Vintoniak A. Social-Geographic, Cartographic and Geographic-Encyclopedic Contribution by Academician Arkadiy Zhukovskyy: Assessment of Heritage

The present dissertation research discloses the best social-geographic, cartographic and geographic-encyclopedic practices by Academician Arkadiy Zhukovskyy. The study represents the result of persistent search for, collection and scrupulous analysis of 486 Academician’s contributions in the area of social geography. Thorough study, systemization and analysis of forgotten but newly found works allowed for generalization and new introduction into scientific circle of exclusively valuable and important explorations of great Ukrainian scientist Arkadiy Ilarionovych Zhukovskyy. Chapter I of the research discloses major stages of Arkadiy Zhukovskyy’s formation and growth in the capacity of social geographer, cartographer and encyclopedist. The source base of the thesis which was a foundation for the whole research is represented by 570 collected, processed and systemized written and published works. The dissertation discloses A. Zhukovskyy’s practices in such social-geographic areas as political geography, historic geography, history of Ukrainian geography, country studies, sacral geography, and problems of geography of Ukraine. After analyzing the works of A. Zhukovsky, which have a political and geographical direction, the main directions of his research are highlighted. It has been justifiably proved that historic geography and history of Ukrainian geography was a focus of A. Zhukovskyy’s social-geographic interest. Processing of the scientist’s heritage allowed for outlining of such fundamental work as “Bukovyna: Past and Present” where A. Zhukovskyy was among the co-authors and editors. It has been established that social-geographic country studies was among Arkadiy Zhukovskyy’s major scientific interests. A great lot of his contributions in this area cover tens of regions and countries of the world. Sacral geography was another important area of A. Zhukovskyy’s scientific interests. The scientist focused on problems of religions geography. It is emphasized that the study of problems of geography of Ukraine was among the most essential trends in the scope of A. Zhukovskyy’s social-geographic practices. The scientist explored practically all subject field of social geography of Ukraine and its major directions, i.e., component, complex and integral. Arkadiy Zhukovskyy devoted a big part of his life to geographic pedagogic activity. Special attention is given to his activity in the Ukrainian Free University where he had defended his first doctoral thesis. Arkadiy Zhukovskyy’s cartographic and encyclopedic social-geographic heritage contains a big number of materials, inclusive of those where the scientist was the co-author. His exclusively valuable and informative “Ethnographic Map of Bukovyna” (a supplement to “Bukovyna: Past and Present”) discloses and cartographically visualizes ethnographic composition of these lands on the basis of the 1910 census. The “Map of Ukraine” developed in co-authorship with V. Kubiyovych, represents A. Zhukovskyy’s invaluable cartographic work. The map’s precious advantage consists in clear bordering between the compact and mixed national territories as of 1930s. Scientific and applicative value of map schemes developed by A. Zhukovskyy and other cartographers and presented in the 2nd volume of the “Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia” consists in characterization of national economics of the country. It has in a well-argued manner been proved that Arkadiy Zhukovskyy’s geographic-encyclopedic activity was among the central chains in his scientific work realized in such fundamental creations as “Encyclopedia of Ukrainian Culture and Lifestyle” and its English version, “Encyclopedia of Present-Day Ukraine”, and “Encyclopedia of Ukrainian Diaspora”. The scientific novelty of the present research lies in the fact that it was for the first time ever that systemic assessment of social-geographic contribution by Academician Arkadiy Zhukovskyy was carried out.