Allusion to the Trojan myth in the legendary toposphere of Kyiv

Abstract

The research is devoted to the study of allusions to the Trojan myth in the legendary toposphere of Kyiv, whose foundations go back centuries and are immersed in the mythological layer of human historical development. Kyiv has become not only the center of structuring the proto-state of Ukraine, but also a symbol of the formation of the socio-cultural identity of its inhabitants. For centuries, Kyiv has occupied a special place among the iconic cities of the European continent, which makes it important to study its cultural topoi. The purpose of the study is to identify, analyze, and synthesize mythological patterns of Trojan themes in the socio-cultural landscape of Kyiv and their impact on the processes of forming collective self-awareness and proto-national identity. The study analyzes the reception of the Trojan myth on the basis of Kyiv toponymy and mythopoetics, chronicle sources and literary works, which allows us to construct its mythological palimpsest, which without the Trojan theme would be deprived of an expressive layer. The study traces the transformation of mythological representations of the Kievan Rus era, which were later in demand in Ukraine during the Baroque period. Ultimately, a retrospective study of the field of proto-national myth in the variations of mythologies as its constituent elements allows us to reach a deeper level of collective mentality, which is the basis for the development of national identity through the realization and adaptation of deep symbolic structures. The Trojan theme has not yet been presented in urban studies of Kyiv, although it has a certain number of manifestations in the cultural environment of the city. The study is based on the use of general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis of cultural information. The interpretive method was used to model theoretical constructs. Among the special methods, myth restoration was chosen as a priority. The hypothesis put forward in the study and its testing are reliable and presented for the first time.