Bohdan Barvinsky's Doctorate: Genesis, Implementation, Reception

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to reconstruct the preparation process of B. Barvinsky's doctorate, to analyze the content of the work and to find out the peculiarities of its reception. The research methodology is based on the application of principles (objectivity, historicism, holism) and methods (generalization, analysis and synthesis, comparison, genetic, psychological and typological) of historiographic research. The scientific novelty of the article consists in an attempt to comprehensively analyze the issues related to the preparation, defense and reception of B. Barvinsky's first monograph. Conclusions. The reconstruction of the process of preparation and discussion of B. Barvinsky's doctoral thesis allows us to fully understand the research temperament of the young scientist. First of all, his perseverance and determination in mastering knowledge and skills were noted as necessary grounds for understanding the era of the Ukrainian Middle Ages, which the young man was fascinated by. Secondly, it pointed out the ambition of the beginning historian, who persistently sought his path in Ukrainian studies, in consciously choosing the extremely complex and controversial figure of Sigismund Kęstutaitis as the subject of his doctorate. The thesis development required long archeographic searches and intensive analytical work. Thirdly, B. Barvinsky demonstrated considerable research courage, and sometimes audacity, in attempts to undermine theses established by the historiographical tradition. And although his hypotheses were mostly not supported by colleagues, they encouraged professional self-reflection among Lithuanian studies scholars. Despite the generally critical perception of B. Barvinskyi's first monograph, the scholars praised the archeographic and historiographical work carried out by the young scientist and his persistence in rethinking the political biography of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. The result was the successful promotion of the doctoral work and the acquired authority of the talented medievalist. This allowed B. Barvinsky to become a prominent figure in Galician historiography, whose representatives performed an important public mission of rethinking the key phenomena of the medieval era of Central-Eastern Europe from the point of view of Ukrainian historical interest.