Ukrainian Community Research Articles

Influence of the decentralization reform results on the functioning and activity of local government under martial law in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of the impact of the decentralization reform on the activities of local governments under martial law. Decentralization is one of the most effective reforms that have been implemented in Ukraine. Under the influence of this reform, local governments have gained greater autonomy, new opportunities, capacity and responsibility, which has affected their activities and interaction with citizens. The need to analyze this topic is explained by the urgent issue related to the peculiarities of local government activities in ensuring the sustainability and development of territories and communities in Ukraine, during martial law, and interaction with public authorities, the public and military administrations. In particular, during martial law, one can observe vivid examples of the success of the decentralization reform. The capacity and capability of local governments and territorial communities themselves have become key in protecting statehood, performing a significant share of humanitarian tasks, supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and territorial defense. The modernization of the governance system accelerates processes, changes approaches to decision-making, introduces the use of new forms and methods of communication and interaction with the population, ensures increased transparency in the activities of government institutions and openness of the authorities, and involves citizens in decision-making processes. The article examines the theoretical aspects of the impact of the decentralization reform on the activities of local self-government bodies, analyzes the current situation in Ukraine, and identifies specific problems of local government under martial law. The author concludes that the decentralization reform in Ukraine has provided significant opportunities for enhancing the capacity of local government to independently address local issues. During martial law, local government proved to be an effective mechanism of management and response. The transfer of powers to the local level contributes to the further democratization of society, as it creates conditions for the development of the entire state space based on strengthening the role of territorial communities and enhances resilience in overcoming the challenges of war, ensuring continuous improvement of the relevant processes of the public administration bodies at the regional and local levels.

“Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant”. Koliyivshchyna: a Polish historiographic reflection and a metaphor of unity

The subject of the analysis is looking for historical metaphors which construct the Polish historiography of Koliyivshchyna. Analysing the events of 1768 in the works of Jerofeusz Korczyński, Kornel Sroczyński, (M.) Darowski, Eustachy Iwanowski, Joachim Bartoszewicz, Edward Likowski, Jan Marek Giżycki or Francishek Ravita-Gavronsky, one can notice a historical (historiographical) metaphor of state-national and confessional unity constructing their scientific narrations. Although these narrations ooze blood and murder, they do not regard the Ukrainian community as the only one guilty of the bloodshed.

Breast cancer treated with curative intent in the Ukrainian community in Poland: comparison between permanent residents and war refugees.

Breast cancer treated with curative intent in the Ukrainian community in Poland: comparison between permanent residents and war refugees.

Breast cancer surgery in the Ukrainian community in Poland: comparison between permanent residents and war refugees.

Breast cancer surgery in the Ukrainian community in Poland: comparison between permanent residents and war refugees.

Концептуальна модель державно-церковних відносин в сучасній Україні

The article summarizes and analyzes the basic concepts related to state-church relations, the models of these relations, and proposes the author's conceptual model of state-church relations for modern Ukraine. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in Ukraine the share of citizens who declare themselves believers is more than 70%, the church is a public institution with a high level of trust from society, and the presence of 35,778 religious communities in Ukraine. However, the insufficient conceptual justification of the model of relations that would be effective in modern conditions is noted. First of all, it is noted that although the concept of "state-church relations" is often used in scientific discourse, it is not enshrined in either international or domestic legislation. The analysis of regulatory documents and scientific sources allowed us to establish that these relations concern the relations between public authorities and religious organizations. The main regulatory legal acts that regulate the issues of state-church relations are summarized. It has been established that although religious organizations have separate state regulation, they can use all the rights provided for by law for public associations. This opens up great opportunities for socially beneficial initiatives of religious organizations. The following models of state-church relations are summarized: 1) antagonistic: ignoring the state's hostile attitude towards the church; 2) separation of the church from the state: the state does not identify itself with any of the religions (churches); 3) state church: legally enshrined privileged position of one of the religions (churches); 4) cooperative: the church and the state are separated, but interact; 5) partnership: the church and the state interact on a partnership basis; 6) subordination of the church to the state; 7) primacy of the church: dominance of the church in all spheres of public life; 8) separation: the state does not create special legislation regulating state-church relations; 9) syncretic: assumes the possible existence of a state church; 10) theocracy: political power in the state belongs to the clergy or the leadership of the church; 11) caesaropapism: the head of state is simultaneously the head of the church. In Ukraine, the model of autonomy in state-church relations is legally enshrined. However, in practice, a partnership model is already being implemented: after all, memoranda are concluded between state and religious organizations, advisory bodies are created, cooperation is carried out in the social sphere, etc. Taking into account this trend, it is proposed to implement in practice a partnership model of state-church interaction. This model combines the principles of separation of the church from the state with elements of cooperation and partnership in specific areas of public life. The model provides for state support for the initiatives of religious organizations, if they do not contradict the legislation. Within the framework of the model, a set of principles is proposed that allow state-church relations to acquire a modern meaning and bring more social benefit to the society of Ukraine

