REFLECTION OF LESIA UKRAINKA’S AESTHETIC VIEWS IN HER EPISTOLARY LEGACY

The article analyses a number of letters (to B. Grinchenko, M. Dragomanov, N. Kibalchich, M. Kosach, O. Kosach, A. Krymskyi, M. Pavlyk) where problems of the Ukrainian literature state are raised to a certain extent; the appraisal is given to the quality of both literary works and literary criticism articles written by Ukrainian authors; the prospects of development of Ukrainian literature are named. This has been made with the aim of showing literary and aesthetic views of Lesia Ukrainka as an active participant of the literary processes taking place at that point of time. The letters analyzed give us an opportunity to state that the aesthetic tastes of the writer, her understanding of the very essence of art and the assignments given to Ukrainian belles-lettres and criticism are directed to the best achievements of European literatures (French, German, Polish). For instance, speaking about the literary value of early essays of O. Kobylianska, Lesia Ukrainka explains their success by the fact the manner of writing of the author was formed under the influence of German authors. And vice verse, the general weakness of Ukrainian literature of that time is explained by the fact the descriptions in the style of Levitchkyi and Chaichenko prevail, and they are approved by critics who stick to “average folk” manner of writing (S. Efremov). As a result, the modernism of Lesia Ukrainka way of thinking is becoming obvious in her demand to master a proper literary form because without it it's impossible to depict a person as an individuality in the most convincing way. The results of this investigation can be used in the course of the History of Modernism Development in Ukrainian Literature.