Historiographical Achievements and Modern Scientific Approaches to the Study of the Spiritual Foundations of Ukrainian Culture

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the state of recording and studying the spiritual foundations of Ukrainian culture based on archival, written sources, and scientific works with a projection on the calendar ritual as one of the basic constants of the civilizational progress of Ukrainians. To achieve this goal, it is important to consider the chronological principles of structuring folk culture, as well as the mutual influence of the religious and secular components as integral components in the context of studying the sacred sphere.

The methodological basis of the study is based on the principles of scientific knowledge: historicism, generalization, and a systematic approach for a comprehensive and reliable analysis of the topic, as well as a combination of general scientific methods with special historical methods.

The scientific novelty and conclusions. Introducing new source material on traditional and modern Ukrainian calendar rituals collected during the author’s field ethnographic expeditions in 1997—2012 into scientific circulation. A detailed study of the source base of this issue makes it possible to state that the mutual influence of the religious and secular components of the proposed topic requires a thorough scientific supplement. In the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and after its ending, there is a need for an effective program of state-level measures aimed at reviving and promoting traditional spiritual culture to form a unified political and civil Ukrainian nation.