Socio-political preconditions for the emergence of public associations in Western Ukraine
Date
2021-02-21
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Видавництво Львівської політехніки
Lviv Politechnic Publishing House
Lviv Politechnic Publishing House
Abstract
У другій половині XIX ст. західноукраїнські землі, придатні для розвитку сільського
господарства, не могли забезпечити своїх мешканців належним добробутом. Більше того, в
регіоні часто панував голод, і вирували злидні. Особливо постраждали українці, котрі становили
більшість сільського населення регіону. Тогочасна урядова статистика намагалася довести, що
для західноукраїнських селян були створені всі умови для забезпечення їхнього добробуту.
Здавалося б, українські селянські господарства, що мали у своєму розпорядженні більшість
орних земель, могли процвітати. Однак про інший бік цієї статистики не згадувалося: насамперед,
було приховано, що найкращі землі належали власникам великих господарств. Якщо
порівняти розмір площі великого землевласника та середнього селянського господарства, то
селянське господарство було в рази менше сільськогосподарських угідь великого землевласника.
Революційні події, котрі охопили Європу навесні 1948 р., принесли народам Європи надію
на краще майбутнє. Наслідком революційного піднесення стало скасування кріпосного права в
Австрійській імперії, яка також керувала Західною Україною. Насамперед українська інтелігенція,
яка базувалася на священиках, вчителях та юристах, розпочала активну громадськополітичну роботу.
Однак більшість населення все ще залишалася осторонь політики: ні їхня
загальна освіта, ні їхнє матеріальне становище не сприяли участі в національному русі. Тобто
“Весна народів” все ще не сприяла “масовому, повсюдному пробудженню національної свідомості
українського народу Галичини, Буковини, Закарпаття” [17, с. 15]. Для цього потрібно було
докласти чимало зусиль, перш за все для компетентного та політичного інформування нації про
те, що повинні робити освічені люди [22].
In the second half of the XIX century Western Ukrainian lands suitable for agricultural development could not provide their inhabitants with adequate well-being. Moreover, famine often prevailed in the region, and poverty raged. Ukrainians, who made up the majority of the rural population of the region, were particularly affected: almost 80 % [7, p. 4]. Government statistics at the time tried to prove that all conditions were created for Western Ukrainian peasants to ensure their well-being. At the same time, for example, the following figures were used: peasants owned 62.2 % of the land area, while large landowners, mostly Austrians, Poles, Germans, Jews and other peoples, only 37.8 % of agricultural land. It would seem that Ukrainian peasant farms, which had the majority of arable land in their use, could prosper. However, the other side of this statistic was not mentioned: first of all, it was hidden that the best lands belonged to the owners of large farms. In addition, there were 3.734 communities in the areas used by the majority of peasants. Therefore, if we compare the size of the area of a large landowner and the average peasant economy, the peasant economy was 320 times smaller than the agricultural land of a large landowner. At the end of the 40s of the XIX century in almost all European countries the economic crisis deepened, mass strikes began. Governments became increasingly helpless, unable to control the situation. Political demands began to be put forward more and more often to the economic demands of the workers and peasants. The spirit of revolution hovered in the air. And soon it began. The revolutionary events that swept Europe in the spring of 1948 brought the peoples of Europe hope for a better future. The consequence of this revolutionary upsurge was the abolition of serfdom in the Austrian Empire, which also ruled Western Ukraine. First of all, the Ukrainian intelligentsia, which was based on priests, teachers, and lawyers, began active social and political work. However, the majority of the population still stayed away from politics: neither its general education nor their financial situation contributed to participation in the national movement. That is, the “Spring of Nations” still did not contribute to the “mass, widespread awakening of the national consciousness of the Ukrainian people of Galicia, Bukovina, Transcarpathia” [17, p. 15]. This required a lot of effort, first of all to inform the nation competently and politically about what educated people had to do [22].
In the second half of the XIX century Western Ukrainian lands suitable for agricultural development could not provide their inhabitants with adequate well-being. Moreover, famine often prevailed in the region, and poverty raged. Ukrainians, who made up the majority of the rural population of the region, were particularly affected: almost 80 % [7, p. 4]. Government statistics at the time tried to prove that all conditions were created for Western Ukrainian peasants to ensure their well-being. At the same time, for example, the following figures were used: peasants owned 62.2 % of the land area, while large landowners, mostly Austrians, Poles, Germans, Jews and other peoples, only 37.8 % of agricultural land. It would seem that Ukrainian peasant farms, which had the majority of arable land in their use, could prosper. However, the other side of this statistic was not mentioned: first of all, it was hidden that the best lands belonged to the owners of large farms. In addition, there were 3.734 communities in the areas used by the majority of peasants. Therefore, if we compare the size of the area of a large landowner and the average peasant economy, the peasant economy was 320 times smaller than the agricultural land of a large landowner. At the end of the 40s of the XIX century in almost all European countries the economic crisis deepened, mass strikes began. Governments became increasingly helpless, unable to control the situation. Political demands began to be put forward more and more often to the economic demands of the workers and peasants. The spirit of revolution hovered in the air. And soon it began. The revolutionary events that swept Europe in the spring of 1948 brought the peoples of Europe hope for a better future. The consequence of this revolutionary upsurge was the abolition of serfdom in the Austrian Empire, which also ruled Western Ukraine. First of all, the Ukrainian intelligentsia, which was based on priests, teachers, and lawyers, began active social and political work. However, the majority of the population still stayed away from politics: neither its general education nor their financial situation contributed to participation in the national movement. That is, the “Spring of Nations” still did not contribute to the “mass, widespread awakening of the national consciousness of the Ukrainian people of Galicia, Bukovina, Transcarpathia” [17, p. 15]. This required a lot of effort, first of all to inform the nation competently and politically about what educated people had to do [22].
Description
Keywords
фахово-господарські товариства, український часопис, честь нації, національна свідомість, товариство, professional-business partnerships, ukrainian magazine, honor of the nation
Citation
Ivanytska B. Socio-political preconditions for the emergence of public associations in Western Ukraine / Bozhena Ivanytska // Bulletin of Lviv Polytechnic National University : journalism. — Lviv : Lviv Politechnic Publishing House, 2021. — Vol 2 (2). — P. 11–16.