Western Ukraine Research Articles

Państwowość zachodnioukraińska 1918–1923 oraz teorie losowości XX – początku XXI wieku

In the article author focused on the understudied and disputable aspects of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1914–1923, mainly on how Western Ukrainian statehood was established and developed in 1918–1919, as well as some specific issues of the political history of the West-Ukrainian People’s Republic (WUPR) in 1918–1923. By applying the theories of randomness introduced by scientists in the 20th – early 21st centuries (generally, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Michele Wucker, Peter Grassberger, Edward Lorenz), the author puts forward an approach to the events of the early 20th century Ukrainian history, which is completely different to what has been suggested before, in its “Galician” form.

DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN WESTERN UKRAINE: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS

The primary objective of the article is to provide a substantive basis for recommendations concerning the advancement of university education in Western Ukraine in connection with specific factors of regional socioeconomic development. A retrospective analysis of the socioeconomic landscape in Western Ukraine has been conducted as a foundational step toward the subsequent evolution of university education. Furthermore, through a combination of theoretical exploration and the analysis of pertinent statistical data, a comprehensive retrospective evaluation of the state of university education in the region has been undertaken, with the aim of elucidating its alignment or divergence in relation to the prevailing circumstances precipitated by the Russian war of aggression.Recommendations for the enhancement of university education have been formulated, guided by the imperative to address the unique exigencies of the region comprehensively. The proposed recommendations, if implemented, are anticipated to satisfy the educational requirements of the region.An analysis of socioeconomic factors and contemporary trends in the development of Western Ukraine, which serves as a prerequisite for the exploration of the trajectory of university education in the region, is presented in the article. The article also delves into an examination of the research and educational potential, the current developmental status, and the competitive standing of university education within the region. It was stated that the ongoing evolution of university education in Western Ukraine must be attributed to a number of socio-economic factors stemming from the Russian war of aggression. These factors encompass the escalating significance of the region as a transit zone for internally displaced persons and migrants, the relocation of enterprises and companies, the fortification of cross-border cooperation, alterations in the employment landscape, and augmented demand for professions in construction, renewable energy, and the IT sector.

The Kyiv Bandurist Chapel’s concert activity during the Second World War

Statement of the problem. Recent research and publications. The article is dedicated to the creative activity of the Kyiv Bandurist Chapel, its origins, and stages of formation. It characterizes the peculiarities of the Chapel’s concert and touring activities and states the role played by the bandurist choir in the social and political life of Ukraine. The creativity of the Kyiv Bandurist Chapel (and later – the Taras Shevchenko Bandurist Chapel) as a spiritual phenomenon of Ukrainian musical culture has been increasingly studied over the last two decades. Published works highlight various aspects of its activity, however, there remain questions that require deeper analysis and a new approach, particularly, the concert and touring activities of the Chapel in 1939–1944. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the article is to analyze the Kyiv Bandurist Chapel’s concert activity in the context of the social and historical events during 1939–1944 and its impact on various aspects of cultural, musical, and social life in Western Ukrainian territories. The article uses general scientific methods: source study, descriptive and analytical. The concert and performance repertoire of the Chapel has been analyzed in terms of its content and dynamics. The article mentions joint projects of the Chapel with Ukrainian musical institutions and public organizations. New data about the numerical composition of the first Kyiv Bandurist Chapel, the peculiarities of its concert and touring activities, and some episodes from the lives of individual bandurists have been introduced into the scientific discourse. Research results and conclusion. The Kyiv Bandurist Chapel takes its origins from the period when the national liberation struggles began in 1918–1922. During its existence, the Chapel has been known under various names: “Kobzar Choir” or “First Chapel of Kobzars” (according to V. Yemets), “First Ukrainian Art Chapel” (1925), “United State Exemplary Chapel of Bandurists of the Ukrainian SSR” (1935–1941), “Taras Shevchenko Bandurist Chapel” (from 1941). The foundation of the Kyiv Bandurist Chapel’s repertoire in different historical times constituted Ukrainian dumas, historical, Sich Riflemen’s and insurgent songs, national-patriotic authors’ works, and song and dance melodies. During the period under study, the Kyiv Bandurist Chapel actively performed concert tours in such regions, including Kyiv region, Volyn, and Galychyna. Throughout 1942–1944, it performed in Germany for Ukrainians who were forcibly deported by the Nazis from Ukraine and placed in Ostarbeiter camps. The Kyiv Bandurist Chapel, being in the whirlwind of historical events, proved that the Ukrainian people’s will and independence were always the priority in their creative activities. Further study of the Kyiv Bandurist Chapel’s history is pertinent to several key historical periods: the post-war reconstruction of Soviet Ukraine, the nation’s journey to independence, and the Russian-Ukrainian war. These topics are awaiting unbiased examination and scientific synthesis.

