Verbytskyi B. Socio-political and state-building activities of Mykhailo and Bohdan Horyn (1962–1998).

The thesis deals with the comprehensive research on the socio-political and state-building activities of the Horyn brothers (1962–1998). Based on a big amount of sources and historical works, the formation of the worldview of the Horyn brothers has been comprehensively studied, their public work and political career have been revealed. It is ascertained that main factors, which influenced on М. and B. Horyn’s formation of world outlook were family background, parents’ upbringing and influence of relatives. The peculiarities of the brothers' participation in the deployment of samizdat are reserched and the influence of the repressive policy of the Soviet government on the life of M. and B. Horyn have been determined. It was examined that the public activity of the Horyn brothers had a decisive influence on Ukraine's independence. The prison camp period of life significantly influenced on the formation of a strong belief to create a powerful political organization that would defend the sovereign rights of the Ukrainian people. M. and B. Horyn were among the main figures of the dissident movement, who formulated the idea of creating a samizdat distribution network as the main way for fighting the totalitarian system of the Ukrainian SSR during the “Stagnation” period. One of the greatest achivements in the distribution of illegal literature was the transfer of an appeal letter to the UN devoted to the tortures of political prisoners in the USSR. Being in the prison camp, Horyn brothers played a key role in convincing the older generation prisoners of the need for legal methods of struggle for Ukrainian independence.