FROM THE FOLKLOR OF NORTHERN PRYAZOVIE

Abstract

Literature at all times remained an essential means of ethnocultural self-expression. The study of the creativity of Greek writers makes it possible to formulate a coherent picture of the evolution of the ethnocultural self-identification of this branch of the Greek diaspora in Ukraine in the long run, especially since the migration of the Greeks from Crimea to the Northern Azov. The article examines two linguistic groups of Greeks of Azov region, specifies the differences in the language of the two ethnic groups of Greeks of the Northern Azov, conceptualizes the differences of the literary heritage of the Greek Urums and the Greek Rumeys, explores the history of folklore and literary heritage of the Greeks of the Northern Azov. The history of collecting, publishing and studying the folk art of the Greek Rumeys (mostly singing) was once the subject of a special study, and some statements on this subject can be found in the works of F. Hartahay, V. Grigorovich, D. Spiridonov, K. Kyostan. Today there are separate works that cover issues of language, culture, literature, and the history of the Greeks of the Northern Azov. But today, a holistic view of the literary legacy of the Greeks of the Northern Azov has not been presented yet. Most works focused on the coverage of cultural and historical phenomena. Unfortunately, there is lack of materials on folklore studies of the Greek Urums. The study of the works of the Greek writers allows to make a holistic view for the evolution of ethnic and cultural self-identification of this branch of the Greek Diaspora in Ukraine long time ago, and especially since the resettlement of Greeks from the Crimea to the Northern Azov. The scientific understanding of the literary heritage features all the peoples living in Ukraine, including small ethnic groups of the population for which the problem of preservation of culture is particularly relevant, is of great importance. The research of Greek writers’ heritage enriches the Ukrainian literature with new moments in understanding the diverse branches of Greek literary works, consensus on which and assessment of which do not exist yet. Introducing into the scientific study the research of the heritage of Greek poets and writers of the Northern Azov will enrich Ukrainian literary criticism with new moments in understanding the diverse branch of Greek literary work, a unified idea of which has not been evaluated yet.