VERB STRESS IN "THE FIRST READER FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS" BY A. KRUSHELNYTSKYI, O. POPOVYCH, B. LEPKYI (1918)

The article traces the peculiarities of verb stress in "The First Reader for Public Schools" authored by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, and B. Lepkyi (1918), which was one of the official textbooks for Ukrainian-speaking schools during the time of Austria-Hungary. The proposed publication introduces the textbook by the mentioned authors into the scientific linguistic circulation in the accentological aspect. The article identifies historically formed accentuation models, analyses the degree of their compliance with the norms of the time recorded in Western Ukrainian dictionaries and grammars of the late 19th - early 20th century, determines the possibility of their application in the modern literary language. Research Objective: To define the conformity degree of accentuation in "The First Reader for Public Schools" (1918) by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, and B. Lepkyi to the linguistic norms that were in effect in the Ukrainian-language education system of Austria-Hungary on the one hand, and to the requirements of the main Ukrainian Orthographies and grammars of the 20th – 21st centuries on the other. Source Base: "The First Reader for Public Schools" by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, B. Lepkyi (1918); "Malorus’ka-German Dictionary" by Ye. Zhelekhivsky and S. Nedilsky (1886); "Grammar of the Rus’ka Language" by S. Smal’-Stotskyi and F. Gartner (1893). The research utilized the following methods: descriptive, comparative, statistical, comprehensive material selection, partially historical reconstruction. Article Structure: Introduction, Literature Review, Presentation of the Main Material, Conclusions. The section "Presentation of the Main Material" includes the following subsections: "Features of Verbs Stress of the First Conjugation", "Features of Verbs Stress of the Second Conjugation", "Features of Irregular Verbs Stress". In the "The First Reader", a total of 900 verb word forms were identified. Of these, 866 usages (96 percent) conform to modern accentuation norms. In the section "Presentation of the Main Material", 34 verb stresses were analyzed, which do not correspond to the norms of modern Ukrainian literary language. It was found that 32 word forms conform to the norms that were in force in Halychyna and Bukovyna at the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. The indicated linguistic and cultural environment could have influenced the stress of certain verbal forms. In the "Conclusions" section, it is noted that the research results attest to the stability of basic verb stress in the Ukrainian literary language across time and space. Practically all accentuations in the "The First Reader for Public Schools" (1918), which differ from contemporary norms, corresponded to the standards of the Ukrainian literary language at that time. Therefore, the "The First Reader" exhibited a high degree of accentuation normativity. The accentuation norms in the "The First Reader" corresponded to the living literary language of Halychyna and Bukovyna at the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in the Centre and on the Periphery

ABSTRACT Following the end of his tenure with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1901, Gustav Mahler conducted more concerts than ever outside the imperial capital, including two performances of his Symphony No. 1 as part of the Philharmonic Society of Lemberg’s first season in 1903. In Lemberg, today the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, the symphony received an overall favourable and, perhaps unknowingly, perceptive critical reception, in contrast to the notoriously harsh reviews penned by critics in Vienna three years earlier. As a means of exploring such different responses in the centre and on the periphery of the Habsburg empire, I suggest that a common language of pluralities, which Mahler shared with the region of Galicia’s quotidian heterogeneity and emerging modernist movements, allowed the Leopolitan public to be ahead of Vienna in their openness to the early modernist modes of expression that would soon dominate European culture.

