City Self-Government in Podillia 1870-1917 in modern Ukrainian historiography

Abstract

The article analyzes contemporary Ukrainian historiography on the problems of the activities of the bodies of city self-government in Podillya in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A more detailed analysis of the work related to the Podillya of this period. Scientific investigation devoted to other regions, or performed on the national scale, had been described more superficially. As a result, the conclusion is drawn about the not enough development by Ukrainian scientists of this topic, which will serve the purpose of further researches by the author of this issue. The description of historiography begins with an overview of the works that investigated the problem of the methodology of history. The works shown here can be considered the first researches of such a direction in the Independent Ukraine. Then there is a description of the works devoted to certain Ukrainian regions that at that time were the constituent parts of the Russian Empire.

The period of the reign of Alexander II is characterized by general modernization processes in the Russian Empire, part of which was the Podillya province. In modern Ukraine, similar transformations are under way. There is a reform of decentralization of power and in this context, it would be advisable to turn to the historical experience of officials of the nineteenth century. In 1870, the reform of municipal self-government began. Since then, cities have considerable freedom in dealing with economic and humanitarian problems. In February 1917, the Russian Empire fell, therefore, the old municipal forms ceased to function and new forms began to emerge. This is due to the chronological framework of our study.