Ivan Franko’s Political Discourse

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the political discourse of Ivan Franko, the famous Ukrainian poet and novelist, philosopher, publicist and social activist who lived and worked in the times of Galicia. Franko’s political discourse is characteristic of many publicistic, philosophical, economic and literary texts on every stage of the writer’s work. The first stage was associated with a period of fascination with socialism, the second – with a critical reading of the classics and theoreticians of socialism, the third - with a critical assessment of Marxism.

Quite interesting, although somewhat idealistic seems to be suggested by Franko a concept of the state, organized on the principles of federation: the free community (Hromada) consisting of free units is a self-governing unit managing its own affairs in its own interests and maintaining relations (on the basis of equality) with other communities – including international relations. These are different types and levels of the federation, retaining the widest and most complete autonomy. This type of the project is represented by Franko in the artistic form in his novel Zakhar Berkut, which refers to the life of Carpathian Ruthenia of the thirteenth century.