THE PECULIARITY OF CHINA REPRESENTATION IN SOFIIA YABLONSKA'S TRAVELOGUE «FROM THE LAND OF RICE AND OPIUM»

Abstract

Background. In the 1930s, the Ukrainian literary and artistic community followed with great interest the vividly detailed and colorful descriptions of China that Sofiia Yablonska published in the Galician magazine «Nova Khata». Her travel notes, rich in deep observations and reflections on Chinese socio-political life, introduced readers to an unknown world of a distant culture. These descriptions not only expanded the horizons of Ukrainian readers but also played a fundamental role in Ukrainian-Chinese communication, laying the groundwork for mutual understanding and cultural exchange between two nations. By highlighting cultural differences and similarities in her works, Sofiia Yablonska created a kind of bridge that facilitated the convergence and mutual enrichment of Ukrainian and Chinese cultures.

Methods. The study employed the following methodological approaches: the method of analysis and synthesis allowed for identifying key features and trends in the documentary prose of early 20th-century travel writers; the comparative method enabled the discovery of similarities and differences in the socio-cultural practices and political tendencies of China and Ukraine in the 1930s.

Results. Sofiia Yablonska's personal travel experience and professional skills played a crucial role in her methods of depicting the image of China in her travelogue «From the Land of Rice and Opium». Thanks to her knowledge of photography and cinematography, artistic talent, resilience, and passion despite challenging travel conditions, Ukrainina travaler was able to fully capture the living conditions of early 20th-century China. In her quest to reveal the true China, she deliberately minimized contact with Europeans, prioritizing close communication with the Chinese people. Her descriptions reveal the social, historical, and national characteristics of China at that time, including issues of corruption, war, opium addiction, and European influence. Her travelogue provides insights into the unique traits of Chinese reality and highlights the differences in worldview between Ukrainians and Chinese nations.

Conclusions. The conclusion presents the thesis that the multifaceted presentation of material and the multidimensional narrative style in Sofiia Yablonska’s work make it a valuable source for linguistic, psycholinguistic, and social studies, offering a deeper understanding of both cultural features and interpersonal relations in contemporary Chinese society.