У статті, приуроченій до століття заснування Кам’янець-Подільського національного університету імені Івана Огієнка, викладена історія становлення й розвитку кафедри української літератури та компаративістики. Увага акцентується на знакових етапах функціонування підрозділу, визначаються його здобутки і втрати на тлі епохи. Схарактеризовано науковий набуток учених-філологів, які сформували й розвинули літературознавчий дискурс у подільському регіоні. Сучасний стан діяльності кафедри проаналізовано з погляду перспектив її розвитку в умовах українського державотворення.
The essay traces the foundation of Kamyianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiyenko National University and deals with the history of formation and development of the Department of History of Ukrainian Literature and Comparative Studies. Attention is focused on the significant stages of the unit’s work. Three periods of its development were substantiated: 1) 1920s – 1940s – formation of the department, solving the problem of pedagogical staff, activities in the conditions of national-cultural revival and gradual establishment of a totalitarian model of society; 2) 1950s – 1980s – this period is characterized by the strengthening policy of the state reform of education, with its Russification strategy resulting in temporary integration of the department with different units. The lecturers of Ukrainian literature worked within the department of Ukrainian language and literature (1955 – 1965), the department of Ukrainian, Russian and foreign literature and Ukrainian and Russian languages (1965 – 1974). 3) 1990s – early 21st century – the rise of activity in the conditions of the national-cultural uplift of the early 1990s, which was a logical continuation of the Ukrainian revival of 1918 – 1920 in the Kamyanets region. It is characterized by the expansion of thematic and ideological spectra of research, deepening comparative aspects, effective practical application of the department members’ research achievements in the fields of studying literature and folklore. The most important works of the scholars who formed and developed the literary studies in Podillia region are named and briefly characterized in the essay. The current state of the department’s activity is analyzed from the perspective of its development in the conditions of Ukrainian state building.