Another triumph of Soviet literary studies In Krytyka, No. 5 (43), 2001, pp. 19-24.

In this article, Oleksandr Hrytsenko examines the state of Ukrainian literary studies through the prism of an analysis of the reference book Ukrainian Literature in Portraits and References. Despite its stated goal of promoting the decolonization of Ukrainian cultural consciousness, the publication reveals a significant influence of the Soviet narrative, in particular through the uncritical reproduction of materials from the Soviet-era Ukrainian Literary Encyclopedia. In addition, the text reveals a noticeable lack of editorial care and the questionable scientific quality of some articles. Some of the authors focus not so much on a professional analysis of literary phenomena as on a pathetic proclamation of the narrative of “building the Ukrainian state,” which contradicts the principles of objective research. Hrytsenko provides a balanced critical assessment of the reference book, highlighting its content and methodological flaws, which make it difficult to perceive the publication as a full-fledged tool of modern literary studies.