Fel'baba M. Felbaba M. M. The history of the "Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia" project in the context of the "ukrainization" policy (1927-1934).

The failed attempt to prepare and publish "The Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia" in 1927-1934 is investigated here for the first time in the national history science. It is proved that the "USE" project headed by M. Scripnick was only one of the steps in the history of the national encyclopedia tradition. It had not only the predecessors, among which the failed projects of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in the 20s, but also the contemporary competitor "The Ukrainian General Encyclopedia" in Lviv (1930-1935). Some ideological and theoretical foundations of the publication are analysed. "The Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia" had not only the traditional communist orientation but also the national character. Some events hindering and slowing down the preparations for the publication are presented, the dramatic change in the national policy of the All-Union Communist Party of bolshevicks Central Committee in the early 30s is analysed. All that led to the failure of the project. Some people involved in the project suffered from Stalin's repressions, some were arrested. All that stopped the preparations for the publication completely.