Scientific Papers of the Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsyiubynskyi State Pedagogical University Series History
The journal covers current problems of history of Ukraine, World history, historical local history, ethnology, historiography, source studies, theories and methodologies of history, the most modern monographic works in the field of historical sciences are reviewed. The publication is designed for scientists, ethnographers, teachers, postgraduates, students, everyone who seek to get a solid knowledge of the theoretical and applied nature of history. By the decision of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine this journal is included in the list of scientific professional editions (category B) in which the results of dissertations on historical sciences can be published. (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No.409 dated 17/03/2020).
Вінницький державний педагогічний університет імені Михайла Коцюбинського
The struggle for the hetman's mace after the death of Ivan Skoropadsky (1722–1727)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Hetmanate, Petro I., P. Polubotok, D. Apostol, P. Orlyk, Hetman government The purpose of the article is to examine the struggle between representatives of various groups of Cossack leaders in the Hetmanate and beyond for the hetmanate government after the death of I. Skoropadsky. This Ukrainian resistance occurred during a tragic period in the history of the Ukrainian Cossack state, when Peter I intensified his attack on its rights, attempting to eliminate the hetmanate and replace it with the rule of an imperial institution – the Little Russian Collegium. Even during a certain liberalisation of Ukrainian politics by the governments of Catherine I and Peter II, the strategic goal of the Moscow rulers remained unchanged – to transform the Hetmanate into one of the provinces of the Russian state. The article highlights the opposition to this Moscow offensive by Cossack leaders, who balanced between defending the autonomy of the Hetmanate and realising their ambitions for power. One of the important components of the Cossack elite's resistance to imperial pressure was the desire to restore the hetmanate as an important attribute of the autonomy of the Cossack state. The research methodology is based on a combination of the principles of historicism, objectivity, polyfactoriality and systematicity with general scientific principles (generalization, synthesis and analysis) and special-historical (problem-chronological, historical-comparative) research methods, which created conditions for an unbiased interpretation of the course of historical processes. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive study and comparative analysis of the power aspirations of P. Polubotka, D. Apostol, and P. Orlyk against the background of the Cossack elders' resistance to imperial pressure. The author attempted to characterize a number of aspects of the struggle for the hetman's mace by representatives of various groups of Cossack officers in the 1720s, which remain insufficiently studied or require new rethinking. Conclusions. The confrontation between the Moscow authorities and the Cossack leaders regarding the autonomy of the Hetmanate, which began, in fact, as early as 1654, became especially acute at the end of the reign of Peter I. The tsar's actions (subordination of the Hetmanate to the Senate, restriction of the rights of the Cossack leaders, prohibition of electing a hetman, transfer of the territory of the Ukrainian regiments under the control of Velyaminov's board) actually undermined the autonomy of the Cossack state. The forms of resistance of the Ukrainian elders to imperial pressure were various actions aimed at preserving the rights and freedoms of the Cossack state: preserving Cossack institutions, seeking support and assistance from foreign states, and fighting to preserve their own power. It is a pity that during a difficult and responsible time for the Hetmanate, its sincere patriots P. Polubotka, D. Apostol, and P. Orlyk did not always manage to unite their efforts to protect the rights of the Ukrainian people. This only played into the hands of tsarism, which, by inciting enmity among the elders, implemented its aggressive policy of incorporating Ukrainian lands.
Hetmanate, Petro I., P. Polubotok, D. Apostol, P. Orlyk, Hetman government
Copyright (c) 2026 Oleksandr Kryvoruchko, Sviatoslav Danylenko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reception of Mykhailo Hrushevskyi's "History of Ukraine-Rus" in modern Ukrainian historiography
Section: Source studies, historiography, methodology Keywords: M. Hrushevskyi, "History of Ukraine-Rus", modern Ukrainian historiography, reception The purpose of the study is to reconstruct the process of understanding M. Hrushevskyi's "History of Ukraine-Rus" in modern Ukrainian historiography. The research methodology involves the use of the principles of objectivity, historicism, and systematicity, as well as general scientific and special-historical methods typical for historiographical research. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the study of the little-known problem of the reception of M. Hrushevskyi's "History of Ukraine-Rus" in the historiography of the late 20th - early 21st centuries. Conclusions. The article has concluded that the research of M. Hrushevskyi's main work has acquired unprecedented intensity during the last three decades. This was facilitated by wider-scale publishing work - the mass reprinting of the original and English-language versions of "History of Ukraine-Rus" made it available to a wide range of readers and researchers. As a result, numerous different-format studies of individual problems and nuances of the grand narrative (historiosophical, methodological, problem-thematic, etc.) as well as attempts to understand it holistically in the context of the progress of Ukrainian studies at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 21st centuries appeared. These studies convincingly showed "History of Ukraine-Rus" as the most significant historical work for Ukrainian historiography, which metaphorically established the title of "historical passport of the Ukrainian people". At the same time, the mentioned intensity of research reflection makes it possible to outline further historiographical perspectives. Thus, the work on the contextualization of the historiographical ideas and problems of the multivolume work is far from finished. For example, a special elucidation of the specifics of the establishment of the Sobornist ideology on its pages seems to be promising. However, the most important task seems to be the need to synthesize current studies on individual parts of the "History of Ukraine-Rus" and prepare a general work on this monument, which should appear as a collective interdisciplinary project.
Source studies, historiography, methodology
M. Hrushevskyi, "History of Ukraine-Rus", modern Ukrainian historiography, reception
Copyright (c) 2024 Liubomyr Dutko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Where is the police?: large and small escapes of employees of the internal affairs organizations of the Ukrainian SSR in 1985–1991
Section: Original articles Keywords: perestoika, perebudova, Ukrainian SSR, police officers, Ministry of Internal Affairs, organized criminal groups The attempts to reform society from above, which the USSR leadership implemented, changed the place, role, and status of MVD employees in society. These were unplanned and unexpected changes that led to negative consequences for the security situation in the country. The purpose of this article is to analyze the social, political, and behavioral practices of ordinary police officers in the Ukrainian SSR in 1985–1991 and to study the changes in their motives and life scenarios during the rapid decline of the communist Soviet system.The methodological basis of the analysis is the concept of agency, applied through the analysis of archival sources, newspaper publications, and ego documents, which allow us to see police officers as subjects of political and social processes. Scientific novelty. The activities of the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR are examined as an important factor in the collapse of the communist system. Conclusions. Police officers were involved in numerous practices that did not lead to raising their authority in society. Despite the truly heroic deeds of a whole cohort of police officers of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, the reputation of the agency and ordinary police officers only tended to become more negative. On the other hand, the conditions for police officers' work got worse every year, and their workload got heavier. Trying to solve their financial and reputation problems, officers used different, sometimes totally opposite practices. Some of them continued to act according to the “old rules,” in which the police acted not as a law enforcement service, but as a purely repressive organization. Others demanded change and were ready to initiate it themselves: they created trade unions, left the Communist Party, and called for the depoliticization of the police. More and more police officers quit their jobs and looked for other, higher-paying work. Some of them, using their old corrupt connections, created or moved to work for cooperatives, some created or moved to work for private security firms, and a certain group strengthened organized criminal groups with their knowledge and experience.The collapse of the police as a repressive and law enforcement institution led to a steady increase in all types of crime and a feeling of complete insecurity among citizens.
