Lecturers and Students of Kyiv Higher Institute of People’s Education in the Early 1920s in the Context of the System of Soviet Ideological Control

Since the establishment of the Bolshevik regime, intellectuals as holders of knowledge, ideology and historical experience, were under systematic and constant pressure. Special attention was paid to political control over higher education institutions, particularly in Kyiv. This control concerned reorganization of Ukrainian universities (Russian universities were not reorganised). That is why particular attention should be paid to higher education changes during the early totalitarism period. Kyiv University served as a basis for establishment of Kyiv Higher Institute of People’s Education and other educational institutions. Besides, there was political and ideological purge of teachers and students at the same time. The forms of control over lecturers were detailed questionnaires and reports. Such famous scientists as Hryhoriy Pavlutskiy, Klyment Kvitka, and others were among those lectures. Students were controlled through commissions on political level checks (political registration). Those commissions were the ones that carried out a purge in 1921–1923s. All those actions changed the political and ideological situation in Kyiv Higher Institute of People’s Education.The subject matter of this article is to show forms and methods of control over the lecturers and students in Kyiv Higher Institute of People’s Education. The main sources used in the article are the documents of the fund P-346 (R-346) of the State Archives of Kyiv.

“Radical Reorganization…”: M. I. Pyrohov as Trustee (1858–1861) and Measures in Improving Professionalism of Teachers of Kyiv Educational District

Reformation of the educational system of independent Ukraine encourages the study of concrete experience of implementing radical changes in the field of education. The purpose of the article is to study the innovations of the trustee of the Kyiv Educational District M. I. Pyrohov in teacher training in the state. The methodological basis of the study is the socio-cultural approach in combination with psychohistory. As a result of the study it is proved that the authoritative doctor and scientist M. I. Pyrohov in Kyiv Educational District continued the mission of “serving the truth and the Motherland”. Progressive pedagogy, sincere humanism and democracy in the educational process became the core of the trustee’s administrative activity. The personality of a teacher was in the focus of change. The trustee implemented measures to improve the professionalism of the teaching staff in the District: projects of the Pedagogical Seminary and a special Pedagogical Gymnasium were prepared; training of university students in didactics was improved and their practical classes were organized on the basis of the Kyiv gymnasiums; the concept of pedagogical courses at provincial gymnasiums for training of teachers of the county and parish schools was offered; competitive procedure for appointing teachers; educational and methodical meetings of pedagogical councils were initiated. The strategy of innovations was to increase the pedagogical authority and personal dignity of teachers.We believe that under Pyrohov as the trustee there was an irreversible turn towards true democratization of the management system, relations between the subjects of the educational process, modernization of didactic and pedagogical technologies in the Kyiv Educational District. The success of innovations was due to the high public authority of Pirogov, his exceptional professionalism and integrity as an administrator, a sincere desire for the progress of education in the state.

1638 Cossacks Register as Historical Source

The article gives the analysis of the register of cossacks in 1638 as one of the Ukrainian historical sources which contain data about the structure and special ethnic origin of the Zaporozhian Host before the beginning Liberation war in the middle of the 17th century. Attention is focused on the fundamentals of register formation based on the territorial principle which was initiated by the Kurukovo Agreement. The reasons for the absence of key positions such as a quartermaster (obozny), a judge (suddia) and a chancellor (pysar) in the registered army are being clarified. Information about the amount of payment for the service of Cossack officer is also valuable. The continuity of Cossack family traditions was traced, in particular through participation in the resistance to Turkish aggression and armed uprisings.

Abelard and Heloise: personal relationship in the socio-cultural context of the 12th century

The 12th century was a controversial period of deepening ecclesiastical influence on all strata of the population, strengthening church prohibitions, expansion of convents; the century of establishing a new stratum of intellectuals, the first rise of women role in society and the formation of the courtly culture’s foundations. Philosopher Peter Abelard and his student Heloise were chosen for examination by us as the bright personalities of the 12th century, a product of medieval society and the voices of their time. An exceptional historical case of well-documented reliable information on the personal relationship allows us to correlate the world-view of lovers and their lives with the socio-cultural realities of High Middle Ages. The aim of the article is a historical analysis of the relationship between the philosopher-teacher Abelard and the student Eloise in the socio-cultural context of the 12th century. In previous studies scholars have only indirectly touched certain aspects of the teacher-student relationship in the context of intimate gender relations of the High Middle Ages. We analysed the autobiography of Peter Abelard, the letters of Abelard’s contemporaries, his correspondence with Eloise. We arranged scientific achievements of historians and examined personal life of the couple against the background: tactics of seduction, intimacy, determining and understanding the relationship status, men’s standing in society after castration. Emphasis is placed on the progress of 12th century’s social consciousness in the light of the personalities’ world-view analysis. A division between individual views and the Catholic medieval outlook is analysed. Through the study of the transformation of the relationship between teacher and student, and future lovers, we have shown that the views of Eloise and Abelard illustrate a feasible range of medieval perceptions of the relationship, in tune with the new era challenges, yet integral to its time.

