Artistic Reflection on War in the Winning Works of the Olena Teliha Contest “With Winds and Sun, God Marked My Path”

Abstract

This article examines a diverse range of works submitted to the Olena Teliha Literary and Art Contest «With Winds and Sun God Marked My Path…». Participants included senior high school pupils, college students, and students from institutes and universities across Ukraine. The purpose of this study is to explore the specific nature of military reflections in the contestants’ poetic, prose, and artistic-journalistic works, as well as to identify their genre-stylistic and thematic characteristics. A defining feature of the contemporary literary process is the emergence of poetry, prose, drama, and nonfiction that reflect on the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war of 2022. According to scholars, “books about the war that have appeared during the war and continue to be written today constitute a contemporary form of ‘gazing,’ a reflection of fear, and a kind of psychotherapy.” These works capture authors’ thoughts, impressions, and emotions about the war’s opening days, its scale, and its tragedy. They are imbued with sincere and candid emotions, hopes, and faith in victory. The core content of the submitted works centres on the events of the full-scale invasion, prompting contestants to address existential questions to which they seek answers. It was found that the poetic texts are primarily poems dedicated to both familiar and unknown war heroes. These poems are heartfelt and uplifting, portraying their heroes as courageous, brave, and proud defenders of Ukraine. In shorter genres such as novellas and short stories, narratives focus on extraordinary events and people prepared to sacrifice their lives for Ukraine’s independence. Of particular importance among the contest entries are portrait essays, featuring close and dear individuals – fathers, uncles, brothers, friends, and fellow villagers. By writing about these figures, the authors relive their experiences, grapple with their emotions, and attempt to free themselves from the traumas inflicted by the war through the act of storytelling.