Language of H. Skovoroda

Question

Language/dialect used by H. Skovoroda in his works significantly differs from the modern Ukrainian languages (either literary or speaking). From the point of view of the modern Ukrainian reader it looks more like a mix of the Ukrainian and Russian languages or even as Russian language.

I have heard different claims about what that language was:

• Russian (see here);
• old Ukrainian (see here within the infobox);
• Church Slavonic;
• mixture;
• etc.

Assuming that we have original texts of some of his works (and even some autographs) — how can somebody prove that his language was not Russian?

BTW, did he always use the same language (and its the description of it that varies) or different dialects/kinds of language in his works?

Answer 1

I'm not a historian, but I assume that the linked texts are very close to old-Russian, as Ukrainian was in its very early stage of development.

As for comparison, here is a part from Taras Schevchenko's Kobzar (1840, almost in 80-years after Skovoroda):

…
Бо васъ лыхо на свитъ на смихъ породыло,
Полывалы сліозы… чомъ не затопылы,
Не вынеслы въ море, не розмылы в поли?…
Не пыталы бъ, люды — що в мене болыть?
…

Despite the alphabet, it feels like modern-Ukrainian, and subjectively differents from the Skovoroda's linked text.

Another historical document for that time is Constitution_of_Pylyp_Orlyk 1710 year. It reads subjectively as old Russian as well.