“CineSkovoroda”: Cinematic Update of the Biography

Abstract

The article concerns the relevance of the issue of genre heredity between literature and cinema. The cinematography actively turned to the genre of biography even in the first decades of its development, in the era of the silents. It did not disappear from the view of cinematographers throughout the 20th century. Recently, this genre has been activated both in cinema and on television, which increased the interest of researchers. Hence, the receptive problematics of the Ukrainian philosopher, theologian, poet and teacher Hryhorii Skovoroda’s biography (1722–1794) is analysed in the cinematographic discourse. It was noticed that the figure of the outstanding philosopher did not attract the proper attention of cinematographers either in Soviet period (only one feature film and one documentary film were shot) or in the time of Ukraine’s Independence. However, even those few films only partially represent the “Ukrainian Socrates” to the viewer. It is stated that documentary production, in contrast to the feature films, is represented by a number of films about Hryhorii Skovoroda, which, of course, differ in their quality and creative potential. However, having an aesthetic and cognitive value, they all present a certain way of processing biographical material (letters, memories, stories of contemporaries), his writings and creative works (philosophical, literary, musical works) and perform an important function of popularizing this outstanding personality and his creative heritage. It is concluded that the cinematographic actualization of the philosopher’s biography and works in recent decades is due to the new historical situation, to the desire to perceive his legacy in a new light, to debunk the existing biographical myths. Skovoroda’s philosophical ideas not only remain relevant in the 21st century, but also appear as markers of Ukrainian identity in the modern reality.