Comparable Analysis of the Ornamentation of Folk Bedspreads of the Western Part of Ukraine and Lithuania

Abstract Folk textile is important part of tangible heritage in Lithuania and Western Ukraine. Comparable analysis of folk bedspreads is relevant for visual representation of the national identity of both countries. The aim of the paper is to analyse and compare structural parameters and colour combinations of folk bedspreads from Western Ukraine and Lithuania, seeking to find and highlight their universal and unique parameters. The materials, techniques, patterns and colouring of Western Ukrainian and Lithuanian bedspreads were compared. In some cases, very similar principles of decoration were discovered, but some Lithuanian and Ukrainian bedspreads were completely different.

Barrow Necropolis from the 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC in Western Ukraine. A Bayesian Modeling and Isotopic Study

AbstractThis article discusses the absolute chronology of burials from the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC discovered under the mounds of three barrows in the Kordyshiv cemetery in western Ukraine. Its aim is to create a chronological model of the burials by modeling 27 AMS 14C dates obtained from 21 individuals buried in single and collective graves. Dietary analysis of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values are presented. The Bayesian modeling of the 14C dates from the three Kordyshiv barrows revealed the extremely important role of these monuments as long-term objects used for ritual purposes. At the end of the 3rd millennium BC, the epi-Corded Ware Culture (epi-CWC) community erected a mound over the central burial in Barrow 2, then interred the graves of three additional deceased. After several hundred years Barrow 2 was reused by Komarów Culture (KC) communities from the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) who interred their deceased in the existing mound. The oldest monument with MBA burials was Barrow 3, in which the dead were buried in a two-stage sequence before and after the mid-2nd millennium BC. The youngest dated grave was Burial 1 in Barrow 1, comprising a collective burial that was interred between 1400 and 1200 BC. The additional analyses of carbon and nitrogen isotopes show significant differences in the diet of epi-CWC individuals buried in Barrow 2 from the individuals representing the KC.

State and legal mechanisms in the formation of the ethnic identity of ukrainians (17th to Early 20th Century)

Unlike Eastern Ukraine, the territorial belonging of Western Ukrainian lands was determined by contractual agreements between European states. Reforms in Austria, and later in Austria-Hungary, as opposed to Russia, were based on the principles of Enlightenment ideology and values such as freedom, human rights, constitutionalism, and parliamentarism. In the medium-term perspective, this led to the Western Ukrainian community developing a sense of national consciousness, political organization, and the values of European civilization by the end of the 19th century. In this article, based on a comparative analysis of the historical experience of the Ukrainian community within two empires – the Russian and the Austro-Hungarian – the evolution of the process of national identity is examined. The study was conducted using general methods of scientific knowledge, in particular, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, abstraction, specification, and formalization. During the study, the author analyzed the peculiarities of the state and legal mechanisms for forming the ethnic identity of Ukrainians in the seventeenth and early twentieth centuries. The prerequisites of Ukrainians’ ethnic self-identification are considered. The author analyses the historical and cultural foundations of establishing the Ukrainian nation with the modern state-building process.

German-Ukrainian Efforts Towards Building Climate-Resilient Forests in Western Ukraine – First Results of Alternative Regeneration Systems

Due to the current changes in the socio-ecological system in Ukraine, forest adaptation is of high importance. Continuous-Cover Forestry (CCF) is seen to be promising for Ukraine to provide the Ukrainian society with various ecosystem services from forests and to increase the adaptive capacity of Ukrainian forests. First, basic features of Ukrainian forests and the forest sector are outlined, and the regeneration systems of the major tree species with economic value are described. Moreover, the need for forest conservation in order to safeguard the biodiversity of Ukrainian forests is highlighted. Based on a joint Ukrainian-German research project called 'Resilpine', the first scientific results on the regeneration of major tree species in Ukraine with alternative silvicultural systems to clearcut are illustrated. The data show that natural regeneration in group (or patch) selection systems is abundant and sufficient compared to clearcut. Especially Scots pine, but also intermediate species, are establishing. Group selection cutting can therefore be recommended as a promising alternative natural regeneration system to clearcutting in order to convert Ukrainian forests.

