PANAS SAKSAHANSKYI IN MEMORIES AND DIARIES OF YEVHEN CHYKALENKO

The article examines the relationship between two prominent Ukrainians: the theatrical coryphaeus Panas Saksahanskyi and the public figure Yevhen Chykalenko. The author analyses the memoirs and diaries of the latter, which are an extremely valuable source of information about the events of Ukrainian history in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. It is emphasized that in these works Yevhen Chykalenko left detailed characteristics of his contemporaries – famous Ukrainian politicians, scientists, writers, public and cultural figures. The author analyses the informative content of Yevhen Chykalenko’s memoirs and diaries about his relationship with Panas Saksahanskyi. Many researchers of Panas Saksahanskiyʼs life and work have largely not used Yevhen Chykalenko’s memoir works. At the same time, Yevhen Chykalenko, in his ego-documents, left numerous entries in which he described in detail his friendly relations with Panas Saksahanskyi, starting from their childhood when they studied at the Yelisavetgrad Real School, his often complex relationships and conflicts with Mykola Sadovsky, Ivan Karpenko-Kary, other famous Ukrainian theatrical figures, his views on important socio-political issues of Ukrainian, Russian, and international life at that time. Moreover, it is traced that Yevhen Chykalenko mentioned interesting biographical facts from the life and work of Panas Saksahanskyi, in particular, briefly outlined his theatrical activity. It was also clarified how Yevhen Chykalenko characterized his friend as a person and creative personality, his views on his role in Ukrainian cultural and public life. It is noted that further prospects for studying the relationship between Yevhen Chykalenko and Panas Saksahanskyi lie in the study of their correspondence, as well as the epistolary, diaries, and memoir works of their close friends and contemporaries. Keywords Yevhen Chykalenko, Panas Saksahanskyi, theater, memoirs, diaries, the source studies.