PARTICIPATION OF CHAPLAINS IN THE LIFE OF THE ZUNR ARMED FORCES

Abstract

The article analyzes the features of the chaplaincy service in the Galician Army, participation in training, educational and cultural activities among the riflemen. It was noted that priests of the Greek Catholic Church took part directly in the creation of the first Galician Army units. On concrete examples it has been proved that during the Ukrainian-Polish and Ukrainian-Bolshevik wars the structure of the chaplaincy service was improved, tasks and competences of its structures were determined, effective forms and methods of work were crystallized. The purpose of the study is to comprehensively explore the activities of the clergy in the context of the fighting of 1918–1920. The methodological basis of the article is the universal principles of historical research (scientific objectivity of the coverage of versatile aspects of the problem, complexity, historicism, critical approach to sources). Also applied are special historical methods (historical-comparative, historical-typological, historical-systemic, etc.). It was stated that the chaplains of the Galician Army played an important role in maintaining the high morale and combat spirit of the personnel and educating it in the patriotism spirit. It is emphasized on high personal qualities of chaplains, their high-level national consciousness and readiness for self-sacrifice. The perspective direction of further research is an analysis of the transformation of chaplaincy's political beliefs during the state construction of the ZUNR, as well as in the conditions of the Polish-Ukrainian armed confrontation (1918–1919). Keywords ZUNR, chaplains, church, patriotism, cultural and educational activity