Marketing technologies in the public administrationof the territorial community: problems of implementation

Introduction. Increasing the autonomy of the territorial communities activities as subjects of economic relations in making management decisions, which was a consequence of decentralization, the need to ensure their self-sufficiency, new approaches to understanding the territorial community as a kind of corporation, as a local “quasi-market”, as a society, actualization of the problem of increasing efficiency the economic potential of communities determine the need for new approaches to solving the problems of their development, the search for new technologies in the public administration system. Territorial marketing is among the newest technologies that are becoming more widespread in the work of territorial communities and their local self-government bodies. Its importance is recognized by foreign and domestic scientists, although the applied aspects of its use are not sufficiently developed at the methodological and methodical level and have not been widely used in the territorial communities of Ukraine. This actualizes the choice of the research topic in the scientific work offered to the reader. Purpose. The purpose of the article is the development of theoretical provisions regarding the meaningful characteristics of marketing technologies in the system of territorial marketing, the identification of the level of their application in the domestic practice of public management of territorial communities, and the development of approaches to their further implementation in the period of transformational changes. Methods. To achieve the goal, the research used general and special methods: induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis – to form a conceptual vision of the place of marketing technologies in the system of territorial marketing, structural analysis and systematization – to determine the main elements of territorial marketing, comparative analysis – to compare foreign and the domestic practice of using marketing technologies in the management of the development of municipal entities of the basic level, generalization, reasoning – to identify institutional prerequisites and directions for the further implementation of marketing technologies in the public management of communities. Results. Based on the use of an interdisciplinary approach, in particular, a combination of marketing science, regional economy and public administration, a systematic approach to revealing the essence of territorial marketing was formed by supplementing the existing interpretation with the concept of “marketing technologies”. The author’s definition of marketing technologies is proposed, which means the methods, techniques, tools that must be applied when using the marketing approach by subjects of public management of the development of territories to achieve the goals of the territorial community. The functional load of such marketing technologies asmarketing research, socio-economic monitoring, resource analysis, comprehensive analysis of municipal projects, marketing technologies in municipal pricing, marketing technologies in evaluating and increasing the investment attractiveness of the territory, local branding has been specified. The applied aspects of the use of marketing technologies in the public management of territorial communities in Ukraine were considered, the shortcomings and obstacles to their full implementation were identified, and the directions for further implementation were determined. Discussion. Research on the use of marketing technologies to diversify activities in the housing market, the use of marketing infrastructure to increase the competitiveness of small businesses, and the use of marketing tools to ensure public relations are promising from the point of view of the development of the scientific foundations of territorial marketing.

Участь посольства Совєтського Союзу в Канаді у запереченні Голодомору (1983–1984 рр.)

