History of Russian philosophy in Ukraine

Abstract

The study focuses on the state of the academic discipline “History of Russian Philosophy” in Ukraine, as well as the relation to Russian philosophy as a cultural phenomenon in Ukrainian academic and educational community. Within the context of correlation of Ukrainian and Russian philosophy, it has been analysed the main schemes and principles of the history of Ukrainian philosophy as an independent subject. The paper considers the transformations of the history of Russian philosophy as an academic discipline in Ukraine, the role of Kiev Philosophical School studies is emphasized. Taking as an example the discussion of national and Ukrainian philosophy, it demonstrates opposite ideological attitudes on the role of Russian philosophy in Ukraine in the past and present. The practice of teaching the history of philosophy in the context of the presence (or marginalization) of Russian philosophy in the disciplines is also analyzed. The article shows the history of the Russian Philosophy Society in Ukraine and its research, cultural, educational, and publishing activities aimed at the study of the Russian philosophical and cultural tradition in its interaction with the Ukrainian. The conclusion is made that the dominant trend is the almost complete exclusion of Russian philosophy from the Ukrainian historical and philosophical process, educational, scientific and educational discourse, public space (which is accompanied by partial “privatization” of Russian philosophy as if it were Ukrainian). This situation, caused by the politicized fragmentation of historical memory, is not only destructive for Russian philosophy in Ukraine, but also fraught with a distorted and limited understanding of Ukrainian culture and philosophy.