Tkach V. "Polish National Minority of Ternopil Region: social-legal and cultural-educational aspects (the end of the XX – beginning of the XXI century)"

The object of the dissertation research is the national minorities of Ukraine of the studied period. The purpose of the research: to carry out a holistic analysis of the socio-legal, cultural-educational aspects of activities of the Polish national minority in the Ternopil region of the late XX - early XXI centuries. Main tasks: - analyze historiography, source base and theoretical and methodological principles of research; - characterize the size and demographic changes of the Polish national minority of Ternopil region; - determine the forms of communication of Poles with the historical homeland; - highlight features of creation and functioning of Polish national-cultural and ethnographic societies; - study the main directions of activity of Polish institutions; - evaluate the role and participation of the Polish national minority in establishing economic and cultural relations between the cities of Ukraine and Poland; - to show the significance of the Polish community in preserving the cultural-historical heritage, the restoration of Roman Catholic churches, the study of the Polish language in Saturday-Sunday and state educational institutions of the Ternopil region. The practical value of the work is that the conclusions obtained as a result of the dissertation research can be used in the teaching work and in the practical work of the departments of the regional state administration and district state administrations, which are connected with national minorities. Methodological basis of the research are the main principles of historical knowledge - objectivity and historicism. The following research methods were used in the work: method of analysis and synthesis, dialectical method, systemic, comparative-historical, typology, verification, synergetic and interdisciplinary methods. Key words: Ukraine, Republic of Poland, Ukrainians, Poles, national-cultural associations, Roman Catholic community, population censuss, General Consulate, temple, Polish language.