Ukrainian literature in the context of reception aesthetics: Marko Pavlyshyn’s interpretations

Abstract

The article examines the understanding of Ukrainian literature in the context of reception aesthetics through the prism of Marko Pavlyshyn’s scholarly interpretations. The study is based on the principles of reception aesthetics, which foreground the figure of the reader and the dynamics of his or her perception over time. A key aspect is that the literary work is regarded not as an isolated object, but as a structure functionally oriented toward the addressee. In the classical triad of “author — work — reader,” the emphasis shifts specifically to the analysis of readers’ experience, interpretations, and evaluations.

The article analyses Marko Pavlyshyn’s key approaches to the interpretation of the Ukrainian literary process, in particular his attention to the reader’s horizon of expectations, cultural context, and the dialogue between national tradition and Western European theoretical models. Special attention is paid to how the scholar combines concepts of reception aesthetics with the analysis of specific literary texts by I. Kotliarevsky, O. Honchar, Yu. Andrukhovych, P. Zahrebelnyi, and M. Rudenko, demonstrating the openness of Ukrainian literature to a multiplicity of readings. It is emphasised that Marko Pavlyshyn’s interpretations contribute to the rethinking of canonical works and literary phenomena, illuminating them in the light of changing cultural and social conditions of reception. The article also outlines the significance of reception aesthetics for contemporary literary studies as a tool for overcoming static, normative approaches to textual analysis.

It is concluded that Marko Pavlyshyn’s scholarly work represents an important contribution to the development of Ukrainian literary studies, as it broadens the methodological boundaries of literary analysis and affirms the idea of the reader’s active role in the formation of the meanings of a literary work.