown — the state sovereignty [7, 7-9].
In January 2001, the Supreme Council of Ukraine received a bill proposing to approve such project. According to L. Volga, the design sketch wasn’t approved because it generated many remarks. First of all, the crown — a symbol of monarchy — had nothing in common with our historical tradition; second of all — the Cossack referring in the project to the coat of arms of Zaporizhian Host failed to correspond thereto neither iconographically, nor by colors; third of all — there were given remarks in respect of the mantling size [1,4].
After much discussion, on the 18th ofJuly 2009, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft Law “On the
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Section 3. History and archaeology
Great Emblem of Ukraine”, the basis whereof was practically without changes formed by a design developed by employees of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 1997. At this point, the project is under consideration of representatives of the special-purpose committee for state building and local self-government of the Supreme Council of Ukraine [12, 18].
Thus, during the XX century, together with the attempts to restore the Ukrainian statesmanship and formation of national symbols, there arose the issue of the part of Cossack traditions in such process. For the first time, such problem appeared in the era of the Central Council, but its representatives rejected using the coat of arms of Zaporizhian Host as a central element of new state heraldry. Much greater development was reached by such process in the reign of Hetman P. P. Skoropadsky, but according to archive sources, the great and privy state seals depicting the Cossack with musket, due to change of political regimens, remained only in project in the end. When the Directorate’s government came to power, the issue of restoring the tradition of using the emblem
of Ukrainian Cossack State came up in the course of reunification of West-Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Ukrainian People’s Republic. The Cossack with musket had to become one of the symbols of the united Ukrainian lands. However, just like in the previous period, the project was adopted only on paper.
Development of the process of including the Cossack with musket in state heraldry started anew after proclamation of our state’s independence. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, it is this element, which shall make a component part of the Great National Emblem of the country. Employees of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine developed a project, but as it gave rise to numerous remarks of both, specialists and common citizens, the draft law on the Great National Emblem of Ukraine still remains at the stage of review by the Special-Purpose Committee of the Supreme Council. Thus, just like in the period of the 1917-1921 national-liberation competitions, the issue of using the Cossack with musket in the state emblem still remains unsolved.
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Dalibor M. Elezovic, University of Mitrovica, Ph. D, Department of History, the Faculty of Philosophy E-mail: [email protected]
Seifert’s explication of historicism and the subject of research of historical science
Abstract: This paper considers the interpretation of historicism and historical method that was given by a philosopher of science, Helmut Seifert. For this philosopher, the subject of study of historical science is comprehensive, and
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