National, cultural, educational and scientific activities of Ukrainian student societies in Eastern Galicia (from the late nineteenth century to 1939) through the prism of cooperation with Metropolitan A. Sheptytskyi

Abstract

In the latter half of the 19th century, students of Eastern Galicia, who were destined to become scientists, engineers and cultural figures, had joined together in societies to advocate for their right to receive education in their native language. Additionally, they endeavored to advance the concept of developing a distinct «national science». The aim of the study is to analyze a new stage of nationally oriented, cultural, educational and scientific activities of Ukrainian student societies in Eastern Galicia from the late 19th century to 1939 which began due to active cooperation with Metropolitan A. Sheptytskyi. The author has used chronological, historical-comparative, retrospective, and interdisciplinary methods, including the structural method, to analyze historical evidence. The specificity of functioning of Ukrainian student societies in difficult and unfavorable conditions has investigated and has proved that the dominant direction of their activity was consolidation of society and realization of national and cultural aspirations of the Ukrainian people, catalyzing processes in the educational and scientific sphere through active interaction with A. Sheptytskyi. In the time period covered by this study, students collaborated with parties of various persuasions, took part in the fighting of the First World War and fought for the establishment of the Ukrainian University as a center of higher education and a Ukrainian scientific school. In the absence of opportunities and their own scientific institutions, student societies carried out their applied, fundamental, search and methodological research during participation in summer schools, applying their results in the publication of student periodicals, speeches at student congresses and studios, which were mostly organized and supported by intellectuals, including A. Sheptytskyi. To achieve this goal, Ukrainian student societies used a range of methods, from writing research papers and proclamations to boycotts. And the vision of the idea of state-building united Ukrainian students with well-known public and spiritual figures, scholars and artists of Eastern Galicia.