The article examines the participation of the embassy of the Soviet Union in Canada in denying the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine. It was established that the information campaign of the Ukrainian community, in particular the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (UCC) and the World Congress of Free Ukrainians (WCFU), which was designed to draw attention to the causes and consequences of the famine-genocide, caused an extremely negative reaction from Moscow. The Embassy of the Soviet Union in Ottawa was actively involved in the campaign to deny the artificial famine in Ukraine, trying to mix the accents in the coverage of the problem. The Soviets did not plan to engage in open discussions with their opponents, but instead: 1) promoted the achievements of the collective farm system through publications under the control of the “News” Press Agency; 2) used the trips of delegations controlled by the special services of the organization “Ukraine” to form a “correct vision” of the events of the past; 3) in every way they showed the “true goals of anti-Soviet actions” in publications published abroad. The method of denial included falsification of historical events, emphasis on the success of collectivization of agriculture, interpretation of any talk about famine as “anti-Soviet slander”, etc. Through its embassy, Moscow tried to convince Canadian politics of the need to take measures to stop “anti-Soviet provocative activities”. A special press release dated April 28, 1983, sent by the Soviet embassy to Canadian politicians, universities and the mass media, was decisive in explaining the events of 1932–1933 in Ukraine. His key message was the assertion that there was no famine, and Ukraine in 1932–1933 was experiencing only certain difficulties caused by the drought and the “resistance of the Kurkuls”. The support of the actions of the Ukrainian community on the part of influential Canadian politicians caused the appearance of several notes of protest from the embassy of the Soviet Union condemning the practices of commemorating the victims of the Holodomor (installation of monuments in Edmonton and Winnipeg, creation of the documentary film “Harvest of Despair”, holding of thousands of memorial events, etc.). Over time, from defensive tactics (denial, shift of emphasis), the Soviets switched to “active measures” designed to discredit researchers and witnesses of the Holodomor, as well as public figures who publicized Stalin’s crimes (for example, labeling them “fascists”, “accomplices fascists” etc.). Therefore, with the efforts of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and with the support of the Soviet Embassy, a special operation codenamed “Pharisees” was launched. Its measures were aimed at “throwing/promoting” abroad materials designed to refute information about the artificial nature of the 1932–1933 famine and undermine the credibility of researchers and witnesses of the Holodomor. However, despite all efforts to divert Canadian politicians from supporting Ukrainians and to change the narrative about the Holodomor across the ocean, the Soviets failed. Keywords: Holodomor, Canada, Embassy of the Soviet Union in Ottawa, objection, note of protest, Committee for State Security, Ukrainian Canadian Committee, Brian Mulroney, discredit.

Визнання Голодомору геноцидом українського народу країнами Латинської Америки

The issue of recognizing the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people is one of the priority directions in the cultural and humanitarian cooperation of Ukraine with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. As of November 2023, only 7 out of 33 Latin American countries have recognized the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people at the parliamentary level. These are Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Chile (Chamber of Deputies), Colombia (Chamber of Representatives), Paraguay (Senate) and Brazil (Senate). Both chambers of the National Assembly of Argentina adopted only declarations commemorating the victims. In Ukrainian historiography, despite the presence publications dedicated to the study of the problem of recognizing the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian nation by the international community, there is still a lack of research that would study this issue precisely at the level of individual countries or regions. One of the most understudied areas is the recognition of the Holodomor as genocide by Latin American countries. In the article, based on a number of Spanish- and Portuguese-language documentary sources, an attempt was made to analyze the peculiarities of recognition of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as genocide by Latin American countries. The research examines the key factors that influenced the process of Latin American countries recognizing the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people. Certain aspects of the procedure for approving relevant documents in different countries of the region are given. The role and contribution of the Ukrainian communities of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil in the popularization of the Holodomor topic, its comprehensive discussion and political recognition of this crime are shown. The impact of the level of interstate dialogue between Ukraine and the countries of the region, as well as the activities of Ukrainian diplomatic representatives aimed at condemning the crime of genocide, is reflected. In article author analyze the impact of cooperation of the Russian Federation with certain countries of the region on the recognition of the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people. In the case of Uruguay and Brazil, the activities of Russian diplomats aimed at opposing this achievement were noted. Keywords: Recognition of Holodomor as genocide, Latin America, Ukrainian diaspora, Ukrainian diplomacy.

OPTIMIZATION OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES: A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO RESPONDING TO MODERN RISKS IN STATE MANAGEMENT

Choosing the optimal financial provision for territorial communities is important as it allows for a more effective response to contemporary challenges in public administration. The methodological approach to this process helps communities better utilize available resources for secure development and improving the quality of life for their residents. An in-depth analysis of both scientific and practical literature reveals that the issue of financial resources for territorial communities has not been comprehensively addressed to date. Thus, the goal is to define an approach that will provide information on the most optimal forms of financial resources needed by various territorial communities under current conditions. For this, the object of study is the financial resources of individual territorial communities in Ukraine for evaluation. The scientific task is to propose and integrate such a method that will facilitate the selection of the most optimal financial resources for the territorial communities of Ukraine. For this purpose, experts were involved and appropriate pairwise comparisons were conducted. As a result, we analyzed the current financial state of Ukraine's territorial communities. We characterized the key principles of the proposed methodological approach to optimizing financial resources. We identified the most optimal types of financial resources for comparison and highlighted the most suitable among them. The practical significance of the obtained results is revealed through the possibility of applying this approach in the work of territorial communities in Ukraine. However, the research has limitations and does not take into account other resources, such as human and informational. This is noted for further research.

