3_A Talk between Great Russia and Little Russia
(excerpt)
Context
- Author(s): Semen Divovych
- Date of Publishing: 1762
- Historical Placement: While Ukrainian national consciousness was at a very low level among the elite during the time period, some notion of regional pride was very present. It's main mission was for the region to prosper under the empire. This text argues that case from the perspective of Ukraine (or "Little Russia"), which is figuratively talking to Russia (referred to as "Great Russia").
Summary
The text opens with an assertion by Little Russia, that it is not inferior to Great Russia, but that they share a common ruler. It goes on to explain that the different adjectives used to describe them simply refer to the size of their territories, not in importance. Little Russia reasserts that they are equals and part of "one whole", and ends by asserting that it's elite should have the same rights as those in Great Russia.
Takeaways
- The text presents the relationship between Russia and Ukraine as parallel to that of Poland and Lithuania after the Union of Hadiach (4_Polish_Lithuanian Rule). In that arrangement, the Hetmanate wanted to join the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as a third equal partner to Poland and Lithuania.
- It leans very heavily into the belief that there is no significant difference between the two entities, which means that it sees Little Russia as distinct.
Source
Ralph Lindheim & George Luckyj (eds.), Towards an Intellectual History of Ukraine: An Anthology of Ukrainian Thought from 1710 to 1995 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996), pages (69-70) .
Academia link | DOI