Except of the Ukrainian political conflicts of the last time, the conflict around Verka Serduchka became the most famous. Scenic Verka have gained European recognition, every her appearance rejoice the auditoriums, but representatives of many very patriotic Ukrainian organizations, including writers-organizations, were sending petitions to President, asking him to punish an artist Andrey Danylko, who performed his Verka in a such way, that the claimants have seen in her the perverted personification of the heroic contemporary Ukrainian woman.
The President, thank to God, did not listen to. It is good, and, maybe, proves the fact, that we bit-by-bit leave the time, when the Government was concerned about everything and the President expressed himself on everything. However, one good writer have noted, that there is always the sense of epoch in the work of art. It is not possible to understand Bulgakov, not knowing anything about Stalin and the Soviet system. Verka Serduchka is undividable from our time, from its hysterias and joys. Verka caused panic in that part of society, which is most remote from commonness, - among figures of literature, culture and politics. One more time the ideas of fast-made elite about their country and people did not agreed with the reality. The plot of a fable, in which the monkey was insulted by her reflection in the mirror, repeated itself.
Our politicians are in general depressive and sensitive, not taking into account the writers – they never could look at themselves critically. And the complacency complex is so much connected with the inferiority complex, that Serduchka could not touch the inmost strings of elite souls. And Andrey Danylko have created a contemporary and convincing character, which proves, that Ukraine is learning to look at herself from the outside, is becoming more mature.
The late American prosaic Kurt Vonnegut have introduced into the literature the consept of the communities, formed during your life. They are first and foremost family members, relatives, friends and enemies-shells, stuck to the bottom of your vessel. Other communities – by land, age, national origin – the writer considered to be false, confusing. So the smart Andrey Danylko does not want to form a flock with everybody, according to the fifth column of former Soviet passport. He very precisely played by his Verka its aversion to zhlobizm, which was propagated between us during Soviet period and which is not disappeared now.
At the same time, Verka is a product of Ukrainian formation, when very often the leading positions are occupied not by smart and talented, but by the most loud, occupying meeting squares or even parliamentary rostrums. “Stop the cad!” – asks Danylko. He plays Serbuchka in bold, Gogol-style. In such manner Ranevskaya some day played the speculator Dunka, who always shouted: “Let Dunka to Europe!”. Nowadays Verkas and Dunkas strive for Europe with language mixture, bad taste, insolence, destroying all the barriers, wishing to be a symbol of nation, epoch – anything at all, if only to be noted and recognized…
Some time ago an idealist Chekhov dreamed that the man must have everything beautiful: “…and face, and clothes, and soul, and thoughts”. Serduchka has disgusting face and clothes, and does not have soul and thoughts at all. She lives, like a plant, and is happy about it. She is not ashamed of anything – why? Verka is the farewell bow to the passed time and an attempt to prevent the absolute power of “zhlob” in a new time. Serduchka is undividable from us, that is why the love and hate to her are so undefined and loud.
I frankly thank Andrey Danylko for his excellent work and we have unanimously included him into the drafting committee of “Gordon Boulevard”.
