Agathangel Krymsky and the creation of the historical dictionary of the Ukrainian language

Abstract

Introduction. This article explores the significant contributions of Academician Ahathanhel Krymskyi to the development of Ukrainian historical lexicography during the early 20^th century.

Purpose. The primary objective of this article is to investigate the role played by academician A. Krymskyi, as the head of the historical-philological department of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, in shaping Ukrainian historical lexicography in national and European contexts. To achieve this goal, we have outlined the following tasks: 1) to analyze the source materials related to the activities of the historical-philological department and the history of creating the Commission for compiling the historical dictionary of the Ukrainian language under the editorship of Prof. Yevhen Tymchenko; 2) to еxamine the socio-political situation in Ukraine overall and within the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, particularly in the 1920s-1930s; 3) to сlarify the role played by academician A. Krymskyi in creating the first historical dictionary of the Ukrainian language.

Methods. This article employs descriptive and comparative methods for presenting research results, along with classification, observation, and assumption methods.

Results. Our research has established that academician Krymskyi strongly advocated appointing Prof. Tymchenko as the responsible editor of the historical dictionary. He outlined several defining characteristics of Prof. Tymchenko, which are now applicable in characterizing any scholar working in language history and historical lexicography. The documents from that time confirm the active and fruitful work of the group of historian-lexicographers:

• An extensive dictionary index (300,000 cards) created based on Ukrainian sources from the 14th to the 18th centuries.
• The compilation of two volumes of the historical dictionary, with the first volume (A–Z) published in 1930 in two volumes, while the second volume was destroyed in the printing house.

Originality. This study is unique, as the documents related to the activities of the Commission for compiling the historical dictionary have not been subjected to detailed scientific study and analysis, nor have other documents from the archives of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences regarding the work of Ukrainian historians been the object of research.

Conclusion. The research conducted with archival materials today is of utmost importance. These documents provide invaluable insights into the nuances of the era, including the various stages of the Academy of Sciences activities, the specifics of the work of Ukrainian linguists in compiling the historical dictionary, and its consequences. The Soviet regime banned the dictionary and disbanded the group responsible for compiling it. Furthermore, the dictionary's chief editor, Yevhen Tymchenko, was repressed and stripped of his right to work as a linguist for an extended period.