Ukrainians Abroad in the System of Ukraine’s Public Diplomacy

This article explores the application of public diplomacy tools in light of new challenges and threats, and substantiates the role of Ukrainians abroad (Ukrainians residing beyond the borders of the State) as one of its key actors. It analyzes fundamental state documents related to the development of public diplomacy. The article outlines the main objectives, mechanisms, and tools of the current model of Ukraine's public diplomacy. It concludes that the normative-legal framework needs adaptation to modern challenges and threats, and state documents require appropriate changes and additions. Based on recent international rankings, the article highlights the primary challenges Ukraine is facing today and discusses how the foreign Ukrainian community can contribute to addressing them. It outlines the critical areas where Ukrainians living abroad can engage in public diplomacy. The article concludes that the full-scale Russian invasion necessitates a shift in the priorities of public diplomacy from branding to political advocacy. The advocacy activities of Ukrainian organizations abroad, particularly those established after the full-scale Russian invasion, are analyzed. The article stresses the significance of unity and solidarity among all waves of the Ukrainian diaspora and the Ukrainians abroad as a whole, especially the newly arrived, predominantly young and highly educated Ukrainians who quickly integrate into the societies of their host countries and can subsequently actively promote Ukrainian interests at various levels. The article emphasizes that Ukrainians abroad have the potential to become a key actor in the implementation of Ukraine's public diplomacy and proposes specific mechanisms and measures of state policy in this direction.

Expanding access to non-communicable disease screening in war-affected communities in Ukraine

Abstract Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 91% of premature deaths in Ukraine. However, NCD screening lags among young people and across the entire population. The ongoing war has exacerbated barriers to NCD screening due to damaged infrastructure, understaffed medical facilities, and health system deterioration. Intervention/response To improve screening, diagnosis, and care, in March 2023 the PATH-led, USAID-funded Support TB Control Efforts in Ukraine (STBCEU) project established community level health access points (HAPs) in five conflict-affected communities. STBCEU procured screening tools (tannometers, glucometers, portable ECGs) for common NCDs, printed informational materials, trained 143 specialists, designed a reporting system, and facilitated monitoring visits to 77 HAPs. Results By the end of 2023, the project equipped 113 HAPs in the five communities, and 102 of them initiated NCD screening. From January-March 2024, 1,694 people under 40 years old were screened for NCDs. Among 1,488 blood pressure measurements, 143 cases had high readings (9.6 ±1.5%), 90 (62.9%) of which were first-time diagnoses, and 53 (37.1%) treatment monitoring. Glucose levels were measured 809 times, with elevated levels in 44 cases (5.4 ±1.5%), 30 (68.2%) of which were first-time diagnoses, and 14 (31.8%) treatment monitoring. Additionally, 1,144 mental health consultations were provided. Conclusions This initiative represented a first in Ukraine: per national requirements, young people have not historically been screened for NCDs. Expanding NCD screening in war-affected communities has demonstrated substantial early success, with significant detection of high blood pressure and elevated glucose levels among people under 40. This proactive, cost-effective intervention underscores the need for accessible, community-level health interventions in crisis settings and showcases a scalable model for integrating NCD screening into emergency health response frameworks. Key messages • The implementation of community-level NCD screening has shown early success in detecting high blood pressure and elevated glucose levels among people under 40. • Cost-effective NCD screening underscores the need for accessible, community health interventions, providing a scalable model for integrating NCD screening into emergency health response.

Effective Teaching of Polish to Ukrainian Speakers

The article presents the latest data on Polish language learning among the Ukrainian community in Poland, focusing on the situation after 24 February 2022, which primarily involves refugees. Given the need for language improvement among adult refugees and the introduction of compulsory schooling for Ukrainian children and adolescents starting from 1 September 2024, the demand for teaching Polish as a Foreign Language to Ukrainians is expected to increase. In this context, it is important to revisit what we know about teaching Polish to Ukrainian speakers. Understanding how their interlanguage develops in Polish enables educators to teach this group in a more systematic, goal-oriented, and effective manner.

