РЕГІОНАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНІ ПРОБЛЕМИ РОЗВИТКУ СІЛЬСЬКОГО ГОСПОДАРСТВА І ПРОМИСЛУ ПІВНІЧНО- ЗАХІДНОЇ УКРАЇНИ В ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯХ ДОКТОРА МИРОНА КОРДУБИ

Abstract

Professor Myron Korduba (1876–1947), an outstanding Ukrainian scientist, is among the most essential contributors to the development of historic, economic, geographical and toponymic sciences. In said areas, he prepared and published over 450 scientific works, and a great portion of these is found as the author’s handwriting is still little known to contemporaries. “Pivnichno-Zakhidna Ukraina” (North-Western Ukraine), Myron Korduba’s monograph, published in Vienna in 1917, was among the author’s most fundamental works. The work focused (over one-third of it) on the exposure of regional-economic problems of agricultural and economical development within these lands that covered the part of Horodnenska Province, the south-western part of Mynsk Province, historical Volyn and Holmshchyna. The work aims at Myron Korduba’s highlighting major regional-economic problems of development of agriculture and economy in North-Western Ukraine on the eve of World War I and still little known to present-day scientists. Doctor Myron Korduba deeply and comprehensively analyzed regional-economic problems of agricultural and economic development in North-Western Ukraine. Territorial differentiation in the structure of land use was disclosed. Regional differences in land distribution between their owners were established. The land value within a group of private owners was estimated. Productivity of plant growing, a principal branch of farming in the region, was thoroughly analyzed as well as perspectives of its development were given an outline. A distressing conclusion was made with respect to the significant backwardness of cattle breeding in North-Western Ukraine on a general European level. The authors had formulated economic development problems of the region. Among others were the following: poor mineral resources; the significant difference in the industrial development of regional provinces and districts; the processing of plant and cattle food, woodcrafts and forest economy comprised 4/5 of overall production under the sectoral structure. The prevalence of small firms in the structure of the regional economy, and low costs of annual per capita production were essential specificities of the regional development. Materials of the article can be used for lecturing either general or specialized courses in economic history and regional economics. Overall assessment of Professor Myron Korduba’s creative heritage.