Curses constitute a significant part of cultural life of the Ukrainian people. This study aims to analyze curses as a Ukrainian cultural tradition and trace their roots. The author suggests that all curses can be divided at least in three groups: curses which are closely associated with the country’s culture, traditions, customs, history, mythology, superstitions and religion; curses that have no specific cultural root; «tricky» curses used for playful purposes. Almost all curses are context-dependent. The article argues that the major sociocultural functions of curses are pedagogical or didactic, therapeutic and regulative. It is also shown that nowadays curses continue to be used in all spheres of life.

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2206-0162