The role of «Prosvita» society in the formation of national consciousness of ukrainians of Galicia, Bukovyna and Transcarpathia

Abstract

The contribution of «Prosvita» society to the national self-awareness of the Ukrainians of Galicia, Bukovyna and Transcarpathia during the Austrian period attracted the attention of researchers and is still of scientific and public interest. The historical significance of «Prosvita» in the Ukrainian national revival (modern nation-building) of the 19th and early 20th centuries difficult to overestimate. Therefore, the article draws attention to the problem of the formation of national self-awareness as a necessary condition for the formation of a nation. It is noted that at the epicentre of national self-consciousness is a national symbol – a universal phenomenon that, in a sensibly perceived and realized form, expresses, preserves and broadcasts ideas about spiritual and material values that are fundamental to it development and functioning. The multifaceted activity of «Prosvita» in the last third of the 19th and early 20th centuries made it possible to overcome the Russophiles, Moscophiles worldview among a significant part of the Galician-Ukrainian society. The First World War played a special role in this, when during the Russian occupation of Galicia the political concept of Moscophiles was completely discredited. At the same time, the ideas of «Prosvita» confirmed their own viability, or relied on the broad masses of the people, the national self-assertion of Ukrainians as a separate nation.
Based on the research problem, it is worth pointing out such a concept as the frontier. This is a scientific interdisciplinary discourse, on the basis of which the following processes are highlighted: spatial (taking into account regional and local differences), temporal (which makes it possible to trace the evolution of images of the region over time), political and cultural (the use of ethno-national stereotypes and myths). The subconscious level of perception of the border is especially important, since emotional stereotypes are formed on different sides of the border, which influence the appearance of aggressors and victims