perestoika, perebudova, Ukrainian SSR, police officers, Ministry of Internal Affairs, organized criminal groups
Copyright (c) 2025 Olena Stiazhkina https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The position of the People's Republic of China on the russian-ukrainian war: foreign policy concepts and strategic interests
Section: Original articles Keywords: cooperation, security, global initiatives, russian aggression, strategic dialogue The purpose of the article is to conduct a thorough analysis of China's foreign policy in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war in order to form a clear understanding of Beijing's motives regarding its position in relation to Russian aggression against Ukraine, to consider China's main foreign policy concepts and priorities, to clarify China's relations with Western countries and to develop recommendations for Ukraine in order to incline Beijing to a more pro-Ukrainian position. The research methodology is based on a combination of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and specifically historical (historical-genetic, historical-typological, historical-systemic) methods with the principles of historicism, systematicity, scientificity and verification. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the analysis and systematization of China's main foreign policy concepts, on the basis of which a generalized conclusion is made about the country's strategic foreign policy course and its position regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war. Conclusions. It is clarified that China is persistently implementing global initiatives, positioning itself as a responsible player on the world stage. In relation to the United States, Chinese leaders pursue a “big country” policy and try to talk with Washington on an equal footing. In relation to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Beijing takes a restrained position, avoiding criticism of the Russian Federation and demonstrating its commitment to international law. It is proven that China’s relations with the Russian Federation are strategic in nature, therefore Beijing is not interested in isolating moscow and imposing sanctions against it. It is found that China and Ukraine have strategic partnership relations and close trade relations. It is emphasized that relations between the two countries are important. In this context, a number of recommendations have been developed for the formation of a more pro-Ukrainian position of China.
cooperation, security, global initiatives, russian aggression, strategic dialogue
Copyright (c) 2026 Oleh Oliinyk, Oleksandr Marushchenko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Russian propaganda narratives against Ukraine: cognitive structure and strategic functions (2014–2025)
Section: Original articles Keywords: hybrid warfare, disinformation, cognitive operations, propaganda narratives, Russian propaganda, strategic communications The purpose of this article is to analyze key Russian propaganda narratives used as instruments of cognitive aggression against Ukraine in 2014–2025. The study focuses on identifying their functional purpose, ideological heritage, and role in legitimizing the Russian Federation's military aggression. The methodological basis of the publication is based on structural-analytical and comparative approaches, as well as the generalization of the results of published studies of Russian information campaigns in political, media, and diplomatic discourse. The scientific novelty of the work lies in its approach to Russian propaganda narratives as an integrated system of cognitive operations that shape the boundaries of perception, emotional reactions, and the logic of political decision-making, and makes it possible to trace their evolution and ideological continuity during 2014–2025. Conclusions. The article shows that basic Russian propaganda narratives (“Nazi regime”, “one people,” “illegitimate government,” “war with NATO,” inversion of guilt) form a stable semantic framework within which the Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine is presented as necessary, morally justified, and historically determined. These narratives perform a number of complementary functions. These are the legitimization of violence, the mobilization of Russian society, the neutralization of the aggressor state's responsibility, and the disorientation of external audiences. All of the above narratives are systemic and reproducible. They draw on the ideological legacy of the Soviet and imperial periods and function as elements of the Russian Federation’s targeted cognitive operations. Beyond their immediate propaganda role, these narratives are intended to shape long-term patterns of perception and interpretation. In the context of hybrid warfare, they are used to influence political decision-making, public attitudes, and international responses.
hybrid warfare, disinformation, cognitive operations, propaganda narratives, Russian propaganda, strategic communications
Copyright (c) 2026 Вадим Беспека https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Transformation of organisational learning in the German Armed Forces: from the Imperial Army to the Bundeswehr (1914–2024)
Section: Original articles Keywords: organisational learning, lessons learned process, organisational (institutional) culture, German Armed Forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces, NATO The article aims to provide a historical and analytical overview of the development of organisational learning in the German Armed Forces from 1914 to 2024. The study covers four key periods: the First World War (1914–1918); the formation of the Reichswehr (1919–1935); the interwar and wartime evolution of the Wehrmacht (1935–1945); and the transformation of the Bundeswehr within NATO’s collective defence framework (1955–2024). The research methodology combines a heuristic approach with a historical reconstruction of the examined events. The source base includes scholarly and military publications, NATO doctrinal documents, and informational materials. The study applies a historical-systemic analysis of lessons learned capability based on a retrospective examination of its seven basic components: four “pillars” (organisational structure, process, tools, and personnel training); a key element (information sharing); and the foundational layer (mindset and leadership). The scientific novelty lies in the integrated comparative analysis of over a century of the German organisational learning model, including the identification and in-depth examination of its core components. The research highlights the main characteristics of institutional resilience and continuity within the German military organisational culture, which have ensured its capacity for systemic adaptation, innovation, and inheritance of best practices. Conclusions. The military-historical analysis of learning practices in German military organisations revealed key institutional and structural transformations, enabling an assessment of their effectiveness and alignment with contemporary approaches. The findings have practical and scholarly significance, providing a methodological foundation for enhancing the NATO-compatible Lessons Learned System of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The recommendations developed in the study can be applied to improve doctrinal documents, knowledge-management processes, and learning culture.
organisational learning, lessons learned process, organisational (institutional) culture, German Armed Forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces, NATO
Copyright (c) 2026 Yuriy Pashchuk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Commemorative coins of Ukraine (1999–2005) in the transformation of the memory discourse of the “Great Patriotic War”
Section: Original articles Keywords: visual narrative; decolonization of the memory space; “Great Patriotic War”; Second World War; compromise model of memory; Ukrainian commemorative coins The article examines the visual-semantic, iconographic, and textual codes of Ukrainian commemorative coins issued in 1999–2005 within the context of the transformation of the discourse of memory of the 1941–1945 war. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Ukrainian commemorative coins of 1999–2005 as a numismatic source for identifying the mechanisms of inertial adaptation of the Soviet memorial narrative under the conditions of the formation of the state memory policy of independent Ukraine. In this context, the authors determine the institutional conditions of coin production and circulation, analyze their iconography and textual legends, identify the correlation between Soviet and Ukrainocentric semantic codes, and trace the dynamics of the transformation of the commemorative discourse of the “Great Patriotic War” during 1999–2005. The methodology and research methods are based on an interdisciplinary approach combining numismatic analysis, visual history, and historical memory studies (memory studies). The research employs methods of iconographic and stylistic analysis, semiotic analysis, discourse analysis of textual legends, as well as comparative-historical and contextual methods. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the analysis of Ukrainian commemorative coins of 1999–2005 as indicators of a transitional stage in state memory policy, which combined post-Soviet visual-semantic inertia with limited attempts at national semantic transformation. Conclusions. The article demonstrates that Ukrainian commemorative coins issued in 1999–2005 and dedicated to the events of the Second World War reflect the transitional and internally contradictory character of the state memory policy. They combine the new state identity of independent Ukraine with the continued use of familiar late Soviet images, symbols, and language used to describe the war.The study shows that attempts to make memory more national and more human-centered did not result in a complete break with the Soviet interpretation of the “Great Patriotic War,” but instead coexisted with it within a mixed, compromise model of commemoration. Commemorative coins of this period record not a consistent transformation, but rather the adaptation of the Soviet memorial tradition to the conditions of a formally independent state that had not yet fully freed itself from the Soviet symbolic legacy.
