Legal basis for the regulation and functioning of youth sports and educational organizations in Eastern Galicia from 1848 to 1939

Abstract

The Prosvita Society in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries played a key role in the formation and development of the Ukrainian cultural and educational sphere in Eastern Galicia. Its activities were based on historical and legal principles that determined its purpose, tasks and organisational structure. The main goal of Prosvita was to raise the educational and cultural level of Ukrainians. Its activities were based on the idea of national and cultural consciousness and self-awareness. It also promoted the creation of an extensive network of societies covering different segments of the population. This allowed for the formation of a united community that understood national needs and aspirations. She actively worked on the Ukrainisation of the school system and the promotion of the Ukrainian language in the educational process. «Prosvita» initiated and supported the creation of various public, educational, cultural and other organisations, such as «Selskii Hospodar», «Maslosoyuz», «Narodna Torgovlya», «Ridna Shkola», «Ruska Besida», «Union of Ukrainian Women», «Sokil», «Sich», «Plast», «Luh» and many others. It played a prominent role in the national liberation movement, in which Prosvita was considered one of the main institutions that fostered patriotic feelings and national consciousness among Ukrainians. The organisational structure of Prosvita helped to unite Ukrainians into a strong and well-organised community that was ready for self-determination and national revival. It actively worked to preserve and develop Ukrainian culture and identity, supporting Ukrainian traditions and language. A number of student organisations, such as the Ukrainian Student Society Sich, Academic Circle, Druh, Druzhnyi Lichvar, Academic Brotherhood, Vatra, Academic Community, Osnova, and Ukrainian Student Union, demonstrate the diversity and multilayered nature of the Ukrainian student movement. They worked on the basis of the leading higher education institutions of Lviv, such as Lviv University and Lviv Polytechnic. On the eve of the Second World War, in the western part of Ukraine, particularly in Galicia, there were a significant number of youth associations that were united into county unions. These associations ranged in size from 10 to 30 local societies and performed various functions in the fields of sports, culture, and education. At the end of May 1933, there were 109 unions in Galicia, uniting 12 county and 254 local societies. Their membership totalled 13,245 people. The societies were actively engaged in various activities such as football, volleyball, skiing, drama, and other types of cultural and educational events.