Free Education at the University of St. Volodymyr in the 19th Century

The article highlights the features of professional training of students of the University of St. Volodymyr, who received the right to study at public expense in the 19th century. Under the conditions of elite education, accessible to a limited number of young people due to its high cost and social and religious discrimination, the institution of state-funded students allowed talented young people to obtain higher education and pursue a scientific or bureaucratic field. In modern Ukraine, where the issue of reducing the number of government orders, limiting the number of scholars, the historical experience of the University of Kiev is more relevant than ever. The article uses general scientific principles of historicism and objectivity and uses analytical, descriptive, comparative-historical methods. Their use allowed to examine the conditions of study, the level of professional training of students, as well as to involve new historical sources in scientific circulation. The research is conducted on the basis of a wide source base with the involvement of archival materials. For the first time, an attempt is made to analyse the scientific works of students who were dependent on the state or received a scholarship for writing a scientific paper. It is proved that the scientific level of student works written in the second half of the 19th century is much higher than in the works created in the first decades of the University of St. Voladymyr. It should be emphasized that the level of professional training of state-funded students is much higher than that of their own. The threat of being deprived of state financial aid forced students to attend lectures honestly, prepare for exams and constantly work on scientific research. Despite the success of student youth in the scientific field, the percentage of scholarship holders at the University of Kyiv was much lower than at other Ukrainian universities. Studying the conditions of study, the content of scientific works of students who were on state support in other universities of the Russian Empire will determine the level of professional training in each educational institution.

Mass Arrivals of Poles in the 1980s as a Symptom of Political and Economic Changes in the Eastern Bloc

The article concerns the subject of mass Ukrainian-Polish contacts in the last decade of the USSR. Documents produced by the Polish consular services and the political police allow for the study of Poles’ travel across the eastern border. They were visiting Ukraine e.g. as employees of cultural and commercial institutions, construction companies, participants of official delegations, students of Soviet universities, trainees, participants of trips and — the most frequent — individual tourists. The most important were informal contacts, almost all visitors tried to trade illegally. The intensification of these trips (in 1988 Ukraine was visited by 700,000 Poles), their circumstances and character were the effect of the progressive disintegration of the communist system, which had been taking place in Poland since 1980 and in Ukraine since 1985. The deepening economic crisis increased interest in the transportation of goods across the border and their illegal sale as a source of household supplies or income. Weakening state structures were unable, or unwilling, to effectively counteract this practice. The progressive liberalization of travel regulations increased the number of visitors, who were interested not only in business but also in Ukraine’s past and culture, especially in monuments of Lviv. Poles sometimes demonstrated their critical attitude to the Communist regime, manifested freedom or religious attitudes and often broke harsh Soviet rules. The militia and secret service found them to be troublesome guests. However, non-political people-to-people contacts, virtually nonexistent after WWII, were established and renewed then. These relations developed into close neighborly cooperation after the fall of the USSR.

Olena Apanovych in the Circle of Kyiv Scientists: PhD studies

Olena Apanovych is an outstanding researcher of Ukrainian Cossacks, who rose as a scientist in academic environment in 1945–1950s. In those times the functioning of state archives were renewed and the scarcity of professionals came up. Being a philologist, future famous historian accidentally became an employee of Central State Historical Archives of the USSR in Kyiv. She did not have a basic historical education and studied in a postgraduate department during 1945–1948 (Specialization “History of Ukraine”) which she successfully graduated. Despite all difficulties, young researcher managed to combine the two activities simultaneously. In 1950 she successfully defended thesis. During studing she gained both theoretical and practical experience.While studing at postgraduate department, she even helped her colleagues and friends. When she was leading the department of “old acts”, she initiated Polish language studying, paleology, basic archiving were arranged for other activities that supported professional growth of archive workers.While being influenced by the Kyiv academic society, including PhD lecturers Fedor Shevchenko, Serhii Maslov, Vycheslav Strelskii, PhD colleagues Ivan Butych and Tetyana Slydikova, and under the direct influence of PhD supervisor Kostia Huslystyi and own initiative to self-growth, Olena Apanovych carried on with her development as personality and a professional and continued to be a part of Kyiv intellectuals environment.