visual narrative; decolonization of the memory space; “Great Patriotic War”; Second World War; compromise model of memory; Ukrainian commemorative coins
Copyright (c) 2026 Oleksandr Potylchak, Olha Olha Perepeliuk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The position of the roman catholic church in Vinnytsia region in the late 1940s – early 1950s (based on reports of the regional council for religious affairs)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Roman Catholic Church, religious life, Council for Religious Affairs, Stalinist totalitarianism, Ukrainian SSR, Vinnytsia region The purpose of the study is to analyze, based on materials from the Vinnytsia branch of the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the state of functioning of the Catholic denomination in the Vinnytsia region; to trace the specifics of relations between the authorities, the Catholic clergy, and parishioners; to determine to what extent Catholic believers in the postwar period were able to exercise their right to freedom of religion and what survival practices they adopted under the peak of Stalinist totalitarianism; and to characterize the sentiments of the faithful. The research methodology combines general scientific and historical methods, the main ones being generalization, problem-chronological, historical-systemic, and comparative-historical approaches. Considerable attention is given to statistical analysis in tracing the dynamics of the number of religious communities and to content analysis of the reports of the Commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR for the Vinnytsia region. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, for the first time, archival materials of reports and analytical memoranda of the Commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs for the Vinnytsia region have been introduced into scholarly circulation, allowing for an analysis of the state of the Catholic community in Vinnytsia region during 1945–1952. Conclusions. The activity of the Catholic Church in the Vinnytsia region during the postwar period was conditioned by several factors. In particular, the Nazi occupation had revived the life of religious communities, while the Stalinist regime—seeking both to consolidate the population of the USSR and to present itself favorably before the Allies in the anti-Hitler coalition—could not completely suppress the Catholic community’s activity. Compared to other Christian denominations in the region, Catholics in Vinnytsia faced perhaps the greatest pressure from the Stalinist regime. Their conduct under such harsh conditions amounted to a struggle for survival. They were forced to renounce their values, refrain from recognizing the supremacy of the Vatican, and accept Stalinist ideological claims about the “imperialist nature” of the Roman Pope’s policy. The authorities used various pretexts to divide and eliminate Catholic communities—such as the small number of parishioners, alleged anti-Soviet behavior, or “suspicious” ties with Western countries. The Stalinist regime also sought to deprive Catholics of access to sacred buildings, justifying it by the poor condition of churches, the supposed need to use them for economic or cultural-educational purposes, or the presence of another church “nearby.” Believers were also subjected to economic pressure, with strict monitoring of tax payments and the fulfillment of work quotas in collective farms. Thus, the authorities exerted severe pressure on the Catholic community of Vinnytsia region and aimed at its complete liquidation.
Roman Catholic Church, religious life, Council for Religious Affairs, Stalinist totalitarianism, Ukrainian SSR, Vinnytsia region
Copyright (c) 2026 Anatolii Voynarovskyi, Natalka Zhmud https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The activities of anti-Soviet emigration in the Prometheus organizationin 1928–1939
Section: Original articles Keywords: anti-Soviet emigration, the concept of Prometheism, Prometheism, Promethean movement, the organization «Prometheus», the «Prometheus» Club, J. Pilsudski, W. Pelc The purpose of the article is to analyze the activities of the Prometheus organization, which was established in Warsaw in 1928 and united non-Russian emigrants of the former Romanov Empire under Polish suzerainty. Its activities developed in line with the concept of Prometheism of the camp of J. Pilsudski, aimed at the dismemberment of the Soviet Union into separate national republics and their unification into a federation with Poland. Special attention in the context of the study is paid to the Ukrainian Petliura emigration, which was assigned the main role in the implementation of the concept of Prometheism. The research methodology is based on the use of general scientific and purely historical research methods, including problem-chronological and comparative-historical approaches. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that using the above methods, the activities of the branches of the Prometheus organization are revealed, in particular in Paris, Helsinki, Istanbul and Harbin. Analysis of the policy of J. Pilsudski and his associates, which was focused on uniting the efforts of anti-Soviet emigration, showed that it had a great-power character and was aimed at building a greater Poland “from sea to sea”. A necessary and sufficient condition for the implementation of these intentions was the liquidation of the USSR with its subsequent division into states semi-dependent on Poland. Thus, Ukraine, Crimea, Georgia, Azerbaijan and other republics were to arise on the national outskirts, united in a federation or confederation with Poland. It was envisaged that the territory of the USSR would be limited to the borders of the Moscow Kingdom of the 16th century. Conclusions. Thus, the Prometheus organization was founded with the aim of practical implementation of the Polish concept of Prometheism, which had a clearly expressed anti-Russian, anti-Soviet and anti-communist orientation. Its activities were carried out with the tacit support of the Polish special services, which developed strategies for using the national liberation movements of non-Russian peoples of the USSR in their own geopolitical interests. The ultimate goal of implementing this concept was the national-territorial dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the formation of the project of "Greater Poland", based on federal ties with Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Crimea and other republics. The policy of Prometheism envisaged the creation of a number of semi-independent national states on the ruins of the USSR with the further orientation of their development to the dominant interests of the Polish state. At the same time, one of the strategic mistakes of the ideologists of Prometheism was the overestimation of the internal weakness of the Soviet Union. The beginning of World War II actually stopped the implementation of Poland's Promethean plans.
anti-Soviet emigration, the concept of Prometheism, Prometheism, Promethean movement, the organization «Prometheus», the «Prometheus» Club, J. Pilsudski, W. Pelc
Copyright (c) 2026 Volodymyr Komar, Anatolii Shvab https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Hostages of freedom: ukrainian prisoners of war (2014–2024)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Russian-Ukrainian war, captivity, places of unlawful detention, international law, human rights violations The purpose of the study is to analyze the issue of captivity in the context of the contemporary armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The methodological framework of the study is based on theoretical and conceptual findings of military history experts and interdisciplinary scientific approaches, integrating methods of history, jurisprudence, social psychology, and military anthropology, as well as the terminological apparatus employed in modern global socio-humanitarian studies. The scientific novelty of the material is defined by oral history sources, some of which were collected by the authors, and their original interpretative solutions. Conclusions. Large-scale military operations in eastern Ukraine have resulted in the capture of a significant number of Russian and Ukrainian servicemen. In this regard, the horrific conditions of Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) prisoners of war during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) and the Russian full-scale invasion have gained particular resonance. Based on the testimonies of combatants returned through prisoner exchanges, the article analyzes the methods of physical and psychological pressure applied to prisoners in places of detention with the complicity of the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation. Based on the processed documentary evidence, the study proves the Russian Federation's violation of the international legal norms of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949, and the effective inaction of international structures responsible for the observance and protection of international humanitarian law.
Russian-Ukrainian war, captivity, places of unlawful detention, international law, human rights violations
Copyright (c) 2026 Oleksandr Lysenko, Liudmyla Khoinatska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Historiographical discourse on the conceptual interpretation of Ukraine's 'colonial heritage' in the 1920s and 1930s
Section: Original articles Keywords: historiography, assimilation, colony, metropolis, Ukraine, Russia, USSR, Ukrainian SSR, "waveism" ( worriedness ), "Volobuevshchina" Relevance. The colonial status of Ukraine as part of the Russian Empire and Soviet colonial practices in the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s and 1930s is a minimum – researched historiographical problem. Modern Ukrainian historiography of Soviet neocolonialism is recently being formed. Western political science highlighted the formation and functioning of the totalitarian regime – the "Soviet evil empire". The Ukrainian diaspora actively studied the issue of "colonial exploitation" of Ukraine by Russia. Therefore, we have a significant gap in historiography. The research methodology is determined by the practical task of the article, so its main theoretical approach is the structural and functional analysis of historiographical sources. The purpose of the article is to establish the fact of historiographical interpretation of the concept and phenomenon of "colonial heritage" of Ukraine, i.e. the signs of its colonial position. Scientific novelty discover the combination of historiographical discourse with the identification of conceptual features the study of a scientific problem. Conclusions. A historiographical fact of studying the relations between the "metropolis" (Russia) and the "colony" (Ukraine) in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has been established. It is noted that in the 1920s. there was a public discussion about the presence of signs of "colonial vestiges" in the system of public administration and in the relations of the union government with the Ukrainian SSR. "Volobuevshchyna" confirmed to the presence of "colonial remnants" in the economic life of Soviet Ukraine, and therefore is the theoretical basis for the study of Soviet colonial practices.
