Grassroots as an Artistic Category of Ukrainian Culture of the XVII–XIХ Centuries

The purpose of the article is the classification of Ukrainian musical culture, which, unlike other artistic genres, has not received clear musical definitions for a long period of time. This is connected with socio-cultural and historical circumstances, when music was primarily perceived as a part of liturgical rites, everyday life, and other circumstances, and in this context was interpreted as part of something bigger, a whole. Therefore, the assessment of musical art as a single category needs clarifications and definitions. The research methodology is based on historical, cultural, and artistic levels. The scientific novelty consists in the introduction of the term Grassroots into scientific circulation to describe and define the quality of musical productions. Conclusions. For a more appropriate definition and characterisation of the musical creativity of the 17th-19th centuries, the term Grassroots, in our opinion, is the most successful and appropriate. It clearly demonstrates the development of national musical art as "grassroots", at the same time taking it out of the realm of primitiveness and dilettantism, which metropolitan cultures have tried to impose on us over the centuries. At the same time, the aesthetic tension is relieved when characterising works through the prism of kitsch means and tools, as well as its definition as "low" or "grassroots", since the adaptation of the achievements of European art on national material required a certain time for formation and development. Therefore, Grassroots art is the most appropriate term to describe and classify the rich heritage of Ukrainian musical art. 
Key words: "high" art, "low" art, grassroots art, kitsch, musical culture