Captivity is Even More Vile When it is Voluntary. Lesya Ukrainka’s Pamphlet The Voice of a Russian Prisoner

Беззуб, Юрій Віленович and Беззуб, Ірина Олександрівна (2025) Captivity is Even More Vile When it is Voluntary. Lesya Ukrainka’s Pamphlet The Voice of a Russian Prisoner Наукові праці Національної бібліотеки України імені В. І. Вернадського (75). pp. 503-524. ISSN 2224-9516

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Abstract

The article presents an analysis of Lesya Ukrainka’s pamphlet The Voice of a Russian Prisoner (1896). The work was written in response to the demonstratively solemn reception of the Russian imperial couple by the French cultural elite during their visit to France. Based on the writer’s epistolary legacy, contemporary accounts, and historical sources, the study reconstructs the historical, political, cultural, and social context that determined the emergence of this text. The pamphlet is considered an important work of Ukrainian political journalism of the late nineteenth century, combining literary reflection with civic critique. It embodies key ideas such as the condemnation of the moral degradation of artists who voluntarily subordinate their talent to despotism; the exposure of Russia’s false imperial “greatness”; the criticism of the hypocrisy of the French cultural elite, which betrayed its own revolutionary ideals; and the affirmation of the spiritual strength and moral superiority of the oppressed. Particular emphasis is placed on the motif of the “voice of the soul” as a symbol of the indestructibility of human dignity, even under repressive conditions. It has been demonstrated that The Voice of a Russian Prisoner is not only a literary text but also a significant document reflecting the formation of Lesya Ukrainka’s worldview, her civic stance, and her European outlook. The pamphlet attests to the maturity of the author’s anti-monarchist convictions, her solidarity with democratic movements and student protests, as well as her critical interpretation of the contradictions of European politics in the late nineteenth century. The article emphasizes the importance of the pamphlet as a programmatic work that combines national and pan-European dimensions of the struggle for freedom, dignity, and human rights. Its message remains relevant in the contemporary context of resisting imperial aggression and defending national independence.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Lesya Ukrainka; pamphlet; The Voice of a Russian Prisoner; Franco-Russian relations; cultural elite; European context; freedom and despotism; civic position
Subjects:	Статті у базах даних > Index Copernicus Статті у періодичних виданнях > Збірники наукових праць Статті у періодичних виданнях > Фахові (входять до переліку фахових, затверджений МОН) Статті у періодичних виданнях > Наукові рецензовані журнали (входять до інших баз, крім перерахованих та Google Academy, мають ISSN, DOI, індекс цитування)
Divisions:	Інститут післядипломної освіти > Кафедра історичної та громадянської освіти
Depositing User:	Юрій Віленович Беззуб
Date Deposited:	23 Mar 2026 13:58
Last Modified:	23 Mar 2026 13:58
URI:	https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/56697

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