Authors

Mariia Ivanytska¹;  ¹ Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine

Discussion

How can literature find language for the catastrophic, the unspeakable? How do artists depict dehumanization and the struggle for survival in extreme situations? Such catastrophic themes include the Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933 (Holodomor), one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century. While it was totally concealed within the Soviet Union and little known abroad, the famine has been recognized as genocide in Ukraine, although denied by Russia, and only recently acknowledged by many other countries. The first texts on Holodomor, written by Ukrainian authors in exile, remained at the periphery of European and American literary discourse –  often for political reasons. This paper examines two novels by exiled authors –  Maria by Ulas Samchuk (1934) and The Yellow Prince by Vasyl Barka (1962) – as well as The Age of Red Ants (2022), a novel by contemporary Ukrainian writer Tanya Pyankova. Through analysis of the narrative modes, compositional structure, and metaphors in these works, this study explores how each novel verbalizes the catastrophe and the methods employed to articulate such profound trauma. Additionally, selected verses on the Holodomor by Vasyl Barka are analyzed. Moreover, the catastrophe is analysed on the cinematic level by referring to two films: the Ukrainian Hunger 33 (1991) and the Polish-British-Ukrainian Mr. Jones (2019). In particular, Mr. Jones sheds light on a unique perspective – the response of the global press and public to a “foreign” catastrophe. The paper addresses the phenomenon of the "blurred" catastrophe, examining the challenges in representing and recognizing such historical traumas across cultural and national boundaries.