Mykhailo Bernov as a Pioneer of Hiking Tourism: Travel through Spain and Algeria (Part I. Spain. November 1893 — February 1894)

This article considers the formation of hiking in the Russian Empire and Europe in the late 19th century. Its socio-cultural context is also defined. Particular attention is paid to the person of Mykhailo Bernov as one of the founders of hiking in the Russian Empire and Europe and his multifaceted activities in the development of communication between peoples, social actualization of knowledge about the world. Biography, information about popularization activity and publishing activity of Mykhailo Bernov are also given.In the first part of this study, the route of Mykhailo Bernov’s journey from France to Spain, and then through Spain, Algeria and the Sahara in 1892–1893, was reconstructed on the basis of his “travel notes” “Spain, Algeria and the Sahara” (St. Petersburg, 1899) and periodical data.Mykhailo Bernov left detailed descriptions of nature, countryside and major cities of Spain, monuments of history, culture and art, accompanied by historical excursions, interpretation of their own names. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of Spanish opera and theatrical life.It is concluded that sincere interest and respect for local traditions, thorough general training allowed Mykhailo Bernov to create in his notes a broad and colourful canvas of life of the country and people of Spain in the late 19th century, to capture the features of national culture and character. Bernov’s “travel notes” are based on direct communication with the Spanish common people, representatives of the elite and the administration, acquaintance with folk culture, examples of high art and literature. In his notes he makes comparisons of Spanish people with other nations. Bernov tried to understand Spain and its people, sought common socio-cultural features and values, and explained the features of “otherness” by nature, religion, state foundations, the course of history, and so on.Mykhailo Bernov’s notes on his travels in Spain as a source, in our opinion, contain a lot of useful and interesting information for researchers on the history of hiking, monuments, archaeology, ethnography, etc.

Deputies of the General Sejmik Ruthenian Voivodeship at the Coronation Sejm of 1669

Studies of Sejmiks or local parliaments and their influence on the political, military and socio-economic life of the early modern Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are widely represented in modern European historiography. Pre-Sejm sejmiks were convened by the king who sent a writ to each sejmik, outlining the reasons the next Sejm would be held.In August 1669, the General Sejmik of the Ruthenian Voivodeship took place in Vyshnia, at which elect six representatives (traditionally two deputies, each from the Lands of Lwow, Przemysl, and Sanok) to the Coronation Sejm of Michael I. The main idea of the article is to show biographies of the six deputies of the Ruthenian Voivodeship. The paper is based on the source materials of the General Sejmik the second half of the 17th century demonstrates the place of their representation in their public and political activities. Sejmiks gave the opportunity for the career development of local nobility for politician’s beginners and experienced public figures. The role of the deputies was honourable and responsible, as the elected represented the interests of the whole voivodeship. Participation in the work of the Sejm provided an opportunity to join the discussion of important issues of the domestic and foreign policy of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, authority in the local noble society was not the only criterion for election to the embassy, no less important factor was the client-patron relationship. Lot of nobility belonged to family and political groups led by senators and magnates and defended their interests at the Sejmik and Sejm. Among the six ambassadors elected at the General Sejmik, there were representatives of magnate families and experienced parliamentarians who regularly participated in the Sejm.

Kyiv City Communities of the Early 1880s in the Context of Alexander Polovtsov’s “Diary”

The article examines the life of urban communities of Kyiv in 1880–1881 in the perception of an imperial official, senator Alexander Polovtsov (1832–1909). The author`s concept based on the opinion that an important part of historical urban studies is the analysis of the activities of urban communities. They represent the state of urban life at a particular historical stage. The article uses excerpts from the “Diary” of Alexander Polovtsov, the Head of the Senatorial Revision Commission, dedicated to his stay in Kyiv in the autumn of 1880 and early 1881. This source is valuable mainly because the author, who did not live in Kyiv (wider — in Ukraine), looked at inhabitants of the city from “outside”. Such a detached view allows us to see Kyiv citizens, firstly the officials of the administrative and administrative apparatus, clergy, landlords, intellectuals — from conservatives to liberals — through the eyes of an “outsider”, a representative of imperial power. At the same time, the article presents diaries and memoirs of representatives of the Kyiv national-democratic intelligentsia, where the events described by Alexander Polovtsov are shown from a different perspective. This perspective of the study deepens the ideas about the peculiarities of the social and cultural life of Kyiv at a crucial moment in history — on the eve of the death of Alexander II and the accession of Alexander III and the change in the political course of the Empire. The informative character of Polovtsov`s diary is determined by its genre specificity. The text is full of facts, descriptions of events, meetings with people. From the position of the imperial high official represented a diverse range of beliefs, opinions, and attitudes of Kyivans in the field of politics, economics, land tenure, education, urban development, etc. The diary is full of succinct descriptions of the individuals contacted by the author. Polovtsov`s assessments help to understand not only how the tsarist government dealt with pressing economic, social and political problems in Ukraine. It helps understand the actions in resolving urgent economic and sociopolitical problems of Ukrainian provinces, the tsarist official`s own attitude to the people in whose milieu he found himself.