The object of the research – Kharkiv, important administrative and cultural centre of the Ukrainian grounds on territory of the Russian empire in end of ХІХ - in beginning of ХХ century. The dissertation purpose – study of questions of urban leisure as making part of daily life of the city dwellers of Kharkov in end of ХІХ - in beginning of ХХ century. Methods: historical-genetic, historical-comparative, historical-typological, historical-system, structural, historical-cartographical, methods of sociology. Scientific novelty: the research addresses comprehensively the issue of urban leisure as a part of the everyday life of Kharkiv community in the late 19th – early 20th century; basing on the wide complex of sources, most of which have been introduced to the scientific community for the first time, the reasons for changes in urban leisure and the factors of influence on it are determined; the evolution of the main forms of entertainment (folk festivals, circuses and theatres, drinking alcoholic beverages, reading, movies, aviation festivals) and its specific features in the city are analyzed; diversity, infrastructure, character, correlation between traditional and new forms of entertainment and their value are investigated; the characterization of composition, public tastes, and the role in people's life, reasons for popularity, living standards and affordability of leisure for ordinary city dwellers is done; the degree of intensity of cultural life in Kharkiv, the role of leisure in the formation of urbanism and the Kharkiv dwellers’ identity, the ratio of supply and demand in the field of entertainment are determined; leisure of Kharkiv inhabitants is investigated for the first time not through the prism of social groups but in terms of an integrated urban community. Practical value of research: the results of research can be used for a spelling of works on a history of urban leisure of the end of ХІХ - beginning of ХХ century, creation of complex researches on a history of modernization, urbanization and daily life of cities; for preparation of special courses on a history of daily occurrence, social history, historical of study of local-lore and urbanistics, and also in cultural-mass, educational and museum-exhibition works. Sphere of use: higher educational institutions.