Professional Values of a Modern Teacher as the Basis for Ensuring the Quality of Education During War Conditions

The article substantiates the relevance of the problem, provides a theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the concepts of “values” and “professional values of a modern teacher,” and defines their role in ensuring the quality of higher education during wartime. It was found that teaching in wartime has become a challenge for all the participants in the educational process and a real test for higher education institutions, which enable young people to receive not only knowledge but also psychological support, and maintain a sense of belonging to the Ukrainian community. Ukrainian educators demonstrate lessons of resilience, struggle, and victory to the world daily. Due to their work, Ukrainian youth can continue learning despite numerous challenges and threats. Ensuring access to quality education at all levels has become a priority of state educational policy. This direction includes creating conditions for continuous learning, developing new models of the educational process, supporting teachers and students, and providing access to innovative technologies and educational materials. It is emphasized that the professional values of teachers have gained particular significance in Ukraine's higher education system. Their activities during the war focus on training specialists who uphold and affirm the values of Ukrainian statehood. Teachers not only educate the new generation but also strengthen belief in the future, inspiring active citizenship, readiness to defend their values, and build a peaceful society. Conclusions are drawn that the modern teacher possesses values that determine the success of their professional activities and ensure the quality of higher education. The main values include: respect for the dignity and rights of higher education students, academic integrity, continuous professional growth, innovation and creativity, collaboration and partnership, empathy, and social responsibility; determination, etc. It is worth noting that emotional resilience and balance are crucial for teachers working in wartime conditions.

Intestinal parasitic infections in Ukrainian war refugee children living in Poland

Introduction: The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in February 2022 forced millions of Ukrainian citizens to flee their country and seek refuge mainly in the European Union. Many of them found shelter in Poland. There are now over one million Ukrainian war refugees living in Poland, including 500,000 children. The attention of Polish medical services has been recently drawn to the previously unknown epidemiological status of infectious and invasive diseases in the paediatric population of Ukrainian refugees. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in the group of Ukrainian children living in Poland. Materials and methods: The study involved performing parasitological examination of stool samples collected in May 2023 from 37 Ukrainian refugee children aged 3–7 years, who were living in Szczecin (Poland) and were attending a preschool set up to address the needs of the local Ukrainian community. Stool samples were tested by light microscopy using three different methods (direct smear, decantation, flotation) at the Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine at the Military Institute of Medicine – National Research Institute. Results: Intestinal parasites were detected in 3 out of 37 children (8.1% of the study group; there was one case of infection with Ascaris lumbricoides and two cases of infection with Blastocystis spp.). The infected children’s parents or guardians did not observe any diarrhoeas or other gastrointestinal symptoms within 6 months prior to the examination. Conclusions: The presence of intestinal parasites among Ukrainian war refugee children living in Poland justifies the screening for parasitic diseases in this population. The obtained results will allow to take appropriate preventive and therapeutic actions.

Governance priorities for the post-war development and European integration of rural local communities in Ukraine

Governance priorities for the post-war development and European integration of rural local communities in Ukraine

Protection of the LGBT community’s rights during the war in Ukraine

The article puts an emphasis on the need to protect the rights of LGBT communities. Although the issue of protecting LGBTI rights was considered in the writings of domestic scientists, the Russian- Ukrainian war has become a new challenge for LGBT representatives and caused new problems for them. In the conditions of the war in Ukraine, this is an urgent issue today, because nowadays, persons in same-sex relationships experience restrictions on their rights. The author emphasizes that in connection with the desire of our country to become a full member of the EU, a significant task for it is to prevent discrimination based on such grounds as sexual orientation and gender equality. Despite the public’s negative attitude towards representatives of the so-called “sexual minorities”, the latter stood up to protect their Motherland. Therefore, the state’s performance of its obligations towards such persons is an important issue today. The problem is that there is no normative consolidation of the legal status of LGBT communities in Ukraine and this leads to a limited amount of constitutional, civil, and family rights compared to other citizens. However, in the conditions of the war, representatives of the LGBT community feel even more restricted in their rights than before the war. In particular, they cannot legalize their relations and because of this certain difficulties arise. The author draws attention to the fact that the presence of gaps in the current legislation leads to the fact that LGBT military personnel do not have the same rights as other citizens of Ukraine, although they fight for the independence and territorial integrity of our state. The article highlights that changes to the Constitution of Ukraine cannot be made during the war. Therefore, injustice towards LGBT military personnel should be eliminated by adopting the Law of Ukraine “On the Institute of Registered Partnerships”. The article draws attention to the fact that national courts, if to analyze their practice, are «not ready» to protect LGBTI rights due to the negative perception of these persons in the state. The author emphasizes that the courts must effectively protect the rights of LGBTI people and restore their violated rights. They should also take into account the fact that the practice of the ECtHR is aimed at protecting the rights of the LGBT community. However, a completely different situation is observed in Ukraine, which leads to the adoption of decisions against our state and this generates negative consequences for it.