historiography, assimilation, colony, metropolis, Ukraine, Russia, USSR, Ukrainian SSR, "waveism" ( worriedness ), "Volobuevshchina"
Copyright (c) 2026 Victor Danylenko, Vasyl Marochko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Housing issue of Ukrainian emigration in inter-war Czechoslovakia (1920s)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Ukrainian political emigration, interwar Czechoslovakia, history of everyday life, housing issue The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of those forms of solving the housing issue (the provision of free social housing by the czechoslovak leadership, its permission to rent and purchase housing), which were inherent in the Czechoslovak Republic and which were offered to Ukrainian political refugees who found shelter in this country in the 1920s after the defeat of the national liberation struggle of 1917–1921. Research methodology. It is based on a combination of general historical methods and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of sociocultural adaptation. Among the main research methods are problem-historical, comparative, specific-historical, and source analysis. Scientific novelty is the consideration of the Ukrainian emigration housing issue in the context of the temporary nature of the 'Russian relief action'. Conclusions. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian political emigration failed to resolve the housing issue. Firstly, this was explained by the 'Russian relief action' itself. The leadership of the CzSR did not hide its hopes for a quick change in the political regime in Ukraine; it was convinced that the political Ukrainian opposition, which had found refuge in Czechoslovakia, 'if not today, then tomorrow' would return, come to power and play a major role in the revival of the new Ukraine, reconstructing and europeanizing it. Secondly, Ukrainian political refugees had to reckon with the lack of finances as such, and, therefore, rely exclusively on temporary social free housing. Thirdly, it was not necessary to discount the numerous attempts by the USSR to morally decompose Ukrainian political emigration in the interwar Czechoslovakia by exploiting the non-monolithic nature of its political platform (the povorotnytstvo of 1925-1926). And fourthly, the closure of the Czechoslovak labor market for 'non-Czechs' and the gradual normalization of Czechoslovak-Soviet relations in the late 1920s contributed to the failure to resolve the Ukrainian emigration housing issue. Ukrainian political exiles quickly left temporary social free housing, looked for work (worked and studied with scholarships) to rent a room or apartment. Only a small proportion of Ukrainian emigrants managed to purchase their own housing.
Ukrainian political emigration, interwar Czechoslovakia, history of everyday life, housing issue
Copyright (c) 2026 Olha Zubko, Oleh Melnychuk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Bolshevik repressions against Zionist organizations and the Jewish community in Ukraine (the 1920s and 1930s)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Ukraine, Zionism, political repression, NKVD, Jewish community, Bolsheviks, Soviet, interwar period The purpose of the article is to analyze the ideological foundations and mechanism of the Bolshevik regime’s repressions against the Zionist movement and individual representatives of the Jewish community in Ukraine in the 1920s and 1930s. The research methodology is based on special methods of historical science – comparative-historical, problem-chronological, as well as on general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis and critical processing of sources, which, combined with the principles of historicism, objectivity and complexity, allowed for a comprehensive study of the stated issues. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the systematization and generalization of the mechanisms of political repressions directed against Zionist parties and representatives of the Jewish nation in Ukraine, as well as in revealing the relationship between the ideological attitudes of the Bolshevik leadership, everyday anti-Semitism and the practice of falsifying political accusations. Conclusions. The analysis of the processed documents and research works allows us to conclude that the Soviet authorities purposefully destroyed alternative forms of national self-organization of Jews in Ukraine, treating Zionism as an ideologically hostile movement and a threat to the political monopoly of the Bolshevik party, and the Jewish population as a potentially disloyal social group. The repressions, which began with selective arrests and liquidation of Zionist organizations in the early 1920s, in the middle of the next decade grew into mass persecutions, supplemented by accusations of 'Trotskyism', 'espionage' and the active use of anti-Semitic stereotypes in investigative and punitive practice. As a result, the implementation of this policy led to the destruction of the political, cultural, and intellectual infrastructure of Jewish life in Ukraine, the marginalization of the national elite, and the loss of important forms of public self-organization, which became part of the broader process of establishing totalitarian control in Soviet society.
Ukraine, Zionism, political repression, NKVD, Jewish community, Bolsheviks, Soviet, interwar period
Copyright (c) 2026 Mykhailo Zhurba, Mykhailo Zholob https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The figure of Ottorino Respighi: the tragedy of an artist under Italian fascism
Section: Original articles Keywords: Ottorino Respighi, Benito Mussolini, neoclassicism, symphonic poem, fascist dictatorship The aim of this article is to provide a balanced assessment of the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi and his work within the socio-cultural context of Italy during the Mussolini regime, and to determine how the artist's apolitical stance made him a hostage to circumstances under the fascist dictatorship. The research methodology is based on a combination of the principles of historicism, cultural and systemic approaches, general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization), and musicological tools (holistic and comparative analysis). The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that, drawing on foreign sources regarding cultural history and Italian music, as well as the results of a comprehensive comparative analysis of Respighi's musical heritage, the composer's creative biography and music are analyzed for the first time in domestic musicology within the socio-cultural context of 1920s and 1930s Italy. The article reveals how the artistic content of Respighi's music was manipulated by the leaders of the fascist dictatorship, leading to its integration into the process of myth-making and the reinforcement of the cult of personality. Conclusions. Respighi's reliance on national tradition exemplified the centripetal forces in the development of European music in the first half of the 20th century. The cultivation of the national spirit, the inherent decorativeness of the composer's music, and Benito Mussolini's admiration for it led to accusations of «grand nationalism». However, the composer's focus on early Italian music was directed toward genre, style, and content rather than the pursuit of nationalist ideologies. The tragedy of Ottorino Respighi's persona and his music lies in the fact that his traditionalist style and references to Roman history resonated with fascist ideals. It was precisely this resonance that for a long time prevented a balanced assessment of the composer and his creative legacy.
Ottorino Respighi, Benito Mussolini, neoclassicism, symphonic poem, fascist dictatorship
Copyright (c) 2026 Olena Vereshchahina-Bilyavska, Natalia Mozgalova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The activities of the orthodox clergy in Volyn at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century (based on materials from the Volyn diocesan gazette)
Section: Original articles Keywords: diocese, dean (blagochynnyi), priest, parishioners, church rites, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Catholic priest (ksiondz), Volyn The purpose of the study is to analyze the characteristics of the activities of the Orthodox clergy in Volyn on the basis of materials published in the Volyn Diocesan Gazette; to identify the reasons for the negative attitude toward Protestants and Roman Catholics; to highlight the role of deans (blagochynnyi) in exercising control over the activities of the parish clergy; to trace the relationships between parish priests and psalmists; to characterize the clergy’s attitude toward the revolutionary events of 1905; and to examine the specifics of relations with Orthodox Czech colonists. The research methodology is based on a combination of general scientific principles, scholarly approaches, and special and general research methods, the key ones being the comparative-historical, problem-chronological, and historical-typological methods. Considerable attention is paid to the use of content analysis, which made it possible to objectively analyze materials from the periodical press. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, on the basis of reports and memoranda of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, the author analyzes the specifics of the activities of the Orthodox clergy in Volyn during the studied period, their relations with parishioners, the causes of conflict situations among representatives of the clergy, and their attitudes toward people of other faiths and denominations. Conclusions. The activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Ukrainian lands, including Volyn, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were ambiguous, which is reflected in a number of documents from the period under study. One of the most important and objective sources for studying various aspects of the activities of the Orthodox clergy in Volyn, as well as for highlighting the supervisory functions of deans, are their reports and memoranda on the situation in the deanery districts, since these documents formed the basis of the characteristics of the diocese sent to the Synod. A separate group of documents consists of priests’ reports on the situation in Czech colonies and the attitude of Orthodox Czechs toward church services. In the documents of the consistory, not only the general condition of the deanery district was analyzed, but also whether church documentation and archives were properly maintained; both the positive and negative aspects of the activities of parish priests were described in detail. Particular attention should be paid to materials that highlight the negative aspects of the activities of certain priests and the punishments imposed on them by the diocesan authorities. Given the polyethnic composition of Volyn’s population and the presence of representatives of various confessions in the region, considerable attention is paid to issues of relations with them.
