Olena Pchilka: «To serve my highly respectable Academy with all my ability and energy is my honourable duty»

Abstract

The article highlights some folklore and ethnographic aspects of Olena Pchilka’s
activity. While living in Volyn region, Olha Kosach, the young writer, investigates its
daily realities and samples folk art. Such a valuable work as «Ukrainian Folk
Ornament”» (K., 1876), triggered the scientific ethnographic research of Ukrainian
ornamental art, becoming the turning point in the history of Ukrainian Fine Art.
Olena Pchilka is the author of scientific studies published in «Kievskaya Starina»
(Kiev Antiquity) journal. They are: «Obsolete or Initial forms of nativity drama»,
«National Types in Ukrainian Folk Language and Literature (Jewish Features)»
(1883 both), «Ukrainian Carols. (Volyn Version)» (1903). Being the editor and
publisher of «Ridnyi Krai» (Native Land) Journal, she published numerous folk and
ethnographic studies there, such as: «Our Ethnography», «Ukrainian Humour»,
«Revival of Kobza», «Ancient Ukrainian Embroidery», «Modern Kobza Playing»,
«Art painting on Ukrainian Bowls», «Woodcarving in Ukraine», «Modern
interpretation of old Dumas», «Minding Ukrainian Style», «Specific Ethnography»,
«Our Ethnography and History», etc. «Moloda Ukraina» (Young Ukraine) was the
supplement for children in «Ridnyi Krai» (Native Land) Journal where the writer
placed her folklore materials (folk stories, fairy-tales, lullabies, child’s games, the giggles, tongue-twisters, nursery-rhymes, games, Christmas cheers, puzzles, etc.).
Olena Pchilka also wrote fairy-tales and literary adaptations for children. Some
literary and art editions by Olena Pchilka are also based on folk motives. These are:
«Fancy Thoughts» (K., 1886), «Green Grove. Illustrated Verses and Fairy-Tales for
Children» (Hadiach, 1914).
In 1907 Olena Pchilka becomes the member of Ukrainian Scholastic Society in
Kyiv (USS). Since 1921 she is the member of Ethnographic Commission at the
department of History and Philology of the Academy of Sciences of Uk» aine. There
is a documentary evidence (namely «My «Curriculum Vitae» by Olena Pchilka,
Letter of Recommendation by academician A. Loboda, the head of the Commission
on Ethnography, extracts of the minutes of the Joint Meeting of the All-Ukrainian
Academy of Sciences) kept in the Institute of Manuscripts of the National Vernadskyi
Library of Ukraine with the exact date of her election as a Corresponding Member of
the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
Her last years were marked by her critical lectures on art, namely: «Ukrainian
peasant-style wall-painting», «Recent Ukrainian Legends» (1925 both) and by the
fifth ante mortem edition of «Ukrainian patterns» (1927).