ETHNOGRAPHIC-FOLKLORE INTERESTS OF STEFAN KOVALIV
Summary. Purpose of the study is to characterize the ethnographic and folklore interests of the little-known Galician public and educational figure, publicist, teacher and writer – Stefan Kovaliv. The research methodology envisages the application of traditional principles of historicism and objectivity and general scientific and special-historical methods. The scientific novelty of the study is manifested in the fact that for the first time, based on a comprehensive analysis of the selected creative heritage of Stefan Kovalev, his ethnographic and folklore hobbies are characterized and the features of their influence on creative activity are traced. Conclusions. The analysis of selected works of art and scientific and journalistic essays by S. Kovaliv made in the article gives an opportunity to unequivocally state that their author had remarkable ethnographic and folklore hobbies and this passion served him as an indispensable assistant in the creative activity. From his works it follows that before writing anything the researcher was engaged in active search activities: he tried to be an eyewitness to the events he wrote about; used oral history, recruiting from rural and urban correspondents enough materials to study; for the sake of clear presentation of his creative work to the population, resorted to meticulous study of dialectical speech; studied the peculiarities of life and way of life of ethnographic groups of the population of the Galician region, paying special attention to the study of their spiritual and material culture.