EAST EUROPEAN HISTORICAL BULLETIN

JEWELRY MADE FROM GOLD COINS IN THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF THE POPULATION OF THE NORTHERN BLACK SEA REGION, THE UKRAINIAN STEPPE, AND THE FOREST-STEPPE (4th century BC – early 3rd century AD)

Mykhailo ORLYK — 2026-04-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the problem of the use of ancient coins as ornaments by the population of the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe in the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD. Methodology: In the course of the research, the authors employed a range of general scientific, historical, and numismatic methods. Particular attention was paid to the descriptive research method. That is, the authors sought to provide a detailed and accurate account of the numismatic artifacts of the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD discovered in the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe that “survived” the process of demonetization, i.e., the transformation of a coin from a means of payment into an ornament. The scientific novelty: For the first time, the article analyzes a series of gold ornaments made from coins as objects of jewelry art in unity with the numismatic artifacts that served as the basis for their production. The use of numismatic imagery from the coins of the Bosporan Kingdom in the manufacture of gold plaques by Scythian craftsmen is also examined. The Conclusions: In the course of this study, the authors analyzed the finds from the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe of 30 coins dating from the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD that were transformed into ornaments (amulets), as well as a number of gold plaques imitating the coins of Panticapaeum. Information about these finds is contained in diverse sources: museum websites, scholarly works, the “Coins of Bospor” catalogue-archive website, and metal-detecting forums. Part of the information regarding the finds of “demonetized” coins was obtained personally by the authors from local historians. Taken together, this evidence made it possible to form a comprehensive understanding of the use of gold coins and their imitations in the material culture of the population of the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe in the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD.

Keywords: non-monetary uses of coins, coins as amulets, Greek coin-set jewellery, gold plaques.

MARRIAGE AND ITS LEGALITY THROUGH THE PRISM OF CANONICAL NORMS AND EVERYDAY PRACTICE (BASED ON MATERIALS FROM SECULAR AND CHURCH COURTS OF PRZEMYŚL LAND OF THE 17th – 18th CENTURIES)

Lesia SMUTOK — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the research is to characterize the procedure for concluding marriages and determine the legal boundaries of its legitimacy in the Ukrainian society of the early modern period using the example of Przemyśl land of the Ruthenian Voivodeship in the 17th – 18th centuries. The methodology of the research is based on the principles of historicism, authorial objectivity, scientific verification of historical sources, and the use of general (analysis, synthesis, typology, classification) and special (historical-genetic, historical-systemic, historical-typological) scientific methods. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that there has been carried out a comprehensive analysis on the procedure for concluding a marriage based on the factual material of Przemyśl land territory (Western Ukrainian lands); the legal foundations of its existence have been clarified through the prism of law and everyday practices. Conclusions. The family creation had established forms and procedures in the territory of the Ruthenian Voivodeship (Western Ukrainian lands nowadays) in the 16th – 18th centuries. The marriage was concluded with the consent of both parties and participation of a wider circle of the family, and not only on the initiative of a groom and a bride. The procedure began with engagement – a preliminary consent of both parties to get married. The engagement was followed by marriage, the result of which was the conclusion of a marriage contract. According to the preserved texts on marriage contracts of the 16th – 18th centuries, material issues were the subject of marriage contracts primarily. In the 16th – 18th centuries, when marriage was concluded, there were taken into account social and public realities of the time and they provided for numerous restrictions and prohibitions, the violation of which caused legal conflicts and served as a basis for marriage annulment. The documents of the 17th – 18th centuries provide a rich factual material. There were several apects, which became the subject of legal proceedings and ultimately they led to marriage annulment, for example, violation of social norms, age restrictions, failure to comply with material obligations of marriage contracts, close blood relationship, different religious affiliation, etc.

Key words: marriage contracts, creation of a family, history of family law, mediation, Przemyśl Land.