Migration and challenges arising from the Russian armed conflict in 2022: The case of Zakarpattia

The current study delves into the contemporary challenges within the Zakarpattia region of Western Ukraine. It accomplishes this by examining the circumstances of the local populace and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) hailing from Eastern Ukraine who arrived following the onset of the armed conflict in February 2022. Official statistics were employed to scrutinize the social and economic characteristics of the IDPs, as well as their influence on local development in Zakarpattia. These findings were then compared to the on-site research conducted by the author in the region during August 2023. The primary conclusions drawn from this research affirm the amelioration of the local economic status and job prospects in Zakarpattia as well as the adaptation of the IDPs to the new life in the region.

Activities of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR Pavlo Yakovlevych Meshyk (1953)

The article examines the insufficiently studied in historical and legal science issue of the activities of such a controversial political figure of the first post-Stalin months of 1953 as Pavlo Yakovlevych Meshyk. It is emphasised that he, having a university degree (which was rare for NKVD personnel in those years) and significant organisational skills, made a successful career in the central apparatus of the People’s Commissariat in the late 1930s. This was also due to the patronage of P. Meshyk by L. Beria. P. Meshyk was directly involved in Stalin’s repressions. In 1941, at the age of 30, he first became People’s Commissar for State Security of the Ukrainian SSR. In 1943, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. From 1945 until March 1953, he worked on the implementation of the Soviet nuclear project. He was awarded the Order of Lenin (1949) for his active participation in the implementation of the nuclear programme, and later even received the Stalin Prize in Science and Technology (1951). In March 1953, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic, where he pursued a policy of strengthening the rule of law in the activities of the state security agencies and purging them of the most odious and incompetent employees. At the same time, a policy was implemented to rid the state security agencies of their dependence on the influence of the Communist Party. At the same time, P. Meshyk came into conflict with some party officials, including the then leader of the republic, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the CP(B)U, L. Melnikov. As a result, L. Melnikov was dismissed. P. Meshyk also took some measures to “root” the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, translated the ministry’s office work into Ukrainian, eased some of the Soviet government’s repressive policies towards the Ukrainian national liberation movement, actually restored the normal operation of Lviv State University, and improved contacts with Western Ukrainian intellectuals. These were positive aspects of the minister’s activities that can be assessed as attempts at reform. However, P. Meshyk stayed in the post of Minister of the Interior for only three months. In June 1953, he was arrested and later convicted on charges of treason and conspiracy to seize power, and in December of the same year, Meshyk was shot dead. He was partially rehabilitated in 2000.

Territorial increase of Ukraine at the beginning of World War ІІ in the journal of the USSR (1939—1941)

The presented article was prepared within the framework of the implementation of the annual plan of scientific work of the State Printing Archive of the Book Chamber of Ukraine: in the current year 2024, we are researching domestic prints of 1940, that is, the period of the Second World War and the post-war reconstruction of the Ukrainian SSR. Establishing the thematic and substantive priorities of the periodicals of the time, the author focused attention on such a defining aspect of national state-building as the territorial expansion of Soviet Ukraine at the initial stage of the Second World War. The article examines the problem of Western Ukrainian lands becoming part of the Ukrainian SSR, in particular, Eastern Galicia and Northern Bukovyna. The premise of the event was a bilateral conspiracy between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union regarding the division of Europe into spheres of influence. The Soviet-German treaty of September 28, 1939 became a documentary post-factum confirmation of the event. A feature of the territorial changes of the Ukrainian SSR at that time was the inclusion of lands that, according to the Soviet-Polish treaty of August 16, 1945, Soviet Ukraine lost. We are talking about Nadsiany, Kholm region, Podlasie and Lemkiv region, which in 1939 entered the Ukrainian SSR, and in 1945 became part of the Polish People's Republic. The source base of the presented intelligence was made up of domestic periodicals, namely: the republican magazine "Red cross" for 1939 and the regional literary and artistic almanac "Vilna Bukovyna" for 1940—1941, which tell about the crossing by the Red Army of the Polish-Soviet and the Romanian-Soviet state borders and the events that resulted from it. The purpose of this investigation was to process the mentioned press releases by the method of content analysis.