diocese, dean (blagochynnyi), priest, parishioners, church rites, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Catholic priest (ksiondz), Volyn
Copyright (c) 2026 Yaroslav Tsetsyk, Ihor Vynnychenko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Age features of the Orthodox Ukrainian population in remarriages at the end of the 18th ‒ the first half of the 19th centuries
Section: Original articles Keywords: marriage, widow-bride, widower-groom, metric book, book of marriage searches, family, remarriage, average age of newly married persons The purpose of the article. The article is based on materials from register of birth books and church searches of 23 parishes of the Poltava, Kharkov and Chernihiv provinces. The age indicators of newlyweds of both sexes are examined, who were remarried during 1783‒1820 and 1836‒1860. The scientific novelty of the article. The informative content of the sources made it possible for the first time in Ukrainian historiography to raise the problem of gender and age characteristics of persons who have accepted remarriage (late XVIII ‒ first half of XIX century). The research methods. In the research, in addition to general scientific research, specially historical methods were used, primarily quantitative and critical analysis. The comparative approach is combined with the selective principle of selecting data for comparison. Historical and demographic analysis is based on quantitative indicators of marriages in general and repeated particulars, separately of men and women for the same marital status. The medieval data of newlyweds of both sexes, who created new couples, are presented in tables and graphs and compared with similar data of young people on Polish lands. Examples of the youngest and the oldest re-married men and women are given briefly. Conclusions. Considering the data obtained according to the information of two church registers of 1836‒1860, a historical and comparative analysis of the average age indicators of persons who remarried was performed based on gender. The number of men and women who have formed new married couples is growing markedly in the middle of the XIX century. Widowers were distinguished by higher matrimonial activity, unlike widows. The average age of men who remarried, according to the materials of the metric books of the late 18 century. Amounted to 35.9 years, at the beginning of the 19th century. ‒ 33.3 years old, at the end of the 19th century ‒ 36.4 years old. The corresponding figures for widows-brides are 31.7 / 30.3 / 33.8 years old. The materials of church searches of 1836‒1860 also allowed calculating the medieval data of re-married men (36.7 years old) and women (32.6 years old). The yearly fluctuations in the average age of females who have remarried are distinguished by spasmodic male indicators. The youngest were 20-year-old widowed newlyweds of both sexes. The oldest among the re-married persons were 59 year-old man old and a 52 year-old woman.
marriage, widow-bride, widower-groom, metric book, book of marriage searches, family, remarriage, average age of newly married persons
Copyright (c) 2026 Olena Borodenko, Vitalii Tuchynskyi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The head and assessors of the Zhytomyr district court (1831–1863): historical, legal, and social dimensions
Section: Original articles Keywords: Zhytomyr District Court, assessors, judicial corps, personnel policy, Right-Bank Ukraine, Russian Empire, legal history, pre-reform justice The article aims to analyze the evolution of the legal status, appointment procedures, and social profile of the judicial corps of the Zhytomyr District Court in the pre-reform period in the context of imperial legislation and practices of administrative control over judicial power. The methodological framework of the study is based on the principles of historicism and scholarly objectivity, as well as on historical-legal and critical analysis of normative legal acts and clerical materials of judicial and administrative institutions. The research employs systemic, comparative-legal, and prosopographical approaches, which made it possible to reconstruct the career trajectories of judicial officials and to create a generalized sociological portrait of district court assessors. The scientific novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive historical-legal analysis of the legal status, mechanisms of formation, and social characteristics of the judicial corps of the Zhytomyr District Court in the pre-reform period, based on normative legal acts and service records, which allows for a new interpretation of the district court as an instrument of imperial personnel policy, administrative control, and bureaucratization of judicial power in Right-Bank Ukraine. Conclusions. The study demonstrates that the district court in Right-Bank Ukraine functioned not only as a judicial body but also as an administrative-integrative institution intended to ensure control over local elites and to implement imperial legal standards. Personnel policy in district courts was characterized by a combination of elected representatives of the local elite and officials appointed “from the Crown,” which enabled the authorities to balance the co-optation of loyal groups with administrative centralization. Analysis of service records indicates the predominance of nobles with experience in civil service, a lack of significant property holdings, and an orientation toward a bureaucratic career. In legal terms, this points to the gradual bureaucratization of the judicial system in the pre-reform period and the restriction of the autonomy of elective judicial institutions in favor of imperial administration.
Zhytomyr District Court, assessors, judicial corps, personnel policy, Right-Bank Ukraine, Russian Empire, legal history, pre-reform justice
Copyright (c) 2026 Andrii Shevchuk, Olha Melnychuk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The development of Hop Production by the Czechs in the Volyn province (the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Volyn province, agriculture, Russian autocracy, trade, hop growing, Czech colonists The purpose of this article is to analyze the processes of formation and development of hop growing as a branch of economic activity by Czech colonists, considering it as a component of the economy of the Volyn province (second half of the 19th century to early 20th century). The research methodology involves the use of social and aspectual approaches, principles of objectivity and determinism, development and historicism, as well as a combination of general scientific and special methods (problem-chronological, retrospective, statistical, analysis and synthesis). The scientific significance lies in a thorough study of the issue based on archival documents and other sources of the history of industrial hop cultivation by the Czechs in the Volyn province, which transformed the region into a major exporter of raw materials abroad; justification of the importance of using the experience of Czech hop growing for the development of modern agricultural production. Conclusions. The mass immigration of Czech colonists to the Volyn province, the establishment of Czech settlements and four Czech volosts in the region, state policy aimed at supporting colonization, and the geographical location of the area provided favorable conditions for the emergence and active growth of hop production, a new branch of economic activity, beginning in the second half of the 1870s. The cultivation of world-famous hop varieties, the experience in hop growing, acquired in Bohemia, the introduction of the latest achievements in agronomic science, and economic interests ensured high production rates for the Czechs. They not only satisfied the needs of the Russian Empire but also exported the products abroad. The development of hop growing in Volyn was accompanied by the establishment of industrial institutions, financial associations, and the publication of specialized literature, which contributed to the intensification of industry and trade. The hop growers' associations established in the province at the beginning of the 20th century held fairs, provided assistance in exporting hops, promoted best practices, and encouraged new growers. The experience of Czech colonists in hop cultivation and their cooperation model can be adapted for use in organizing modern Ukrainian agribusiness.