HISTORICAL ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE “TERRORIST WAR”: “SCORCHED EARTH”, ENERGY TERROR AND CRIMINAL RECRUITS (MODERN TIMES – THE 21st CENTURY)

Ruslan HULA — 2026-03-30

Abstract. The article focuses on the analysis of the essence and key components of the Russian Federation's “terrorist war” concept based on the analysis of historical military conflicts and their transformation in modern wars. The purpose of the study is to elucidate the nature and structure of terrorist war, in particular terror aimed at the destruction of critical infrastructure, as well as the use of criminal environment in combat operations. Historical parallels between past and modern wars, armed conflicts have been drawn. The methodological basis of the study is the principles of objectivity, historicism, systematicity, verification, value orientation and scientificity; problem-search, problem thematic and chronological methods have been applied. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that for the first time in the Ukrainian historiography, an attempt has been made to analyze the approbation of the Russian concept components of “terrorist war”, formed by the military leadership of the Russian Federation as a secondary tracing of foreign military theories and practices, with a demonstration of its implementation in the context of world military history. The conclusions emphasize that terrorist warfare is a form of warfare involving irregular formations, which mostly include asocial marginality. Its goal is to maintain a permanent state of war, destabilize, destroy and paralyze the political, social and economic institutions of the state and society against which it is waged.

Key words: terrorist war, “scorched earth tactics”, energy terror, criminality, private military companies, Russo-Ukrainian war, international humanitarian law.

THE JEWISH POPULATION OF THE RUSSIAN-AUSTRIAN BORDERLAND AT THE TURN OF THE 19th – THE 20th CENTURIES: ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND DAILY PRACTICES (BASED ON DOCUMENTARY POSTCARDS)

Sergiy KOPYLOV — 2026-03-30

The relevance of the study is determined by the shifts in recent decades in the perception of visual sources, as intellectual activity has encouraged researchers “to rediscover” their sources. The research priorities reorientation has led to the academic community recognizing documentary postcards and their written messages as significant sources with great potential for understanding a spiritual and material life, everyday practices, and mentality of the population of a given era. The purpose of the research is to outline the economic activities, everyday practices, and interactions with the surrounding world of members of the Jewish communities in the region of the eastern section of the Russian-Austrian borderland at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries. The main source of the study consists of nearly 400 documentary postcards from private and museum collections, published in 1896 – 1918. The research methodology is based on the application of analytical and synthetic, historical and cultural attribution, iconographic, and comparative analysis methods. The scientific novelty of the study consists in expanding current understanding of the economic activity and everyday practices of the Jewish population in the Russian-Austrian borderland at the end of the 19th century, on the eve of and during World War I. Conclusions. The iconography of the postcards represents the everyday visual world of the Jewish population in the Russian-Austrian borderland, offering personal testimonies and opening up avenues for the study of their culture, economic activities, and daily practices. The imagery affirms that the synagogue functioned as the focal point of the Jewish communal life, while religious rituals-binding for all members of the community-constituted the supreme normative framework. The unquestioned authority of rabbis is reflected in their portraits and the depictions of their residences featured on the postcards. The visual content of the postcards attests to a significant role played by the Jewish entrepreneurs in the economic development of the imperial borderlands across adjacent regions. It visualizes the economic activity of the Jewish capital in the sugar, flour-milling, timber, and brick industries within the border provinces of the Russian Empire. This involvement contributed to the completion of the industrial transformation in the frontier regions – Volhynia, Podillia, Bukovyna, and Eastern Galicia. It also facilitated the development of transport infrastructure, accelerated urbanization processes, and led to the numerical predominance of the Jews among the urban population in the contact zone between the two empires. The imagery captured on the postcards documents the national character, leisure activities, domestic life, traditional dress, and everyday practices of the Jewish communities members. It reflects the patriarchal structure of the family, where male authority and leadership were dominant, yet women played a decisive role in key family decisions, upheld the Jewish religious principles, and ensured the satisfaction of daily needs. The postcards also reveal that individuals who sought to break away from familial and communal authority often renounced tradition and, as a result, faced social condemnation. The prevalence of antisemitism and the outbreak Jewish massacres, prompted waves of emigration from the western provinces of the empire to countries across the American continent. At the same time, the visual materials from World War I period attest that, even amid the turmoil of war, members of urban Jewish communities, despite numerous hardships and obstacles, persisted in maintaining established economic routines and everyday practices.

Key words: Jews, Jewish population, Austro-Russian borderland, postcard, documentary postcard, visual source.