First record of Helix lucorum (Gastropoda: Helicidae) in Western Ukraine, with remarks on its present distribution in other parts of the country

In the west of Ukraine, the Turkish snail Helix lucorum was first discovered in 2020 at one of the household plots in Chortkiv, Ternopil region. It was found that the owner of the house specially brought snails from France for his children. Until the beginning of the 21st century, H. lucorum was known in Ukraine only from the mountainous Crimea, where it was presumably brought by Greek colonists. The distribution area of this species in Crimea gradually expanded, in particular, due to targeted introductions. Since 2010, single population of H. lucorum have been recorded in Ukraine outside of Crimea. Judging by the shell colouration, only some of them could have been founded by individuals from the Crimea, with almost unnoticeable spiral banding and distinct radial streaks. Other populations are of unclear origin, and their founders may have been brought from different parts of the present range of H. lucorum. In particular, shells with wide dark, often fused bands and a distinct light gap between them on the shell periphery are characteristic of most known introduced European populations of H. lucorum, and are also common in the Krasnodar region of Russia, from where they could have been introduced to the east of Crimea (Kerch Peninsula).

East-to-west human dispersal into Europe 1.4 million years ago.

Stone tools stratified in alluvium and loess at Korolevo, western Ukraine, have been studied by several research groups1-3 since the discovery of the site in the 1970s. Although Korolevo's importance to the European Palaeolithic is widely acknowledged, age constraints on the lowermost lithic artefacts have yet to be determined conclusively. Here, using two methods of burial dating with cosmogenic nuclides4,5, we report ages of 1.42 ± 0.10 million years and 1.42 ± 0.28 million years for the sedimentary unit that contains Mode-1-type lithic artefacts. Korolevo represents, to our knowledge, the earliest securely dated hominin presence in Europe, and bridges the spatial and temporal gap between the Caucasus (around 1.85-1.78 million years ago)6 and southwestern Europe (around 1.2-1.1 million years ago)7,8. Our findings advance the hypothesis that Europe was colonized from the east, and our analysis of habitat suitability9 suggests that early hominins exploited warm interglacial periods to disperse into higher latitudes and relatively continental sites-such as Korolevo-well before the Middle Pleistocene Transition.

The Badenian/Sarmatian (Middle Miocene) boundary in the Central Paratethys (Kreminna, western Ukraine): Foraminiferal and palynological evidence

The Badenian/Sarmatian boundary in the Paratethys basin, that marks the transition from normal marine to restricted semi-marine conditions due to isolation of the basin from the world ocean at the onset of Sarmatian time, is still far from being fully understood. The Kreminna section is located at the northeastern margin of the Carpathian Foreland Basin (Central Paratethys) in the Medobory Hills region. The Miocene deposits that overlie here the Upper Cretaceous substratum comprise the >1 m thick upper Badenian marls and clays passing upwards into ~4 m thick Sarmatian marly limestones with intercalations of marls, clays and limestones, and >2 m thick limestones in the uppermost part of the exposure. Fifty-three species of benthic foraminifera and four species of planktonic foraminifera have been recorded. Six benthic foraminiferal assemblages are composed almost exclusively of calcareous forms; agglutinated taxa are practically lacking. Elphidium spp., miliolids, Lobatula lobatula and Ammonia spp. are the most common calcareous benthic foraminifera in the material studied. Planktonic foraminifera are represented only by species of Globigerina and occur rarely in the lowermost part of the section. A characteristic feature of palynofacies is the very low proportion of land-derived elements – sporomorphs and cuticles, which suggests a sedimentary setting without terrestrial influx, and taxonomical impoverishment of dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, which are either monospecific or consist mainly of two to three species: in a majority of samples, assemblages with Polysphaeridium zoharyi and P. subtile occur. Most δ18O values range from –1.5 to ~+0.5‰ VPDB and most δ13C values are between 0 and +2‰ VPDB. In general, the δ13C curve mirrors the δ18O changes in the section. The Badenian/Sarmatian boundary is placed at the level where the Cibicidoides ungerianus Assemblage is replaced by the Elphidium fichtelianum Assemblage. At the boundary, planktonic foraminifers and most abundant stenohaline benthic foraminifera disappeared. Bottom waters were well-oxygenated both in the latest Badenian and earliest Sarmatian in the Kreminna location.