Volyn province, agriculture, Russian autocracy, trade, hop growing, Czech colonists
Copyright (c) 2026 Valentyna Nadolska, Svitlana Havryliuk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Hraniv Transfiguration monastery in Vinnytsia region in the 17th – 18th centuries
Section: Original articles Keywords: church history, Hraniv Monastery, monasticism, Orthodox Church, religious relations, Union Church The purpose of the article is to clarify the time and circumstances of the founding of the Hraniv Monastery, the features of its functioning, the establishment of the staff of its members in the 18th century, as well as the reconstruction of its architecture and economy with the involvement of new archival sources. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, systematicity, analytical and synthetic criticism of sources. The author also used the historical-biographical method, which allowed reconstructing the biographies of the brethren of the Hraniv Monastery. The scientific novelty lies in the attempt to systematize materials on the history of the Hraniv Monastery, as well as highlighting its development and researching of members of its staff in the 18th century using new archival materials. Conclusions. The Hraniv Monastery arose around the late 1840s – the late 1850s of the 17th century, as a skete of Orthodox monks. When the monastic community grew, the monks turned to the local landowner Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski, who provided an oral order on the ownership of the lands on which the monastery was located, later this oral order was confirmed by Prince August Aleksander Czartoryski. In the late 20s – early 30s of the 18th century, the Hraniv Monastery entered the structure of the Union Church. This process was quite painful for the monastic community. The monastery probably once again underwent a process of changing its denominational affiliation against the background of social and religious movements in the Bratslav region in the 30s – 60s of the18th century. Throughout the 18th century, the monastery remained a small monastic center: in 1745 it was administratively subordinated to the Sharhorod Basilian Monastery and subsequently mainly five or six monks lived here, which reflects the modest financial situation of the monastery. The inventory of 1764 allows us to get an idea of the architecture of the monastery, the dominant of which was the three-domed wooden church of the Transfiguration of the Lord with a bell tower, as well as the monastery wooden building, which in the 60s of the 18th century replaced the cells made of clay. The document also provides detailed information about the monastery's land holdings, agricultural implements, testifying to the importance of the monastery in the religious and economic life of the local community and the region.
church history, Hraniv Monastery, monasticism, Orthodox Church, religious relations, Union Church
Copyright (c) 2026 Ivan Khoma, Andrii Pavlyshyn https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Antiquity in the historical and cultural legacy of Uman: The 'Sofiyivka' park and the Basilian School
Section: Original articles Keywords: antiquity, culture, Greece, Rome, Uman, Potocki, Basilian school, Sofiyivka The aim of the article. The paper explores the presence and cultural significance of elements of antiquity in the historical and symbolic space of the city of Uman. Its aim is to demonstrate how the heritage of ancient Greece and Rome, understood as two foundational pillars of European civilization, influenced the formation of the city’s intellectual, artistic, and educational landscape. Scientific novelty. The article seeks to show that classical and mythological motifs appearing in Uman were not accidental borrowings, but rather conscious elements of cultural transfer characteristic of Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment Europe, adapted to the specific conditions of a borderland city. Research methodology. The study is based on an interdisciplinary analysis of diverse source materials, including literary texts, historical and archival documents, archaeological findings, iconographic evidence, and scholarly interpretations proposed by modern researchers. This approach allows for the examination of both material manifestations and symbolic meanings of Antique tradition within the urban space of Uman. Conclusions. The research demonstrates that the impact of ancient culture on Uman’s city space was complex and long-lasting. It was not limited solely to the famous Sofiyivka Park, imbued with imagery of Greek gods, heroes, and philosophers, but also revealed itself through the category of genius loci. This spirit of place integrated historical memory, aesthetic ideals, and educational practices, endowing Uman with a multilayered symbolic dimension that reflects the city’s role within the broader European cultural heritage.
antiquity, culture, Greece, Rome, Uman, Potocki, Basilian school, Sofiyivka
Copyright (c) 2026 Igor Kryvosheia, Iryna Kryvosheia, Norbert Morawiec https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The role of women in the socio-political life of the Roman Republic
Section: Original articles Keywords: matron, mother, republican values, elite Roman woman, Roman Republic, familia This article analyzes the role of Roman aristocratic women in the socio-political life of the Republican period. The study is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity, which enable a balanced analysis of the position of Roman women within the family and society. The research employs general scientific methods, including description, analysis, and synthesis, as well as specialized historical methods such as comparative-historical, historical-systemic, and problem-chronological approaches. The integrated application of these principles and methods provides a comprehensive examination of the role of elite women in the socio-political life of the Roman Republic. The scientific novelty of the article lies in a comprehensive analysis of the status and role of female citizens and their transformation in response to changes in various spheres of life in Ancient Rome, based on a comparison of historical sources. Conclusions. The findings confirm that the participation of Roman aristocratic women in the socio-political life of the Roman Republic was driven by the need to protect family and economic interests rather than by the pursuit of independent political objectives. Their political activity was episodic. Roman women did not possess formal political rights; however, historical evidence indicates that they were able to participate in the political life of the Roman civitas. In the 1st century BCE, elite Roman women sought to influence political developments, particularly during the civil wars and the transition from Republic to Empire. The instability of civil war created new opportunities for noble Roman women, especially Fulvia, who acted more decisively than her predecessors. Social status, education, and family ties enabled women to function as influential informal political actors and as conscious citizens concerned with the fate of the state.
matron, mother, republican values, elite Roman woman, Roman Republic, familia
Copyright (c) 2026 Liudmila Hutsalo, Olha Murashova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Archbishop Varlaam Shishatsky against the backdrop of the era and in the context of Ukrainian historiography
Section: Original articles Keywords: Varlaam Shyshatsky, religious education, historiography, Orthodox Church, Russian Empire, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, seminary, ukrainian elite The article explores the life and career of Archbishop Varlaam Shyshatsky against the background of transformations in Ukraine at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The study aims to identify key trends in the interpretation of his figure in Ukrainian historiography. The study is grounded in the principles of historicism, objectivity, and systematic analysis, combining critical, comparative, and prosopographical approaches. Scientific novelty. The article attempts to analyze the state of Ukrainian historiography concerning the study of Varlaam Shyshatsky’s activities in the context of social and political changes in the Ukrainian lands at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Attention is drawn to the variety of interpretations offered by researchers regarding the archbishop’s actions and views. Conclusions. The figure of Varlaam Shyshatsky represents a logical reflection of the historical, political, and cultural processes that unfolded in Ukraine at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries. His activity as an archimandrite has been of particular interest to historians studying the Orthodox Church, religious education, and the intellectual elite of that period. As a lecturer and rector of the Pereiaslav Collegium, the Novhorod-Siversky Theological Seminary, and the Volhynian Theological Seminary, Shyshatsky is presented in academic studies as a key figure in the founding, administration, and intellectual influence of these institutions. Historians have variously portrayed him as a defender of Orthodoxy in Right-Bank Ukraine, an opponent of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and of the Union, and as a proponent of an independent Ukrainian Church.This multiplicity of interpretations highlights the complex identities of the Ukrainian elite within the political and religious space of the Russian Empire. As a descendant of Cossacks and an Orthodox clergyman, Varlaam Shyshatsky was a representative of the Ukrainian elite of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who operated within the realities of the Russian Empire. His life, therefore, like that of many Ukrainian intellectuals of that time, calls for reinterpretation through the prism of multidimensional identity, which could manifest itself both in loyalty to the empire and in adherence to the ideas of autonomy, as an expression of social and/or religious interests.
Varlaam Shyshatsky, religious education, historiography, Orthodox Church, Russian Empire, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, seminary, ukrainian elite
Copyright (c) 2026 Sviltana Vizer, Iryna Telehuz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The repressive policies of the Stalinist regime in Vinnitsia region (based on 'ukaznyk' from 1948): an antropological approach
Section: History of Podillia Keywords: anthropological dimension, Stalinist repressive policies, “ukaznyk”, post-war village, Vinnytsia region, collective farmer, tax, moods, special settlers The article uses an anthropological approach to explore the repressive policy enacted by Stalin's Decree (Ukaz) of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 'On the eviction from the Ukrainian SSR of persons who willfully evade agricultural labor and lead an antisocial, parasitic lifestyle' (dated February 21, 1948) and its consequences in the Vinnytsia region. The research methodology combines general scientific and historical methods, including the problem-chronological, comparative-historical and content analysis approaches. By applying an anthropological lens to analysis of various types of sources (interrogation protocols, autobiographies/biographies, petitions, character references, official reports, denunciations, etc.) the study reveals, through the stories of thousands of 'ukazniks' (special settlers), such key contexts, essential for a deeper understanding of this topic, as the object-subject dynamics of repressive policy, collective and individual responsibility, active and passive participation in repression, dehumanization of perpetrators and victims, etc. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the use of newly introduced archival materials, which were regarded from anthropological perspective. They enabled the author to highlight the repressive forms and methods and to reveal the consequences of the 'Decree' implementation for the Ukrainian peasantry. Conclusions. The tragic fates of the 'ukazniks' illustrate the Bolshevik regime’s deliberate effort to destroy the Ukrainian ethnos and culture. In the post-war period, the traditional peasant family and community – then the largest social stratum among Ukrainians, were almost entirely destroyed. The consequences of the 'Decree' demonstrate that Stalin’s totalitarian policy was fundamentally based on an uncompromising binary of 'friend or foe' and the systemic devaluation of human life.
