Maiden Portrait in Axiological Dimension of Bulgarian Linguo-Ethnic Culture (case of the Ukrainian Bulgarians’ folklore)

The paper deals with the maiden axiological portrait reconstructed on the materials of folk songs recorded by different scholars from the Bulgarian migrants in Ukraine.The Bulgarian ethnical minority has been existing in Ukraine since the end of the 18th century. The members of the present-day Bulgarian ethnical community are the descendants of migrants from the Bulgarian lands had been annexed by the Ottoman Empire. These migrants had settled in the Southern Ukrainian prairies in present Odesa, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Some settlements had been also founded in the Crimea.Now the Ukrainian Bulgarians speak their native language and preserve their traditions, including the authentic folklore. This archaic mode of the lingual activity could help researchers to revive some peculiarities of the national worldview as a whole and the values hierarchy as an element of this national world image.The author analyzes texts of the songs and the aim is to reveal any stereotyped expressions, metaphors and comparisons in these texts. Several signs of the Bulgarian ethnic culture holding the potential to form the traditional image of the Bulgarian girl are in focus of the research. In addition to it, the article provides an analysis of accomplishments and values perceived as key factors in creation of the female ideal. Analyzing the traditional Bulgarian maiden portrait in the migrants' folk songs leads us to the conclusion that there are some exclusively important values of a "valid" girl in the Bulgarian linguistic worldview. The lingual modes of expression varies from lexemes and phrases (the girl's symbolic name, derived from something positive in the traditional culture) to the expanded descriptions of a maiden's look (white skin, black eyes, fair hair, slim waist, childness etc.) and her behavior, skills, talents.