THE “FORGOTTEN” REGION IN THE “FORGOTTEN WAR”: RIGHT-BANK CHERKASY REGION IN 1914 – 1917

Tymofiy GERASYMOV — 2026-03-30

The purpose of this article is to reconstruct the everyday life of the urban population of Right-Bank Cherkasy region during World War I, with an emphasis on identifying general Ukrainian trends characteristic of that period, as well as specific local features determined by the socio-economic and geographical characteristics of the region. The methodology of the research is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines historiographical analysis, everyday history, and regional context. In the study historical and comparative, statistical, and typological methods have been used. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that it is the first comprehensive study of the region's cities history in the context of World War I. Conclusions. The analysis of Right-Bank Cherkasy region population's everyday life during World War I (1914 – 1917) shows how even a rear region far from the front became an integral part of the global conflict, while retaining its local specificity. At the beginning of the war, there were mass patriotic actions, mobilization, and volunteer activity in the cities and towns. Over time, enthusiasm gave way to panic, apathy, distrust of the authorities and the official press, and growing corruption. Mobilization caused labour shortage, which led to the involvement of marginalized groups in the workforce, including foreign prisoners of war, prisoners, and even arrested illegal prostitutes, while the wives of conscripted men went to work en masse. Food shortages, inflation, and interethnic tensions deepened the material and moral psychological crisis. Military priorities and a new economic situation caused by the war made it impossible to implement important infrastructure projects, in particular the construction of a sewage system in Cherkasy and the launch of tram service in Uman. All this testifies to profound social transformations which, despite the region's “obscurity” in historiography, reflected nationwide processes and were precursors to the revolutionary events of 1917.

Key words: Right-Bank Cherkasy Region, World War I, cities, everyday life, Cherkasy, Uman.

TERRITORIAL-BORDER ISSUES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS DURING THE SOVIET ERA

Irada Mehtigulu HUSEYNOVA — 2026-03-30

The study of the emergence and evolution of territorial and border problems in the South Caucasus during the Soviet period is of a particular relevance today. Considering that the roots of modern territorial conflicts in the South Caucasus originate from the political processes that took place in the early twentieth century, the main purpose of the research is to analyse the historical background of these disputes, to examine the policy of border formation during the Soviet era, and to assess the impact of this policy on the contemporary situation in the region. Research Methodology. The study is based on frontier theory, which interprets borders not simply as fixed geographical lines but as dynamic political and administrative constructs shaped by power relations, security strategies, and processes of identity formation. From this perspective, a border is not merely a geographical concept; it is also a socio-political phenomenon closely connected with the construction of national identity, the preservation of collective memory, and the formation of historical and political narratives. Following Etienne Balibar’s conceptualization of borders as politically constructed and dispersed spaces rather than fixed territorial lines, this study interprets Soviet border-making in the South Caucasus as a dynamic process shaped by power relations and identity politics. Within the Soviet context, borders in the South Caucasus operated as flexible frontier zones that were repeatedly modified through administrative restructuring and political intervention. The research employs historiographical and comparative analysis, systematisation of archival materials, identification of cause-and-effect relationships in political decision-making, analytical generalisation, and spatial and temporal evaluation. Various archival documents, official decrees, and ideological approaches of the Soviet period are examined in order to reveal the mechanisms of Soviet national policy and border formation. The scientific novelty lies in the application of frontier theory to reinterpret Soviet border-making policies in the South Caucasus as a dynamic and politically constructed process, supported by newly introduced archival materials. The study systematically reveals the influence of the “temporary” nature of borders after the incorporation of the South Caucasus republics into the Soviet Union, frequent border changes and population relocations on the political map and ethnodemographic structure of the region. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the transformation of borders in the South Caucasus during the Soviet era is analysed for the first time through a comprehensive approach, combining political decisions, archival materials, ethnic factors, territorial claims, administrative subordination and regional strategies. The research proves that the deliberate maintenance of instability in borders served as a mechanism for deepening tensions among the republics, strengthening political dependence and contributing to the formation of long-term conflicts that continue to this day. Conclusions. The results show that the borders within the USSR in the South Caucasus were not formed on ethnic, historical or legal principles, which made them unstable and turned them into a subject of territorial dispute after the collapse of the Soviet empire. The consequences of Soviet national and border policies are considered one of the main causes of ongoing conflicts in the region. Therefore, the scientific analysis of current developments, the study of historical experience and the objective evaluation of past political decisions remain essential for understanding the contemporary geopolitical processes in the South Caucasus.