anthropological dimension, Stalinist repressive policies, “ukaznyk”, post-war village, Vinnytsia region, collective farmer, tax, moods, special settlers
Copyright (c) 2025 Pavlo Kravchenko, Natalka Zhmud https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The State Security Committee`s use of extrajudicial repression against the Ukrainian Helsinki Group (February 1977 – February 1979)
Section: History of Ukraine Keywords: Ukrainian Helsinki Group (UHG), Committee for State Security (SSC), Ukrainian dissident movement, human rights movement, Oksana Meshko, repression, discrediting The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the extrajudicial repressions of the punitive structures of the Soviet regime against the Ukrainian Helsinki Group (UHG) during February 1977 – February 1979. Methodology. The methodological basis of the article was the principles of historicism, objectivity, comprehensiveness, and continuity. The work used the methods of analysis (to study various specific repressive methods), synthesis (to write generalizations and conclusions), and abstraction (the focus was on the repressive actions of the SSC against dissidents, while excluding the actions of other Soviet authorities, as well as the features of the public activity of human rights activists). In addition, during the research, problem-chronological and retrospective methods were used, as well as the method of comparing and contrasting information from various sources (primarily KGB materials and memoirs of participants in the dissident movement). The scientific novelty is due to the introduction into scientific circulation of a set of little-known documents from the Sectoral State Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSA SSU), which allow us to reveal the key methods and means of using extrajudicial repressions against UHG participants by the State Security Committee (SSC). The article is the first to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the SSC `s secret operational and preventive measures against Ukrainian human rights defenders during 1977–1979. Conclusions. In 1977–1979, the SSC of the Ukrainian SSR implemented a large-scale and targeted campaign of extrajudicial repressions against the participants of the UHG, which combined a wide range of methods – from operational and preventive measures to intelligence and compromising activities. Analysis of a diverse source base has shown that the SSC was not limited to judicial instruments of pressure, and along with them actively used “soft” forms of influence aimed at demoralization, isolation and division of the dissident environment. Repressive policies included administrative supervision, searches, surveillance, calls for preventive conversations, provocations, discrediting campaigns, the spread of disinformation and blackmail. Taken together, they were intended to destroy the group`s structure and reduce its public activity. The multifaceted and flexible nature of the KGB`s actions deserves special attention, as the measures were carefully adapted to the psychological, social, and personal characteristics of individual movement participants. The case of Oksana Meshko, as one of the key figures of the group, demonstrates the particularly harsh nature of extrajudicial repression, which included systematic surveillance, isolation from like-minded people, agent development, and psycho-emotional pressure. Despite a powerful wave of repression, the UHG continued its activities, demonstrating resilience, solidarity, and internal potential for resistance. The SSC `s policy towards the UHG in 1977–1979 became an example of a complex and repressive mechanism for curbing civil activity under the conditions of the late Soviet totalitarian regime.
Ukrainian Helsinki Group (UHG), Committee for State Security (SSC), Ukrainian dissident movement, human rights movement, Oksana Meshko, repression, discrediting
Copyright (c) 2025 Bohdan Paska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Anti-Protestant activities of the Black Hundreds in Volhyn region on the eve and during the World War I
Section: History of Ukraine Keywords: Protestants, Black Hundreds, colonists, missionary priests, zealots, authorities The aim of the article is to study the key areas of anti-Protestant activity of the Black Hundreds in Volhyn region and their role in the aggravation of interethnic relations. The research methodology is based on the use of special historical (comparative-historical and chronological) and general scientific research methods (generalization, synthesis and analysis), which, in combination with the principles of historicism, polyfactoriality and objectivism, created the necessary conditions for objective analysis and coverage of the tasks set. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the author, based on materials from the Black Hundreds press, scientific works, and archival documents, investigated the anti-Protestant direction of the Volyn Black Hundreds, who, together with the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, contributed to the aggravation of interfaith and interethnic relations in the region. Conclusions. Based on an impartial analysis of archival documents, materials from the periodical press and scientific works, the key directions of the anti-Protestant activity of the Volyn Black Hundreds on the eve and during the First World War were investigated. It was found that at the beginning of the 20th century. in Volyn there was an increase in the number of Protestant communities at the expense of the local population. It was noted that the Protestant faith was brought to the region by German and Czech agrarian colonists. The German agrarian colonists who moved to Volyn were Protestants, but gradually the Protestant faith began to spread among the local population. After the start of its activities, the Black Hundreds Union of the Russian People launched an active and purposeful campaign aimed at discrediting Protestants. On the eve and especially during the First World War, pressure from the authorities and the Black Hundreds on Protestants intensified. Carrying out anti-Protestant activities, the allies regularly held missionary anti-Protestant courses for the zealots of the union and missionary priests in the Pochaiv Lavra. Information about the activities of the missionary priests was regularly published on the pages of the Black Hundreds press. This direction of activity of the allies contributed to an even greater aggravation of inter-confessional and inter-ethnic relations in Volhynia.
Protestants, Black Hundreds, colonists, missionary priests, zealots, authorities
Copyright (c) 2025 Ярослав Цецик https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Religious Activity and Religious Outlook of Ukrainians in the Conditions of the Introduction of the new Soviet Ritual: the іn Years of Khrushchev Khrushchev’s "Thaw" and the Deployment of Brezhnev Brezhnev’s "Stagnation"
Section: History of Ukraine Keywords: Ukrainians, church, national consciousness, atheism, Soviet power, «new Soviet ritualism» The focus of this article is the study of the desire of Ukrainians to preserve their own national and spiritual identity in the process of the implementation of the CPSU – СPU of the new Soviet ritualism during the 60’s – 70’s of the twentieth century. Research methodology. During the research, such scientific methods as analytical-logical, historical-systemic, explanation, search, synthesis, comparison and complex selection were applied. The work also used the method of analysis is to find out the level of growth of national consciousness of Ukrainians. Scientific novelty. The article proves that despite the anti-religious policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union – the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the planting of the "new Soviet ritualism", the ancient church and religious traditions and customs of the Ukrainian people continued to be a part of the everyday culture of Ukrainians. Conclusions. So, the new rites became another "brick" laid by the communists in the stronghold of denationalization and sovietization of the Ukrainian ethnic group. New Soviet holidays were officially opposed to religious holidays. However, the percentage of supporters of church rites of weddings, baptisms and burials among the titular nation of the Ukrainian SSR remained quite high. The religious activity of representatives of the Ukrainian ethnic group was especially observed during the celebration of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and other church holidays. And although the number of adherents of religious rites in the republic was different – from less in the East to more in the West, Christian values, despite atheism, continued to be the basis of the spiritual life of the absolute majority of Ukrainians.
