The multifaceted and complex processes of the origin of peoples and cultures constantly attract the attention of researchers of various years. The centuries-old history of the Ukrainian nation has allowed to create its own cultural heritage and make a significant contribution to world culture.
The origins. Tripoli culture
The history of Ukrainian culture originates in the 4th millennium BC. e. It was at this time that scientists attribute the heyday of the Tripoli culture. The first inhabitants of Ukrainian lands were farmers and pastoralists. They cultivated the land, raised cattle, and were engaged in various crafts.
Trypillians lived in fairly large cities, the number of which was about 10 thousand inhabitants. They worshiped their own gods, kept their calendar, regularly watched the movement of celestial bodies.
Ukraine between the old and the new era
Cimmerians populated the territory of modern Ukraine in the 9-7 centuries. BC. This nomadic tribe did not have a developed culture, leaving behind a lot of reminders. The pottery and copper products of the Cimmerians, preserved to this day, amaze with the subtlety of work and the grace of decoration even for sophisticated connoisseurs.
The culture of Ukraine received a powerful impetus during the heyday of the Scythian power. Archaeologists find many works of art and household items during excavations of Scythian barrows. The heyday of the Scythian power falls on the 4th century BC. e. Subsequently, the Scythian power was conquered and assimilated by the Sarmatians. Cultural monuments of Ukraine of that time are ceramic products, jewelry made of precious metals, weapons.
The patterns were zoomorphic in nature - the Scythians were descended from various real and mythical animals. Among the creatures they worshiped were horses, goats, deer, and even griffins.
Scythians and Sarmatians had extensive trade and cultural ties with Greek policies that flourished on the shores of the Black Sea. It is from the written sources of the Greeks that contemporaries draw information about the culture of the pra-Ukrainian peoples of those times. Greek cities fell into decay by the 5th century AD. e., when the beginning of the construction of a new Slavic state - Kievan Rus.
Culture of Kievan Rus
At the beginning of the 1st millennium, the civilization of the Eastern Slavs began to form. Small tribes united in alliances, cities and defensive fortifications arose. Our ancestors knew the nature of their land, worshiped their gods. Even before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs had developed architecture, there was a written language and a set of beliefs that explained the origin of the elements and natural phenomena.
Kievan Rus existed in the 9-13 centuries. The culture of the people of Ukraine originates precisely in the heritage of this great state. Together with Christianity, writing came to these lands, trade and cultural ties with other countries revived. The culture of Ukraine in the era of Kievan Rus is known to us thanks to the literature of that time, magnificent examples of temple and secular architecture, icon painting and oral folklore. The Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev dates back to the times of Kievan Rus, a wonderful example of ancient Ukrainian architecture.
The constant invasions of the nomads and bloody feuds turned the great country into many small principalities. So Kievan Rus ceased to exist.
Culture of Ukraine in the 14-17th centuries
Most of the territory of modern Ukraine in the 14th century became part of the Principality of Lithuania. The cultural traditions of Russia provided an incentive for the formation of educational and cultural processes in the Lithuanian principality.
The first book printer in Ukraine was Bulgarian Ivan Fedorov. Having mastered the printing industry in Moscow, in 1566 he arrived in Ukraine, where he founded the first printing house in the city of Zabludov. In these years, the first Ukrainian books were published - Abetka and The Teaching Gospel. Later, a branch was opened in the city of Ostrog. He became famous for having published the Ostrog Bible.
During this period, Ukrainian architecture was transformed. Defensive elements disappear in buildings and castles, castles become more convenient and spacious. Old buildings are being restored, the tree is being replaced by stone.
Noticeable changes have occurred in Ukrainian icon painting. The Ukrainian icon acquires its own recognizable features, the images become warm and humane. There are more everyday and genre scenes in painting.
Education in Ukraine
The development of culture in Ukraine after the collapse of the Principality of Lithuania somewhat slowed down. This is due to the fact that most of the Ukrainian lands became part of the Commonwealth. Ukrainian culture and the Orthodox Church began to be subjected to pressure from the Polish authorities. During this period, a special literary genre emerged - polemical literature in which Ukrainian authors defended their national and religious authenticity. The level of education is increasing, a large number of schools and theological institutions are being formed, and in 1701 the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the first higher educational institution of the Eastern Slavs, appeared.
Ukrainian baroque
The impetus for the further development of the Ukrainian nation was the national revolution in 1648-1676. The culture of Ukraine of the 18th century is characterized by the emergence of a special artistic style, called “Ukrainian Baroque”. The art of this trend is characterized by dynamism, a tendency to allegories, pomp and theatricality of reality.
Ukrainian culture of the 18th century
Architectural monuments of culture of Ukraine give an idea of this particular style, which successfully combined the European style with the traditions of ancient Russian architecture. Great examples of Ukrainian baroque architecture are the Intercession Cathedral in Kharkov and the St. George Church of the Vydubychi Monastery in Kiev.
Painting of the 18th century reflected the worldwide trend of the Baroque style - rich decorations, gilding and complex semantic composition. This trend also affected icon painting. In the images, the introduction of the Ukrainian ethnic type is observed, and historical figures are also iconized. A school of icon painting opens in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
The development of culture in Ukraine is impossible to imagine without the literary masterpieces of that time. New directions appear in literature: in contrast to dogmatic religious literature, secular works of various genres are created - satire, epigram, poetry and others. The famous Aeneid of Kotlyarevsky, the odes of G. Skovoroda, and the scientific works of F. Prokopovich belong to this time.
Summing up, we can say that the culture of Ukraine in the 17-18 century gained a second wind and began to develop and develop new directions in art, painting and literature.