Feminine Kyiv Habitus in the Works of Boris Teneta

Abstract

The article employs the methodology introduced by the German researcher Tatyana Hofmann. The author explores Kyiv’s habitus through a binary lens of femininity and masculinity, as proposed by Tatyana Hofmann. Masculine Kyiv is characterized by a vertical spatial arrangement, featuring protagonists’ residences atop hills and their lives depicted on higher floors. Texts dominated by a masculine habitus portray heroes achieving success and fame.
Conversely, feminine Kyiv emphasizes a horizontal spatial context. This orientation situates characters near rivers, on plains, and on lower floors. Texts portraying a feminine Kyiv habitus highlight anti-urbanism, poverty, hunger, and the loneliness experienced by literary figures.
The article effectively demonstrates the utility of this methodology. Through an examination of Borys Teneta’s works, including Harmoniia i svynushnyk, Misto, Holod (Bezrobitnyi), and the poem Ty sydysh v zadymlenii kimnati” the author illustrates the feminine habitus within Kyiv. The literary characters in these works endure impoverished lives, lacking both financial means and sustenance. They experience isolation, misunderstood by others, plagued by hunger, and yearning for a rural life.