Key words: South Caucasus, Soviet Empire, regional conflicts, administrative-territorial division, territorial-border issues, national interests, disputed territories

WOMEN’S MOVEMENT IN GALICIA IN THE 1920s – 1930s: HOW UKRAINIAN WOMEN BRIDGED THE CIVILIZATIONAL DIVIDE BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRYSIDE

Nadiia VOITOVYCH — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the study is to elucidate the women’s movement in Galicia, focusing on its efforts to expand women’s rights and improve the cultural, socio-economic, and living conditions of the Ukrainian women. A chief focus is on the issue of the way the movement helped bridge the civilizational gap between the urban and rural everyday life of the Ukrainian women. Therefore, the study highlights the communication channels that fostered connections between women who lived in urban and rural areas (e.g., participation in women’s organizations, vocational training courses, summer “vacation” trips, and employment in cities and towns). The research methodology is grounded on the principle of historicism and employs both general and specialized scientific methods, with an emphasis on comparative historical analysis. A key source for this study is the women’s press of the 1920s–1930s. Although such sources are often subjective, emotional, and sometimes imprecise, being subject to a certain arbitrariness of interpretation, they provide a valuable repository of factual information, which has been analyzed in the study. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the use of the periodicals such as “Women’s Fate”, “Nova Khata”, “Nyva”, as well as memoir literature to analyze – for the first time in the Ukrainian historical science – the women’s movement in interwar Galicia in the context of everyday life and efforts to overcome the civilizational divide between city and countryside. The study also explores the cooperation between female movement leaders and peasant women. The findings contribute to future research in the areas of everyday rural life in Galicia, urban studies, and the history of the women’s movement. Conclusions. The analysis of interwar Galician women’s magazines reveals the specific character of the women’s movement during this period and illustrates how its leaders engaged with the worldview of peasant women. They created communication channels that helped to narrow the gap between urban and rural life. When these two worlds intersected, women gained both positive and negative experiences. Nevertheless, these encounters gradually diminished the civilizational divide, elevated educational, cultural, and social standards in rural Galicia, and contributed to women’s emancipation while resisting the assimilation policies of the Polish authorities. Internal and external misogyny, passivity, and the lack of unity among women sometimes hindered cooperation. At the same time, everyday practices of mutual support between urban intellectuals and rural women were common. These practices of a mutual support included sharing knowledge about the body and self-care, home and child-care, as well as providing access to education, vocational training, and opportunities for creative expression through participation in women's societies, courses, and circles.

Key words: Galicia, women’s movement, city, village, women, civilizational distance, everyday life.

TECHNOLOGY OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF ILLEGAL MIGRATION ON “THE ZBRUCH BORDER” (1921 – 1939)

Serhii HUMENNYI — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the research is to make an attempt regarding the historical and statistical analysis of the phenomenon on illegal migration in “the Zbruch section” (within Tarnopol Voivodeship, the Republic of Poland) of the Polish-Soviet border in 1921 – 1939. Methodology of the Research. The author applied historical typological, statistical, comparative and systematic methods in order to highlight the main features of the collective image of an illegal migrant or smuggler on the Polish-Soviet border. The scientific novelty of the research is that, based on the modern development of historiography and the involvement of a wide range of the archival sources, the known cases of the illegal migration have been classified according to social, political, national, territorial and inclusive criteria. Due to the specific criteria identification, it was possible to better determine the causes and consequences of the phenomenon of the illegal migration on “the Zbruch section” of the Polish-Soviet border in 1921 – 1939. Owing to the application of several classification criteria, it was feasible to determine that the illegal migrants (refugees) were the representatives of diverse nationalities (the largest percentage were the Ukrainians, the Jews and the Poles), the people of excellent territorial origin and social status, religion and in different age categories on “the Zbruch section” of the Polish-Soviet border in 1921 – 1939. The interdependence of this classification with current political and economic phenomena in the USSR has been visible: during the period of collectivization and the Holodomor of 1932 – 1933, the vast majority of the refugees were peasants; when the protracted struggle against the church began, priests began to appear more often among the refugees. Conclusions. Taking into consideration such diversity among illegal migrants, the following could be stated: the massiveness of the studied phenomenon, social diversity among refugees, its importance as an integral part of the reality of the interwar period, and outline further prospects for the study on violations of the Polish-Soviet border regime.

Key words: refugees, “Zbruch border”, Republic of Poland, USSR, Holodomor of 1932 – 1933, smuggling, illegal migration.

