HISTORICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL CONDITIONS OF THE OCCURRENCE OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF FORMATION OF THE UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of historical processes of formation and development of local self-government in the early stages of formation of Ukrainian statehood. The author singles out nine main periods of formation and development of local self-government in Ukraine: the pre-state period from the time of the emergence of tribal unions to the formation of Kievan Rus (up to the ninth century); early feudal period (IX century - XIV century); the period of medieval Europeanization (XIV century - XVII century); the period of Cossack statehood (XVII century - XVIII centuries); period of imperial centralization (XVIII century - early XX century); the period of restoration of Ukrainian statehood (1917–1920); the period of Soviet centralization (1920-1991); the initial period of building an independent Ukrainian state (1991-2014); the modern period of development of the independent Ukrainian state (since 2014). The article substantiates the thesis that the key aspects of modern understanding of the essence and legal nature of local self-government were formed in the early stages of Ukrainian statehood. In particular, the ancient Russian origin has the definition of the local community as the original bearer of local self-government, while the idea of the system of local self-government and their organizational, legal and financial independence comes from the medieval Magdeburg law. The period of Cossack statehood laid the foundations for the inviolability of the principle of democracy in the activities of local governments. It is concluded that the emergence of local self-government is a universal phenomenon, and self-governing structures of local government are inherent in almost all peoples and nations, but specific forms of local self-government have national specifics, formed as a result of centuries of historical development. In the history of formation and development of Ukrainian local self-government it is appropriate to distinguish nine main periods, starting from the pre-state period of tribal alliances and ending with the modern period of building an independent Ukrainian state, characterized by active decentralization of state power.