Comparative Analysis of Parasite Load on Recently Established Invasive Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus (Actinopterygii: Centrarchidae) in Europe

PurposeThe aim of this study was the comparative analysis of the parasite communities of new populations of invasive pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) in western Ukraine with pumpkinseed from Czechia, where populations have rapidly expanded over the last two decades.MethodsSampling took place at three localities in the western part of Ukraine (i.e. Dobrotvir Reservoir (Vistula basin), Burshtyn Reservoir (Dniester basin), Mynai Pond (Danube basin)) and four in Czechia (i.e. Oxbow D2, Heršpický Pond (Danube basin), and Kolín oxbow and Římov Reservoir (Elbe basin).ResultsIn total, 11 parasite taxa were recorded in Ukraine and 17 in Czechia. Four species were co-introduced from North America with their host, i.e. the myxosporean Myxobolus dechtiari, the monogeneans Onchocleidus dispar and Onchocleidus similis, and metacercariae of a trematode Posthodiplostomum centrarchi. High dominance indices were related to a high abundance of co-introduced parasites, i.e. O. similis in Mynai pond and P. centrarchi in Dobrotvir Reservoir. Overall abundance of acquired parasites was generally low.ConclusionThis study shows that parasite communities in recently established pumpkinseed populations in the western part of Ukraine and Czechia are less diverse than those established in Europe for decades. The generally low parasite load in these new populations may play an important role in their ability to successfully establish and create strong populations by providing a competitive advantage over local species.

Selection of areas prospective for the search of primary hydrogen in the territory of Ukraine (based on the data of the 3D P-velocity model of the mantle)

The work aimed to identify promising areas for the search for primary hydrogen in Ukraine using a 3D P-velocity model of the mantle under Ukraine and its surroundings. The work uses a 3D P-velocity model of the mantle under the territory of Ukraine and its surroundings from a depth of 50 to 1700 km north of 50° NL and up to 2500 km to the south. The model is derived using ISC bulletin data from 1964 and is presented as horizontal and vertical cross-sections.
 Since the manifestation of hydrogen is primarily associated with the release of ultra-deep fluid tracks in the mantle, a brief analysis of them was presented. A detailed analysis of all nine superdeep mantle fluids isolated on the territory of Ukraine and their velocity characteristics was carried out. A comparison of the location of the routes of passage of superdeep fluids and the velocity structure of the mantle of the considered territory showed that they are confined to tectonically activated areas. In order to confirm the possible pre­sence of primary hydrogen in selected tracks of superdeep mantle fluids, heat flow density maps, a temperature map at a depth of 50 km, a map of the depth of the Moho boundary, a conductivity density map, and a fault map of the Ukrainian Shield were considered.
 A comparative analysis of maps of the location of superdeep mantle fluids and regions on the territory of Ukraine with increased heat flow, increased depth of the Moho boun­dary, and the presence of mantle conductors and faults was carried out. Summarizing the results of the comparative analysis, the most promising areas for the search for primary hydrogen were selected, corresponding to the following routes of superdeep fluids: f12, the northeastern part of f3, the southern part of f4 (the area of the Dnipro-Donetsk basin), the southwestern part of f1 (the area of the Western Ukrainian oil and gas-bearing region) and f9 and f10 (region of the South Crimean oil and gas-bearing province).