Theory of the nation in the scientific concept of Lev Rebet

The article analyzes the life and work of L. Rebet, his general theoretical views on the formation and development of the nation. Considerable attention is paid to the characterization of L. Rebet’s fundamental scientific works on the theory and history of the Ukrainian nation, in particular: “The Formation of the Ukrainian Nation”; “Theory of the Nation”; “The Origin of Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians in the Light of Modern Soviet Theories”; “The Light and Shadows of the OUN”, etc. It is shown that in his scientific concept of the formation and development of the nation, Lev Rebet examined in detail the causes of the decline, economic and cultural isolation of the Ukrainian community during the Golden Horde, analyzed the causes of the territorial fragmentation of the Ukrainian principalities and determined the importance of the Galicia-Volhynia State for the continuation of the state life of the Ukrainian people. Using historical examples, L. Rebet identified the negative impacts on the Ukrainian population under the Lithuanian and Polish occupation of Ukrainian lands. L. Rebet rightly noted that during the revival of the Ukrainian people, religion and the Orthodox faith played an important role, opposing Catholicism and polonization and becoming the bearers of Ukrainian tradition and the formation of national consciousness. It was the Ukrainian bourgeoisie, part of the petty gentry, and artisans who proved to be the bearers of culture and state traditions. However, it was only the independent Ukrainian military Cossack stratum that became the military and organizational force that quickly acquired the features of a national state, and in the era of Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s hetmanship, thanks to the military and political success of the Cossacks, one of the most powerful Ukrainian states of that time emerged, which played a significant nation-building role and for several years “crystallized the Ukrainian community, approaching a higher type - the nation”, in which the Cossacks were the main political force. The article reveals that L. Rebet in his works considered nationalism as an ideology that should be based on feelings of national dignity, self-respect and national consciousness. L. Rebet convincingly argued in his writings that the Ukrainian people have the right to political self-determination and the creation of their own state. L. Rebet believed that in order to build one’s own state, first of all, it is necessary to raise the national consciousness and culture of the people. According to L. Rebbetzin, this requires the Ukrainian people to return to their national roots, to their own history and culture, in order to preserve and establish their national identity. In his scientific concept, Lev Rebet emphasized the importance of preserving Ukrainian culture and language, and of preserving the national identity of Ukrainians. Nationalism should be democratic and social. He sought to create a national liberation organization that would unite different segments of the population and work for the benefit of the entire Ukrainian people. L. Rebet favored the creation of national statehood, but believed that the source of power in the state should be the people, not the political elite. Rebet’s views on the importance of moral virtues and cultural values, such as freedom, justice, honesty, diligence, creativity, traditions, religion, and language, are particularly relevant. Rebet believed that these values are important for Ukrainian and other nations.

Analysis of the Impact of Climate Change on the Vegetation of the Perehinsk Territorial Community in Ukraine

Analysis of the Impact of Climate Change on the Vegetation of the Perehinsk Territorial Community in Ukraine

ПОСИЛЕННЯ РОЛІ ПРЕССЛУЖБ У РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ КОМУНІКАТИВНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ ОРГАНІВ МІСЦЕВОГО САМОВРЯДУВАННЯ В УКРАЇНІ

