With its origins and history, the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture is fully connected with the establishment and development of Donetsk (Stalin) Pedagogical Institute, later Donetsk State University, since 2001 – Donetsk National University, and since October 2016 – Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University.
It was founded by a very small number and only over the years has acquired its own dimension – focused on training specialists in Ukrainian language and literature, applied linguistics at all levels of accreditation – bachelor’s degree, specialty (until 2017), master’s degree, nurturing in the Donetsk region, and since November 2014 in Vinnytsia region, theoretical research in linguistics (including the study of morphology and syntax, word formation and lexicology, phonetics and phonology; regular expeditions to collect dialectological material, its organization; development of new and latest technologies for teaching Ukrainian in higher and secondary school, etc). All this made it possible to preserve the constant activity of the department, to distinguish it against the national background with its unique handwriting, its own scientific concepts.
During its existence, the department has changed its name several times in accordance with the profile of activities and needs of the educational process. Until 2007, it was called the Department of Ukrainian Language, with the opening of the specialty «Applied Linguistics» the department was renamed (January 15, 2008) to the Department of Ukrainian Language and Applied Linguistics. On February 1, 2016, as a result of the reorganization of the linguistic departments of the Faculty of Philology, the Department of the Ukrainian Language was established. On July 1, 2020, in order to consolidate scientific research, the Department of Ukrainian Language merged with the Department of Ukrainian Philology and Culture and the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture was formed. This contributed to the expansion of the main staff of the department, the harmonious combination of linguistic and cultural paradigms, as well as increasing the number of employees with a degree.
Throughout the history of the department it was headed by: Horchevych F. (1938–1950), Kononenko A., Lymarenko V., Shevchuk O. (1962–1973; 1975–1984; 1985–1987), Poznanska V. (1987–1993), Zahnitko A. (1993–2014), Vintoniv M. (2014–2016).
An extremely significant contribution to the development and image of the department in the scientific and educational space of Ukraine and abroad was made by Doctor of Philology, Professor, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine Zahnitko A., whose name has always been associated with the Department of Ukrainian language in Donetsk region.
The department in its current composition is headed by Doctor of Philology Koval L.
At different times at the department worked: Baimut T., Bezpalova E., Biliaiev O., Bondarenko S., Buha T., Vazhenina O., Vakhnina T., Vynohradova O., Vyshnia L., Vintoniv M., Volianska Yu., Harkusha I., Hlushkova H., Danyliuk I., Drobotenko V., Yemelianenko H., Yermakova L., Ilyk T., Klymenko N., Kravchenko Ye., Kravchenko H., Krasnobaieva-Chorna Zh., Kreitor A., Lazarenko H., Marhulov A., Leonova M., Lukash H., Lukianova L., Lukianchuk T., Maliavin A., Mohula N., Mohyla S., Mozgunov V., Omelchenko Z., Piddubska I., Petrova I., Poznanska V., Pomeranska L., Popova I., Pryntsevskyi I., Putilina O., Rodionova I., Rozgon L., Sytar H., Sushynska I., Froliak L., Shevchuk O., Yahodkina T. and others.
In September 2014, as a result of military events in our small homeland, the department almost completely moved together with the University to Vinnytsia, which was facilitated by the sincere desire of its staff to remain part of the Ukrainian University. Today the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture has resumed its full-fledged activities and is gaining signs of recognition in a new educational space.
As of 01.09.2020, the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture as a structural unit of the Faculty of Philology meets the standards specified in paragraph 5 of Part 4 of Article 33 of the Law of Ukraine «On Higher Education»: the department is the main place of work for 7 lecturers (Professor Koval L., Associate Professors Antoniuk O., Domracheva I., Shapovalova N., Senior Lecturers Kozlovska D., Mytko N., Pylypak T.), 5 of whom have a scientific degree (Koval L. – Doctor of Philology, Antoniuk O. – Candidate of Philology, Domracheva I. – Candidate of Philology, Kozlovska D. – Candidate of Philology, Shapovalova N. – Candidate of Philology).
The Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture is a graduate for higher education students studying in the educational programs «Ukrainian Language and Literature» («Bachelor», «Master»), «Culturology» («Bachelor»), «Applied Linguistics (Intercultural linguistics)» («Bachelor»), «Public Linguistics» («Master»). The department successfully implements an additional certificate educational program «Methods of Teaching Ukrainian Language and Literature at School».
Today the research of teachers of the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture is concentrated within the grammar scientific school of Professor Zahnitko A., in particular, develop its psycholinguistic and pragmalinguistic directions, which are planned to be separated into an independent scientific school. Priority thematic areas of research of teachers of the department are:
- energy linguistics in the paradigm of modern linguistics (Doctor of Philology, Professor KovalL.);
- psychological and socio-communicative aspects of the author’s phraseology (Candidate of Philology VazheninaO.);
- psycho-emotional component of national-cultural communication (Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor DomrachevaI.);
- psycholinguistic code of stylistic creativity of modern Ukrainian writers (Candidate of Philology KozlovskaD.).
One of the current and promising areas of activity of the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture is the work on the initiative scientific topic «Cultural-Linguistic Space of Podillya: Trends, Problems, Prospects» initiated by the Department of Ukrainian Philology and Culture in January 2020 and continued by the new staff of the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture (supervisor – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Shapovalova N., responsible executor – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Antonіuk O.).
The Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture annually holds the All-Ukrainian Student Scientific and Practical Conference «Linguo-Ukrainian Studies of the XXI Century: Traditions, Innovation» and publishes a scientific collection of student research. The department has a student lingvuistic group (head – Senior Lecturer Mytko N.).
The Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture organizes Petro Yatsyk International Contests in Ukrainian Language and All-Ukrainian Dictation of National Unity. It also works closely with other departments of the Faculty of Philology:
- together with the Department of General and Applied Linguistics and Slavic Philology conducts interdepartmental scientific seminars, co-organizes conferences, the Day of the Faculty of Philology;
- together with the Department of Theory and History of Ukrainian and World Literature participates in Taras Shevchenko International Language and Literature Contests among Students and Youth.
The Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture has a significant potential for inclusion in the social and cultural life of the University, Vinnytsia and Vinnytsia region, fruitfully cooperates with leading educational and cultural institutions of Vinnytsia, in particular – with Vinnytsia Regional Art Museum, Vinnytsia Regional Museum, Vinnytsia Regional youth center «Kvadrat», which creates excellent prospects for further activities.