Sacral Art of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine under Scientific Research (1993-2021)

The aim of this study is to review the multi-volume scientific publications and monographs (single and collective) from 1993-2021 that examine the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukrainian territories. The methodology and specifics of the main works are clarified, and problematic issues and difficulties encountered by researchers during their work are identified. Methodology. The study employs an integrated approach that utilises scientific analysis methods such as systematisation and generalisation. It also combines historical, cultural, art historical, and theological methods. This approach is appropriate, considering the liturgical purpose of sacred art and the requirements set by the Catholic Church based on the Holy Scriptures. Research results. A review of scientific works in multi-volume publications, as well as individual monographs, suggests that the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Ukraine was formed over many centuries. Researchers have studied over 500 shrines and tens of thousands of liturgical items of significant historical, cultural, and artistic value. Renowned scholars, including Jan K. Ostrowski, A. Betlej, T. Zaucha, K. Brzezina, P. Krasny, R. Quirini-Poplawski, J. Petrus, S. Lenartowicz, M. Biernat, M. Walczak, J. Skrabski, M. Kurzej, R. Nesteruw, T. Kukiz, and others (Polish edition), M. Buchek, I. Sedelnyk (Polish, Ukrainian edition), D. Antoniuk (Ukrainian edition), and others, conducted a comprehensive study, inventory, and attribution of these monuments. Scientific novelty. The obtained results highlight the challenges of studying sacred art monuments in Ukraine during the specified period. The specifics and methodology used by Ukrainian and foreign scholars in scientific research are identified through multi-volume scientific publications and monographs (individual and collective). Recommendations. Further historical, cultural, and art historical research is required to complement previous publications and enhance our understanding of the specifics of sacred art, particularly painting. This research will also reveal the methodology and technology used in creating these monuments. It is crucial to preserve these sacred monuments from destruction, especially during the period of military invasion by the Russian Federation since 24 February 2022.

Territorial increase of Soviet Ukraine at the beginning of World War ІІ in the journal of the USSR (1939—1941)

The presented article was prepared within the framework of the implementation of the annual plan of scientific work of the State Printing Archive of the Book Chamber of Ukraine: in the current year 2024, we are researching domestic prints of 1940, that is, the period of the Second World War and the post-war reconstruction of the Ukrainian SSR. Establishing the thematic and substantive priorities of the periodicals of the time, the author focused attention on such a defining aspect of national state-building as the territorial expansion of Soviet Ukraine at the initial stage of the Second World War. The article examines the problem of Western Ukrainian lands becoming part of the Ukrainian SSR, in particular, Eastern Galicia and Northern Bukovyna. The premise of the event was a bilateral conspiracy between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union regarding the division of Europe into spheres of influence. The Soviet-German treaty of September 28, 1939 became a documentary post-factum confirmation of the event. A feature of the territorial changes of the Ukrainian SSR at that time was the inclusion of lands that, according to the Soviet-Polish treaty of August 16, 1945, Soviet Ukraine lost. We are talking about Nadsiany, Kholm region, Podlasie and Lemkiv region, which in 1939 entered the Ukrainian SSR, and in 1945 became part of the Polish People's Republic. The source base of the presented intelligence was made up of domestic periodicals, namely: the republican magazine "Red cross" for 1939 and the regional literary and artistic almanac "Vilna Bukovyna" for 1940—1941, which tell about the crossing by the Red Army of the Polish-Soviet and the Romanian-Soviet state borders and the events that resulted from it. The purpose of this investigation was to process the mentioned press releases by the method of content analysis. .

Influence of prolonged agrogenic transformation on soil structure and physicochemical properties of Ukrainian Albic Stagnic Luvisols: a case study from western Ukraine

Influence of prolonged agrogenic transformation on soil structure and physicochemical properties of Ukrainian Albic Stagnic Luvisols: a case study from western Ukraine