PUBLIC AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF UKRAINIAN NOTARIES IN GALICIA (THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY – 1939)

Stepan KOBUTA — 2026-04-01

The purpose of the study is to elucidate the public work and cultural activities of the Ukrainian lawyers-notaries, their place in the public life of the Galician lands during the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Polish state of the interwar period. The focus is drawn to undeservedly forgotten figures who, despite the professional ban on participation in public affairs, made efforts for the national development of the Ukrainian people. The research methodology is determined by the application of historicism and objectivity principles. In the research there have been used specific historical, historical comparative, biographical, and behavioral methods. The scientific novelty of the article consists in the need to fill the research gap regarding the place of Ukrainian notaries in the public life of the Ukrainians, to highlight and specify the participation of representatives of this legal profession in the public and cultural life of Galicia during the period under analysis, and to elucidate the reflection of their worldview in various forms of activity. Conclusions. Thus, the process t of the Ukrainian notary public development was correlated in time with the process of the rise of the Ukrainian social movement in Galicia and the struggle for the national and political rights of the Ukrainian people. Therefore, the Ukrainian notaries were part of this movement, joining the activities of public societies, supporting the efforts of educational and cultural development of the oppressed people in their spare time. The work of the Ukrainian lawyers in the development of the notarial work under the conditions of the Austro-Hungarian and Polish states was determined by the existing bans for civil servants on the public manifestation of political and social views. But despite such restrictions, some notaries joined the active public life of Ukrainian societies at the workplace, demonstrating their commitment and support for the national development in various ways and forms. Such lawyers included notaries of different generations K. Telishevsky, I. Rudnytsky, V. Lushpynsky, L. Huzar, I. Hrabovensky, R. Zayachkivsky, etc. Carrying out their professional work, they expanded the field of use of the Ukrainian language in official records, supported or even headed educational societies, and made financial donations to public causes. Among the notaries, two bright literary figures stood out: V. Levytsky-Lukych and M. Mochulsky. For them, literary creativity, journalism, editorial and publishing activities became an integral part of their life path, a way of their own self-expression, which complemented the main legal work. These creative individuals reflected not only the contemporary reality in their works, but also demonstrated high examples of various genres of literary creativity.

Key words: Galicia, public activity, literary, notary, lawyer, “Prosvita”.

PHOTOGRAPHY AS A SOURCE FROM THE HISTORY OF EVERYDAY UKRAINIAN EMIGRATION IN INTER-WAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Olha KOLIASTRUK — 2026-03-30

The article focuses on the analysis of the photography documentary potential as a visual source for studying the everyday life of Ukrainian intelligentsia in emigration in the Czechoslovak Republic during the interwar period. The purpose of the article is to reveal the possibilities of using photography as a visual source for learning and understanding of the everyday life of Ukrainian intellectuals under conditions of physical separation from their homeland, while at the same time they were full of hope for a return to the restored Ukrainian state. The methodology of the research involves an integral combination of research tools and methods from several socio-humanitarian disciplines, in particular history, sociology, cultural studies, etc. At the same time, the historical and anthropological approaches of the analysis require reliance on special methods of studying everyday life, in particular according to the phenomenology of A. Schutz, and theoretical and methodological recommendations of visual sociology by P. Sztompka. The main volume of photography’s come from the “Prague Archive”, which was consciously formed by the emigrants themselves. After the end of the war, it was transferred to Ukraine under the reparations programme. The Soviet special services censored it, partially destroyed it and distributed it to Central State Archive of the Higher Authorities of Ukraine, Central State Archive of Public Organizations and Ukrainian Studies, H. S. Pshenychny Central State Film, Photo and Audio Archive of Ukraine, Central State Audiovisual and Electronic Archive. The archival collections are supplemented by family albums and private collections. The subject area of the article includes photographs of socio-anthropological content, which reflect the public and professional activities of emigrants, socio-cultural events, education, as well as the family and private world, leisure, recreation, entertainment, travel, etc. The scientific novelty of the publication consists in the fact that it attempts to analyze photographs as visual evidence of an everyday life of the intelligentsia in emigration, not limited to their representative, obvious (factual) eloquence regarding the material side of life, but also to reveal their deep symbolic potential for tracking value and axiological characteristics, social attitudes that determined the meanings of the emigrant community's existence. Conclusions. From the available photographs, we can draw conclusions not only about the material side of the everyday life of emigrants, but also about their moods, experiences, emotions, trace the intentions and goals of their activities, analyze the degree of their social adaptation, the ability to accept challenges and the ability to communicate in new circumstances, establish cultural consumption, and clarify taste preferences. The objects of daily use in private space and during public and cultural events recorded in the photographs reveal the desire to preserve one's national identity and contribute to the restoration of the Ukrainian statehood.

