Hrushevsky M. and the concept of Ukrainian unity (1917–1918)

Abstract

The article reveals M. Hrushevsky's contribution to the substantiation of the concept of the unity of Ukraine. Historiography includes a wide range of publications devoted to elucidation of the phenomenon of the development by scientist and constant leader of the Central Council of a comprehensive, multifaceted, polyhedral concept of the Ukrainian national democratic revolution, while its organic, integral (though in some sense self-sufficient) component – the theoretical formation of projects to collect in a heap ethnically related branches of Ukrainianness, the territories in which they lived – much less often became the subject of special study and evaluation, freely or unwillingly moved to the periphery of the analysis. As a rule, attention shifted to the events of late 1918-early 1919, when the historical figure no longer exerted such influence on social processes as before. However, the fact remains that a prominent intellectual, impeccably possessing scientific methodology and historical data, in particular – statistics, convincingly proved that the most reliable, most logical and understandable, by the large extent and in general terms legitimate version of the constructive movement to the desired goal must be strict adherence to the ethnographic principle. On its basis, the general boundaries of the settlement of the Ukrainian ethnic group were objectively delineated and specifically calculated real proposals were formulated (such work was not simple and not momental) as to include in the revived state at the district level (of course, especially in borderline cases) historically formed lands, where the undoubted predominant array was Ukrainianness. In controversial and сontradictory situations, taking into account the dynamics of revolutionary change, local referendums and plebiscites were planned. Honest, verified, fair approaches formed the basis of the defining documents that guided the current and perspective process of formation of Ukrainian statehood – the Universals of the Central Council and the Constitution of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Theoretical hypothetical constructions were subsequently seriously confirmed in their deep essence by life practice. The author concludes that the specified aspect acquires a special sound and political relevance in connection with the modern information war, the epicenter of which has recently been more than a century of experience of Ukrainian statehood, especially its unity component.