LANDSCAPING, SANITARY AND HYGIENIC CONDITIONS OF THE CITIES OF RIGHT-BANK UKRAINE: ACTIVITIES OF SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES (THE SECOND HALF OF THE XIXth – BEGINNING OF THE XXth CENTURIES)

Abstract

 The Purpose of the Article – the peculiarities analysis of landscaping, sanitary and hygienic conditions in the cities of Right-Bank Ukraine during the second half of the XIXth – the beginning of the XXth centuries through the prism of local governments activities, especially in such spheres as development of street infrastructure, landscaping, water and electricity supply, environmental supervision and control. The Methodology of the Research. To write the article there became fundamental the principles of historicism and objectivity, an institutional and interdisciplinary approach to the phenomena and processes study (the combination of a social history, history of law, economics). The methods of a comparative historical analysis (on the example of different provinces and cities), statistical information processing, problem-chronological and regional studies have been widely used. The scientific novelty consists in a comprehensive and, at the same time, comparative historical analysis of the landscaping and sanitary hygienic conditions of the cities of Right-Bank Ukraine from the point of view of local self-government bodies participation in the correspondent processes. The use of the archival materials and other sources allowed to show an objective picture, focusing on both positive aspects, specific miscalculations and drawbcks. The Conclusions. The analysis of the sources showed that, with some exceptions, the activities were gradually intensified to improve landscaping and sanitation in the cities of Right-Bank Ukraine during the second half of the ХІХth – beginning of the XXth century. At that time, especially at the turn of the centuries, local governments received many proposals from individuals and organizations to implement such projects as water supply and electric lighting on various terms. However, bureaucratic obstacles, lobbying practice, or administrative interference hampered a fast transition from a project discussion and analysis to the very implementation. Instead, the implementation of such initiatives as paving the streets, arrangement of squares and sidewalks, landscaping, sanitation control of public places, fire safety, etc., required significant funds without a direct profit. Thus, before World War I the majority of the county centers of Right-Bank Ukraine, not to mention small towns, had significant problems in the sphere of landscaping. In the general cohort there were distinguished the provincial cities significantly (first of all Kyiv, then Zhytomyr, less – Kamianets-Podilsky) and Berdychiv and Uman – developed in trade and industry, a little less developed – Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Rivne.