DOUBLE MYSTIFICATION OF THE DRAHOMANOV SISTERS

Abstract

The subject of this research is the family correspondence of the Drahomanovs, a significant part of which remains unpublished. These archival materials have been prepared for publication in the upcoming issue of the annual journal “Heritage: Literary Source Studies. Textology”. They significantly enrich our knowledge of Mykhailo Drahomanov’s life and his circle, while also presenting some complex tasks for the commentator. In particular, the letters of M. Drahomanov’s youngest brother, Oleksandr, mention his daughters Oksana and Nina. The dates mentioned in these references contradict the commonly known information about their birth years. Therefore, there is a need to clarify their actual years of birth. Oksana Drahomanova was a lawyer, a participant in Ukraine’s liberation struggle in 1918—1921, an international women’s movement activist, a writer, and a translator. Various mentions provide different birth dates for Oksana, most often 1894 but occasionally 1892. The information about Oksana and Nina Drahomanova that has been circulated in the scholarly literature is based mostly on the distant relatives’ and acquaintances’ memories, which are often unreliable in terms of dating. In addition, Oksana herself may have altered her passport data, ‘rejuvenating’ herself by at least three years during her emigration overseas. The present research incorporates modern sources and archival materials, including memories, photographs, correspondence, and other documents. A decisive piece of evidence was a photograph of little Oksana, about one and a half years old, with a gift inscription from her father, dated June 1892. Thus, it is proved that Oksana Drahomanova was actually born in early 1891, but the exact date has yet to be established. Little is known about Nina Drahomanova, with her birth year commonly believed to be 1900 or 1901. However, based on the letters of her father Oleksandr from 1898—1912, it can confidently be stated that Nina was born in 1898. In addition, through the study of sources, the exact birth date of Oleksandr Drahomanov is determined to be August 4, 1859, according to the old style. The paper demonstrates how preparing texts for publication and scholarly commentary on archival materials (in this case, epistolary ones) lead to heuristic discoveries.