Key words: Ukrainian intelligentsia, emigration, everyday life, photography, visual documents, Prague archive, Museum of Liberation Struggle of Ukraine, personal sources, informational and memorial functions of photographs.

BETWEEN ART AND POLITICS: LVIV OPERA AND BALLET THEATRE UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF SOVIETIZATION IN 1939 – 1941

Roman BEREST — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the research is to find out, on the basis of the archival and published materials, scientific works, the formation of Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre under difficult conditions of the Bolshevik ideology forced imposition, the spread of denunciations, humiliations, arrests, repressions, deportations, terror in 1939 – 1941; to trace a real situation of actors, personnel, financial, ideological, material and technical and other support. The methodology of the research is based on the socio-cultural and biographical approaches, principles of historicism, scientificity, objectivity, systematicity with the use of general scientific (synthesis, analysis, generalization), special (historical comparative, historical typological, hermeneutic) and specific (systemic, prosopographic) methods. The scientific novelty is due to the introduction into the scientific circulation of the previously unknown archival documents, decrees and resolutions of state structures of the Ukrainian SSR, little-known works, memoirs and publications, which make it possible to trace the competitive struggle between theatre troupes of Galicia for theatre premises, to see a real situation and position of actors, management work, etc. Conclusions. The occupying Bolshevik authorities attached great importance to the cultural and artistic institutions activities in Western Ukraine in order to promote their political ideas. The former City Velyky Theatre had a leading role among them in Lviv, which was nationalized with all its property upon the Soviet power emergence. It was called Lviv State Opera and Ballet Theatre. The Ukrainians had great hope of having their own national theatre for the first time. However, very soon the theatre troupe recruited the Jewish, Polish, and several Ukrainian artists. The theatre troupe was also flooded with the Soviet actors, vocalists, choirmasters, ballet masters, choreographers, conductors, and other artists who came from different cities of the USSR. The theatre was headed by the Russian-speaking communist O. Holtsman, and Ya. Poliansky became the Head of the party organization. The theatre was staffed by NKVD employees, who meticulously “looked after” the personnel and their families, performances, controlled the ideological purity of the staff, etc. The logical continuation of the Soviet occupation was denunciations, arrests, massacres, and deportations. The theatre did not stage any Ukrainian national performance in the 1940 season, limiting itself to the Russian, Soviet and European classics. There was planned only one Ukrainian production for 1941 among the others, but the war and the German occupation became a new reference point and catalyst in the theatre’s activities.

Key words: Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre, culture, art, performance, play, artists, repressions.

THE ROLE OF REFUGEES FROM COMMUNISM IN U.S. COLD WAR POLICY: INFORMATION, INTELLIGENCE, AND MILITARY DIMENSIONS (1947 – 1952)

Volodymyr YUSHKEVYCH — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the research consists in exploring how refugees from communist regimes came to play a role in the U.S. information, intelligence, and military policy during the early stages of the Cold War (1947 – 1952). The study aims at revealing the mechanisms and motives behind the American instrumentalization of displaced people from Eastern Europe in the context of strategic confrontation with the Soviet Union. The research methodology is based on the principles of a concrete historical approach – historicism, objectivity, comprehensiveness, integrity, and systematicity – as well as on the methods of analysis and synthesis, historical and comparative, and problem-chronological methods. The scientific novelty consists in a comprehensive reinterpretation of the Cold War refugee policy as a multidimensional instrument of the U.S. foreign strategy. It identifies three key functions performed by refugee communities: intelligence resource, propaganda amplifier, and potential military asset. The study reconstructs the formation of refugee-based media institutions such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Liberty, analyzes the emergence of émigré military units, and evaluates Truman-era legislation such as the Mutual Security Act and the United States Escapee Program (USEP). Particular focus is on anti-Soviet political mobilization among ethnic minorities and their role in shaping the U.S. narratives on the global stage. Conclusions. The Cold War converted displaced people into strategic leverage within U.S. policy, shaping how the West responded to Soviet expansionism. Refugees became not merely recipients of humanitarian aid but active agents in intelligence gathering, psychological operations, and public diplomacy. U.S. governmental institutions, in cooperation with émigré organizations, systematically utilized refugees’ background knowledge, ideological stance, and transnational networks to construct a counter-narrative to communist propaganda. The long-term consequences of these practices included the institutionalization of refugee participation in Western security and media architectures, the moral justification of U.S. containment policies, and the consolidation of ideological fault lines within divided Europe. By documenting this transformation, the article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of early Cold War politics and the intersection of migration, security, and ideology in U.S. global engagement.