The communicative policy of local self-government bodies in Ukraine began to undergo significant transformations during the years of the global COVID-19 pandemic and actively continued to change already in the conditions of a full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. External challenges led to a transition from one-sided coverage of information in the «government-citizen» format to a two-way process of interaction, which in some territorial communities reached a more or less stable partnership. Among all the factors that had a significant impact on the mentioned changes, it is worth highlighting the active development of strategies for the development of territorial communities in Ukraine and communication strategies, as their components, and the appearance of press services and press secretaries in the structure of local self-government bodies. The latter replaced divisions and individual specialists, for whom the performance of communicative functions was often far from the main area of responsibility. The main task of the press services of local self-government bodies is to create a friendly attitude of the population towards state, socio-political, economic and other institutions of society (informative and representative functions), as well as functions related to processing information and requests from citizens and monitoring functions public sentiments. However, provided that their ability to influence the implementation of the communication policy of local self-government bodies is strengthened, they can become a full-fledged subject of information policy. The activities of press services of local self-government bodies in Ukraine are regulated by a relatively large number of normative legal acts (from the Constitution of Ukraine to the relatively new Law of Ukraine «On Media»), which together form a solid legal basis for their implementation of the communication policy of local self-government bodies. Attention is drawn to the fact that local normative legal acts can expand the competence of press services and, depending on the specifics of the communication policy of one or another community, supplement their functions. And under the condition of forming a communicative strategy in the community in addition to the development strategy, the list of functions of press services can be supplemented with the following: communicative function, organizational function, ideological function, educational function, monitoring function. The performance of such a wide range of functions requires the press services of local self-government bodies to carefully plan their activities, which is a natural task after the adoption of the community's communication strategy. Such planning can be strategic and ongoing. Strengthening the role of the press service in the implementation of the communication policy of local self-government is ensured by the development of the ability to manage crisis communications, which is one of the priority goals of the communication strategies of all territorial communities of Ukraine without exception, regardless of their distance from the front line. Key steps in crisis management are prevention, preparedness and response, and recovery. An equally important factor in strengthening the communication policy of local self-government is the introduction of measurable indicators of the efficiency and effectiveness of communication. These indicators are conditionally divided into quantitative and qualitative. The role of press services is, on the one hand, to assist in the development of these indicators, and on the other hand, to monitor their implementation. It was concluded that the implementation of modern communication policy is impossible without the effective work of press services of local self-government bodies, which very quickly went from a simple communication link between the authorities and citizens to a subject of information policy. Therefore, the ways outlined in the study to strengthen their ability to implement communication policy have important theoretical and practical significance both for individual local self-government bodies and for the entire system of public administration of Ukraine.

THE LANGUAGE OF PEACE AND WAR: UKRAINIAN FANDOM ON THE WAY TO SELF-IDENTIFICATION

The article discusses the peculiarities of the functioning of Ukrainian fantasy fandom as well as its transformations related to two main aspects: 1) from “the old” fandom to the new one and 2) from the ordinary forms of existence during the peaceful times to existence during the wartime after Russian full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.The article indicates the general transformation of the scholarly research of the fandom in the Western academic context. It is possible to present it as the flow from an “ethnographic” or external interpretation of the fandom as a part of the mass culture that depends on the specifics of the popular culture production, to the “internal” or integrated descriptions of the fandom functioning as a separated sphere of social activity.The article argues that there are two stages of the existence of Ukrainian fantasy-related fandom. “The old” fandom emerged in the pre-computer era and was based on the Soviet fandom, which influenced its peculiarities. For instance, there are such aspects as statelessness, the absence of national representation (and the dominance of Russo-centrism as the common cultural platform), the importance of direct interpersonal contacts, distancing from contact with authorities, and the tendency to reduce the presence of the fandom in the shared urban space.Unlike “the old” fandom, “the new” one is developing under the influence of new communicational technologies, which erases the barriers to entering the fandom for new members, enlarges the zones of potential contacts, eliminates geographic and territorial barriers, etc. Moreover, “the new” fandom is more integrated into the urban space and is more available for communications. For the Ukrainian fandom, the transition from “the old” fandom to the “new one” means focusing on domestic cultural issues as the fandom becomes Ukraine-centric.Russian military aggression against Ukraine, from annexing Crimea in 2014 to the full-scale invasion in 2022, became the inner catalyst for the development and transformation of the Ukrainian fandom. The external existential threat led to the transformation of the practices, implemented by the fandom and to the rise of the Ukrainian popular culture, which is closely related to the fandom. During the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian fandom, preserving its core responsibilities (communication and social activity around popular culture functioning), spreads its new topical responsibilities: apart from the domestic volunteer work, which unites the majority of Ukrainian communities, it includes the educational activity, gaining subjectivity during international communication with the foreign fandom of Europe and the USA, charitable activity, etc.