The newspaper 'Vinnytski visti' as a source on the activities of Ukrainian authorities under german occupation in 1941

Abstract

The research aims to reveal the peculiarities of reflecting the activities of the Ukrainian authorities during the establishment of Nazi occupation in the local press ("Vinnytski Visti") and to indicate the source value of periodicals as an important resource for assessing the nature and competencies of local authorities in the Vinnytsia region. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive analysis of the complex phenomenon of press coverage of the activities of Ukrainian self-government bodies under occupation by a totalitarian regime. General historical methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison and generalization are used, along with content analysis and critique of periodicals as historical sources. The scientific novelty lies in analyzing a specific part of the periodical publication, focusing on the coverage of the complex of measures undertaken by Ukrainian local authorities in the field of administrative management, regulation of economic activities, social protection measures, and cultural life. This attempts, at the regional level, to reveal the true nature and functionality of the apparatus and activities of the Ukrainian authorities under occupation at its initial stage in 1941. Conclusions: Analyzing the publication "Vinnytski Visti" from September to December 1941, it is noted that the newspaper, as a periodical of local government, functionally had corresponding directions: providing the population with information about events in the world, country, and regional space; informing about the relations between the population and local authorities, introducing innovations in community life; explaining and commenting on the content of events and news, undoubtedly through the positions of the German occupation authorities and attempting to ensure their support by coordinating activities in various spheres of life, striving to ensure social consensus; despite the limitations of the occupation authorities, it popularized Ukrainian cultural heritage, called for the revival of folk traditions, and the eradication of the ethical practices imposed by the Bolshevik regime, while in the conditions of Nazi totalitarianism, it served as a mouthpiece for agitation and propaganda. The significance of the newspaper was particularly substantial in terms of informing about the renewal of the system of administrative management and fiscal policy, conducting mobilization measures, and organizing public events to arrange cultural and educational life in the community. The analysis of the newspaper as a source also shows the specificity of the powers of the local Ukrainian authorities, which, not being elected but appointed by the occupiers, had their own specifics. According to the procedure of formation, the local authorities were appointed, but in terms of powers, they corresponded institutionally to the functions of a local self-government body.