Key words: refugees from communism, Cold War, United States foreign policy, Voice of America, intelligence operations, displaced persons, anti-Soviet propaganda.

LVIV ORGANIZATION OF TARAS SHEVCHENKO UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE SOCIETY: AT THE SOURCES OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (THE END OF THE 80s – THE BEGINNING OF THE 90s OF THE 20th CENTURY)

Vasyl CHURA — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the study is to clarify, based on archival sources and field material, the specifics and exceptional circumstances of Lviv organization foundation of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society in 1988, in particular, to trace the transformation of the constituent assembly from a closed format into a mass street protest as a reaction to the prohibitive actions of the then pro-Russian communist authorities.The methodological basis of the research is adherence to the principle of historical objectivity and impartiality in the interpretation of historical facts. In the research there have been used the methods of critical and structural analysis and classification, systematization and verification of unpublished archival sources and interviews. The application of the historical genetic method made it possible to reconstruct the cause-and-effect link between the administrative pressure of the Communist Party structures and radicalization of the patriotic Lviv community, which resulted in the mass street protests of the June days of 1988. Scientific Novelty. For the first time, events unknown to the general public related to the features of Lviv branch of the TUM official registration have been reconstructed. It has been found that the first mass Lviv rally on June 13, 1988, during which the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society foundation was publicly announced, acquired a street and open character due to the disorganizational actions of the then communist authorities. Conclusion. The Communist Party leadership, having initially granted permission to hold the founding conference in the premises of the Lviv House of Culture “Budivelnyk”, cancelled it at the last moment, blocking the entrance for delegates. This fact forced the community to change the event format and move to the monument to Ivan Franko opposite Lviv State University spontaneously, turning the meeting into a public demonstration. This event became the point of no return for the Ukrainian national revival on the republican scale. Having become the foundation of local multi-party system, the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society not only played a key role in the communist power overthrow in the 1990 elections, but also prepared the state consciousness of Lviv residents in advance.

Key words: the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society, national democratic movement, “informals”, labour collectives, “rally marathon”, pro-Russian communist government.

EUROPEAN PROGRAMS FOR MILITARY HELICOPTERS CREATION AT THE END OF THE 20th – THE BEGINNING OF THE 21st CENTURIES AND THEIR ROLE IN RENEWAL OF ARMY AVIATION

Volodymyr MELNYK — 2026-03-30

The purpose of the research is to analyze the international European programs fulfillment for new military helicopters creation, starting from the 80s of the 20th century. Additionally, importance of these programs for army aviation re-equipment of leading NATO countries as Germany, France, Italy and Spain, has been also defined. The methodology of the research was meant to utilize a chain of general scientific and special historical principles. There is analysis and synthesis that should be brought to attention among general scientific principles. Among the special methods, the focus should be on historical systematic and typological methods. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that, for the first time in the Ukrainian historiography, it examines the main programs for the creation of military helicopters in Western Europe and their significance for the rearmament of the army aviation of NATO countries. Conclusion. During the last quarter of the 20th – the beginning of the 21st century, two international programs were fulfilled on helicopters creation for army aviation in Western Europe, namely – attack helicopter Tiger (French-German one) and a medium transport ТТН (the last is a part of broader program NH 90 that is put into action by France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands).

Though the process of new helicopters creation became prolonged in time – they were 10 or more years behind the deadline. That was the cause, first, by the end of the Cold War, that resulted in decreasing military expanses and the need to amend projects to adjust to new conditions of combat actions. Decrease in army and military expenses influenced the program capacities. For instance, the quantity of the helicopter Tiger production was twice less than planned at the beginning – this is including export to countries which are not program participants.