Ukrainians, church, national consciousness, atheism, Soviet power, «new Soviet ritualism»
Copyright (c) 2023 Надія Кіндрачук https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Between Reforms and Ideology: teacher training in the Khmelnytskyi Region in the mid-1950s – early 1960s
Section: History of Podillia Keywords: teacher education, Khrushchev Thaw, ideological education, research activity, Kamianets-Podilskyi Pedagogical Institute The aim of the article is to examine the specifics of teacher training in the Khmelnytskyi region in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s under the conditions of educational reforms and party-ideological control. The research methodology is based on a combination of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and specific historical approaches (chronological and comparative), which enabled a comprehensive analysis of changes in the field of teacher education under conditions of socio-political liberalization. The scientific novelty lies in the focus on the regional dimension of teacher training and the first-time systematization of information about the activities of pedagogical institutions in Khmelnytskyi region during this period. Conclusions. In the mid-1950s – early 1960s, teacher education in the Khmelnytskyi region developed within a contradictory environment of educational modernization and persistent ideological pressure. On the one hand, political liberalization encouraged the expansion of educational institutions, improvement of material and technical resources, growth in the number of faculties, enhancement of teaching staff qualifications, and intensification of research activities. On the other hand, the dominance of party-state ideology significantly restricted academic freedom, shaped the content of education, and tightly controlled the student environment. Pedagogical and industrial internships remained a crucial component of training, contributing to the development of practical skills. However, problems with student housing, funding, and staff retention persisted. Career guidance efforts helped to overcome regional imbalances in student recruitment. Overall, teacher training during this period was a complex process occurring at the intersection of educational reforms, socio-economic transformations, and political control.
teacher education, Khrushchev Thaw, ideological education, research activity, Kamianets-Podilskyi Pedagogical Institute
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Dolynna, Ihor Opria https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Images of Ukrainians and Russians in narrative sources from the late 18th to the 19th century
Section: Original articles Keywords: Dnieper Ukraine, Russian Empire, narrative sources, epistolary, identity The purpose of the article is to study the perception and reflection of the fundamental differences between Ukrainians and Russians in narrative sources of the imperial era. The methodological basis of study is the concept of «banal nationalism» by Michael Billig, adapted to study everyday practices as markers of identity. The study is based on general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, generalization, comparative analysis) and historical source studies, in particular internal criticism of sources. The scientific novelty lies in proving the ineffectiveness of the imperial policy of Russification outside the urban space and the preservation of Ukrainians’ own identity, which can be traced through the prism of the sources under consideration. The conclusions demonstrate that regardless of the nationality of the authors, the sources systematically note cardinal differences between Ukrainians and Russians on anthropological grounds, household traditions, features of housing, language, character, as well as ideological and mental concepts. European travellers mostly focused on the elements of material culture as markers of uniqueness. Instead, Russian observers expressed surprise at the existing linguistic and mental abyss, which contradicted the prevailing imperial ideologemes of «fraternal peoples» or a single nation. They also noted the negative attitude of ordinary Ukrainians towards their northeastern neighbours. Ukrainian authors, representatives of the predominantly noble elite and scientific intelligentsia, emphasized the uniqueness and separateness of their own people, as well as the destructive influence of imperial policy on Ukrainian culture and national self-awareness. The results of the study confirm the sustainable preservation and awareness of Ukrainian national identity in the face of imperial pressure, which contradicted the official narratives of assimilation and unity.
Dnieper Ukraine, Russian Empire, narrative sources, epistolary, identity
Copyright (c) 2025 Анна Гедьо, Олег Іванюк https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Seasonality of births in the Volhynian governorate at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century (based on the example of the Parish of the Dmitry church in the village of Biloshytsi, Ovruch county, Volhynian governorate)
Section: Original articles Keywords: Volhynian Governorate, Dmitry church, modern period, birth rate, religious fasts, seasonality, ecclesiastical-religious restrictions The purpose of the article is to study the patterns of influence exerted by church rituals, religious fasts, and agricultural cycles on the reproductive behavior of Ukrainian peasants in the late 19th – early 20th century (based on the example of the parish of the Dmitry church in the village of Biloshytsi, Ovruch County, Volhynian Governorate). The research methodology is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach that combines methods of social history, particularly microhistorical analysis, historical demography, and historical-anthropological analysis. The primary source is parish metric books, which allow the tracing of birth dynamics and seasonality. The scientific novelty lies in the attempt to interpret the demographic behavior of the Ukrainian peasantry based on parish metric records from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, using the case of a specific parish (the Dmitry church in Biloshytsi village, Volhynian Governorate). This provides new insights into how religious factors influenced reproductive decisions among the population. Conclusions. The analysis of seasonal fluctuations in births in the village of Biloshytsi, Ovruch County, Volhynian Governorate revealed that the reproductive behavior of Ukrainian peasants at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century was largely determined by the agrarian calendar, whereas religious factors did not have a dominant influence on the sexual life of the peasantry. Although the Church remained an important social institution and retained authority in matters of marriage, its influence on the intimate life of peasants was limited. Thus, religious prohibitions on sexual relations during fasting periods did not determine the overall dynamics of birth rates. This suggests the existence of separate sociocultural dimensions – religious and corporeal – which often did not align. This mismatch led to various social consequences, including the formation of a double morality, where outward displays of religiosity and participation in rituals coexisted with private lives governed by other (often pragmatic) rules.
Volhynian Governorate, Dmitry church, modern period, birth rate, religious fasts, seasonality, ecclesiastical-religious restrictions
Copyright (c) 2025 Oleksandr Maksymov, Serhii Stelnykovych https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Confession Problem of the Ukrainian Orthodox Population in the 19th Century (on the Basis of the Confessionals of Kamianetsky District of the Podillia Province)
Section: History of Podillia Keywords: Orthodox parish, causes and factors of absence from confession, sacred sacrament, priest, confession, confessionals The purpose of the article, based on materials from the confessional information of the Orthodox parishes of the Kamenets district of the Podillia province, examines the reasons and factors that led to church attendance and the failure to conduct the holy sacrament of confession during Great Lent by the Ukrainian population in the 19th century. The research methodology. In the context of the introduction of the anthropological approach in the historiography, attention was paid to the personified and family examples of the common people regarding their possible motives for not confessing. The method of critical analysis is used in the study of church statistical documentation, because the sources were created by representatives of the parish clergy with different levels of education and executive discipline. According to the work algorithm of the deconstruction method, the necessary information was extracted from the content part of the sources. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the determining factors and probable conditions that corrected the confessional behavior of the Orthodox laity of the above-mentioned period are singled out. Conclusions. In any location, a person had to go through the rite of confession. The confessor had to sincerely acknowledge his sins before the priest, confirm his intention to correct them, believe in God and hope for His lenity. The parishioners' attendance at the holy sacrament was recorded in confessional records, in which the priests indicated the reasons for their absence from confession with various notes. The most common entry was «in the absence», with no explanation of detailed motives. Among other influential factors that changed the confessional behavior of the laity, the following can be singled out: flight, disappearance of people; military service; labor or marriage migration to other settlements; stay in institutions of social protection of the population; training in different educational institutions; personal agreement with the priest; pilgrimage; belonging to other Christian denominations; imprisonment and exile to Siberia; «spiritual prohibition»; infancy; parental prohibition for children of confessional age; poor health, etc. The determining factors that could correct the conduct of the sacred rite were: confession of certain categories of people at home; the presence of natural barriers that prevented people from visiting the church; a significant number of laity within one parish and a shortage of representatives of the Orthodox clergy; the impossibility of allocating the necessary confessional time for all the fasting persons; «pulsation» of households within a territorial Orthodox community; the presence of several churches within the settlement; non-performance by a priest of his official duties, etc. The clergy violated the lawful procedure for conducting the holy sacrament, confessed not in isolation, but by several parishioners. The Church recommended a number of changes to the regulations for conducting the church rite of confession.
Orthodox parish, causes and factors of absence from confession, sacred sacrament, priest, confession, confessionals
Copyright (c) 2023 Олена Бороденко, Віталій Тучинський https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0