Pirko M. Ukrainian Book Publishing in Galicia (1919–1939): Historical conditions, problems, contribution to the development of the national movement

This dissertation is devoted to deep analysis of the Ukrainian book publishing in Galicia in the interwar period, its organizational foundations, ideological orientation, publication themes and the impact on the development of readers’ interests, levels of education and cultural development, and contribution to an increase in the national consciousness of Ukrainians in a period of statelessness. The work covers the social and political factors that influenced the implementation of programs which responded to the national and cultural needs of Ukrainians in Galicia in the interwar period, who were part of the restored Second Republic of Poland. The research thoroughly analyzes the impact of the juridical framework of interwar Poland on the Ukrainian national and cultural movement, with special attention to book publishing. The dynamics of Ukrainian book publishing in Galicia in the 1920s and 1930s is examined on the basis of the printed publications of that period. This dissertation analyzes the ideological, social and organizational principles underlying the establishment and operations of publishing houses, whose publishing activity depended on the political, social, economic, and cultural changes which took place in the region in particular and in the country as a whole. The author studied publishing cooperatives as one of the organizational forms of the national movement and a means of responding to the intellectual demands of Ukrainians. The topics of books, their functional purpose, readership and its priorities in the choice of literature are comprehensively studied in this dissertation. The work examines the ways in which books were distributed in Galicia and their effectiveness in bringing the published materials to the people.