Fulfillment of programs under the research had a hidden meaning for army aviation re-equipment of the leading Western European countries. It is typically of Germany, where Tiger and ТТН became almost the only samples of helicopters in army aviation units in the first line. France and Spain finished the process of re-equipment the units with Tiger helicopters. Though there were too few helicopters TTH ordered due to financial restrictions. That prevented from modernizing the whole helicopter pool. It is typical of Spain that had to extend in time the procurement of helicopters due to financial issues. Procurement of TTH in Italy enabled to re-equip transport helicopter units partially.

In general, the two examined Programs became of significant experience in mutual design of innovation assets for aviation manufactory and influenced further integration of European helicopter industry.

Key words: combat helicopter, transport helicopter, army aviation, aviation industry, NATO, Cold War.

TRANSFORMATION OF HISTORIOGRAPHICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE UKRAINIAN VILLAGE (THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20th – THE BEGINNING OF THE 21st CENTURY): CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES AND STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Теtiana CHUBINA — 2026-03-30

The research is devoted to a systematic study on the historiographical and methodological genesis of the scientific thought about the Ukrainian village and the agrarian relations from the 1950s to the beginning of the third decade of the 21^stcentury. The purpose of the research is to carry out a comprehensive analysis regarding the transformation of conceptual foundations and stages of the historiographical and methodological understanding of the Ukrainian village in the second half of the 20^th – at the beginning of the 21^st centuries, as well as identifying the vector of the research guidelines development from the classical Soviet approaches to modern practices of historical science. The methodology of the research is based on the principles of historicism, scientificity, verification, authorial objectivity, the use of the historical, institutional, systemic and problem chronological method, as well as methods of comparative judgment and generalisation. Scientific novelty. There have been clearly distinguished and substantiated three qualitatively different stages of the historiographical and methodological understanding of the topic: the Soviet one, which was characterised by ideologization and adherence to the Marxist-Leninist formational approach, the transitional one with its inherent de-ideologization and nation-oriented approach, and the modern one, characterised by the methodological pluralism, interdisciplinarity, and synergy. Conclusions. The transformation of the historiographical understanding of the Ukrainian village during the mid-20^th –the beginning of the 21^stcenturies went from an ideologised formational paradigm to a human-centered and interdisciplinary strategy for studying this cradle of the Ukrainian history. This process was implemented through three consecutive stages, each of which is characterized by a radical change in methodological tools and a significant expansion of the intellectual horizons of researchers. The first stage was the Soviet one, which is known as the period when historiography was methodologically limited and distorted. The agrarian historians focused exclusively on the “successes” of the collective farm and the state farm system (growth in production, mechanization, “the rapprochement of the city and the countryside”), completely ignoring the tragedies that befell the Ukrainian countryside during the 20thcentury. The above-mentioned led to the creation of an ideologically biased image of the countryside, which violated one of the most important methods of historical research – the method of objectivism. The second stage was a transitional one, during which a historiographical and methodological break occurred. In the late 1980s – early 1990s, due to the works written by L. Berenstein, S. Kulchytsky, P. Panchenko and other agrarian historians, the processes of de-ideologization and destruction of the Soviet myths have been initiated. The main emphasis was shifted to criticism of the collective farm system and rethinking the tragedies of the Ukrainian peasantry. The third stage was the modern one, which was characterized by methodological pluralism and interdisciplinarity. The main focus was on the human dimension of the transformational changes, the mentality of the peasantry, environmental factors and cultural transformations in the research and is becoming more relevant. The modern historical school seeks to implement global trends to move from a limited abstract description of facts to a thorough understanding of the role of the peasantry as an important component of the Ukrainian nation in modernization projects.

Key words: historiography, methodology, agrarian history, peasantry, interdisciplinary approach, synergy.

POST-WAR SOCIAL POLICY THROUGH THE PRISM OF CHILD ORPHANAGE IN THE UKRAINIAN SSR (a peer-review of the publication: Bezlyudna, I. Orphans of the Postwar Ukrainian SSR: Everyday Life, Challenges, and Adaptation (the Second Half of the 1940s – First Half of the 1950s). Kyiv: Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 2025. 232 pp., ill.)

Svіtlana NYZHNYK — 2026-03-30

review of the publication: Bezlyudna, I. Orphans of the Postwar Ukrainian SSR: Everyday Life, Challenges, and Adaptation (the Second Half of the 1940s – First Half of the 1950s). Kyiv: Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 2025. 232 pp., ill.