Volyn ethnic space of the second half of the XIXth century: the view of Volyn Czech

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Svitlana Shulha
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3910-8169

Abstract

The article deals with the process of adaptation of the Czech population to the conditions of the nonethnic society of Volyn huberniia in the second half of the nineteenth century. This process took place through the conclusion of interethnic relations. Ego-documents (biographies, memoirs) of the Czechs, who re-emigrated in 1946-1947, served as a source of research. The author comes to the conclusion that the self-identification of the Czech colonists took place on the basis of the comparison of “myself” with “other”, giving “self” positive features as opposed to “another”. The Czech colonists favorably treated to the Russian authorities, as a result of Slavophile sentiments and a government policy to facilitate resettlement, which was being designed for local government and landowner-Russian. However, the protective policy of the Russian authorities was transformed into a restrictive in the cultural and educational sphere of the life of the Czech settler, which led to dissatisfaction with the colonists. Therefore, the negative characteristics of relations with the Russians are contained in memoirs. Pole-landowner perceived the colonists as “kholop”, so there were misunderstandings between them. However, it soon became clear that the level of agriculture, education and the life of the Czechs far superior “kholopskyi”. The Czechs entered into official relations because of the need for the registration of land acquisition documents with Polish landowners. Further rapprochement with this ethno-community took place in the interwar period. The closest contacts of the Czechs coincided with the Ukrainian peasants who perceived the colonists at the beginning of their settlement cautiously-biased, later-taking experience, in a friendly manner. Relationships with other ethnic communities (Germans, Jews) formed as cautiously-biased and concerned mainly the functioning of the economy.


Keywords: Volyn, immigration, Volyn Czechs, identity

Article Details

How to Cite
Shulha, S. (2019). Volyn ethnic space of the second half of the XIXth century: the view of Volyn Czech. History Journal of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, (49), 48–55. Retrieved from https://www.hj.chnu.edu.ua/hj/article/view/187
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Articles
Author Biography

Svitlana Shulha, Eastern European National University Lesya Ukrainka

PhD in History, Associate Professor, Department of World History