Theoretical studies of identity in the sacral architecture of Ukraine

Abstract

Modern reconstruction of central districts in cities and villages with a historical environment raises discussions on the protection of cultural heritage. Architectural monuments are a reflection of changes in ideological and political transformations in society, and the attitude to them is a reflection of the culture of the nation. The need to protect the ancient Ukrainian holy places as the genetic memory of the nation, and to build modern churches that will have the features of the new Ukrainian church, became even more important in the times of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the aggravation of socio-political and national-cultural problems and insufficient coverage in studies of the process of creating and reflecting identity in Ukrainian churches. The purpose of the study was to investigate the process of shaping national identity and its visualisation by architectural means in the creation of Ukrainian churches. To achieve the goal, the following research methods were used: empirical (search for literary and archival sources, observation, comparison and description), theoretical (comparative and compositional analysis, classification and generalisation), and special research methods (full-scale survey of temples, their photo recording, identification of characteristic features and features, research of retrospective development). All this allowed investigating the process of development of the architecture of Ukrainian authentic churches in chronological order, to show the process of creating a new Ukrainian sacred style, which became the prototype of the creative search of modern architects. The researchers focused on the role of the artistic and creative elite in the creation of national identity; showed the problems of creating Ukrainian identity related to the historical past; analysed the influence of social and political factors on Ukrainian sacral architecture and the possibility of visualising the image of the national church through architecture; noted the importance of the image of Ukrainian sacral architecture for confirming national identity. The research demonstrates the importance of preserving ancient Ukrainian churches, which carry the genetic memory of the nation, supplement data on the development of sacral architecture, and open the way for further research. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the results obtained can be used by architects in the design of modern Ukrainian churches, will be useful in museum work and in educational activities for training architecture and design specialists.