The Odessa Period of Life and Academic Activity of N. B. Kuziakina

The proposed article highlights the Odessa period (1956?1961) of life and creativity of the famous Ukrainian and Russian researcher of drama and theater of the 20th century Natalia Borysivna Kuziakina, focuses on the drama of academic way of scholar, observes facts of her methodological evolution. Author notes that academician moved from Izmail to Odesa, like many of her colleagues, because of program of integration of universities, there she started working as assistant professor of Ukrainian literature at Odessa I. I. Mechnikov State University, which actively developed, having considerable intellectual forces. Research and teaching activities of N. B. Kuziakina developed beyond the period of Executed Renaissance in Ukrainian literature: taught such disciplines as history of Ukrainian literature of late 19th ? early 21st century, history of modern Ukrainian drama, special course dedicated to creativity of M. Kulish etc. N. B. Kuziakina published the book “Essays on the Ukrainian Soviet drama. Part 1 (1917?1934)” (1958) which based on her dissertation. Moreover, she published the number of articles on literary-historical, theoretical, literary-critical, journalistic content, wrote works in the genre of theater reviews, actively worked over next monograph devoted to dramatist M. Kulish. It can be argued that in these years N. B. Kuziakina finally shaped as a mature researcher of Ukrainian literature and theater, defined methodologically, thematically, ideologically, heading for objectivity scientific vision of artistic fact in line with national philological school. Also author observed epistolary testimonies recorded in her memoirs about Odesa professional, personal, family ties of N. B. Kuziakina with O. V. Florovska, V. P. Saienko, I. B. Shaikevych, E. I. Kyrychenko etc., certifying her high humanity, spiritual wealth, deep professionalism, revealing facts of private biography. N. B. Kuziakina loved Odessa, visited it in the late 1980s ? early 1990s, spoke in the libraries to readers and at the various academic forums, published in local periodicals. Memory of prominent researcher must be adequately immortalized by the residents of the Black Sea Palmyra.