The dissertation presents the theoretical justification of the ideological- conceptual and social-personnel base of Narodnyi Rukh of Ukraine as the basis of multiparty system in 1989– 1992. The actualisation of attention to the topic is drawn on the background of today's political processes, diligence to the role of the individual in the history, elucidation of state-building activities of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, the importance of the humanities in overcoming social and political problems, in justification of concepts of the national idea.
The dissertation respondent adverted to the fundamental research on the model of development of Ukrainian society, Ukrainian culture, and mentality. The scientific works of Ada and Ihor Bychko, Ihor Zakhara, Serhii Krymskyi, Myroslav Popovych, Vitalii Tabachkovskyi formed the theoretical basis of the study.
The main method of the dissertation to achieve this goal that was chosen is historical. The following scientific methods were used within the work: comparative, systemic, biographical, phenomenological, descriptive, that made it possible to solve the set tasks. The comparative -historical method allowed to reveal the political events in Ukraine within the context of the state-building processes that took its place in The Baltics, at the same time to determine the role of Ukraine in the fall of the empire.
The study includes sources, namely: archival materials, periodicals, videos, interviews with participants, memoir heritage. The program documents of NRU, URP, DPU were analysed, where the priority of the national idea, developed and formed by the Ukrainian intelligentsia, has been revealed. Rukhivtsy, among whom there were many scientists, writers, journalists, left a wide array of literature, so the source base is quite wide. Yurii Badzo, Volodymyr Vasylenko, Vitalii Donchyk, Ivan Drach, Mykhailo Horyn, Levko Lukianenko, Dmytro Pavlychko, Serhii Plachynda, Myroslav Popovych, Leontii Sanduliak, Veniamin Sikora, Les Taniuk, Viacheslav Chornovil, Volodymyr Yavornivskyi as bearers of national aspirations, left not only a theoretical legacy, in particular, the writings of leading documents of Ukraine, but also invaluable experience in combating against the communist ideology, upholding democratic and legal values. Their scientific and journalistic achievements give a deep understanding of the process of state formation, the formation of the national idea.
The works of leading figures of the NRU are fundamental for the study of democratic transformations in Ukraine. The dissertation investigation takes into account the fact that the array of literature created by those leading figures is large and at the same time diverse, from biographical to historical-biographical, maintaining documentary evidence, as well as scientific, that gives grounds to consider their work in historical, graphical and source aspects. Based on the analysis of the works of scientists on this topic, it is shown that, despite the 30-year history of the NRU, some of its issues still remain unsolved.
The dissertation gives the description of the activity of independent public organisations in Ukraine in the end of the 80s of the XX century to understand the preconditions for the creation of Narodnyi Rukh of Ukraine for restructuring. The dissertation reveals the initiative of writers and scientists of the Institute of Literature named after Taras Shevchenko in founding of organisation mentioned above. The leading role in the democratisation of the society of the Writers' Union, which became a defender of language and culture, has been shown. Back to June 1986, at the congress of the Writers’ Union of Ukraine, they began to speak openly L. Lukianenko, S. Khmara, on the one hand, D. Pavlychko, I. Drach, on the other hand, saw the further fate of the Rukh in the creation of the party. And these ideas were implemented in 1990. This is how the Ukrainian Republican Party and the Democratic Party of Ukraine appeared. In May 1990, the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine was formed, where the main ideologue and one of the founders was the leader Viktor Vovk. Serhii Plachynda became the founder and leader of the Ukrainian Peasant Democratic Party, which was formed in June 1990.
The activity of the NRU as a unifying nucleus of democratic forces in order to consolidate them in carrying out reforms, in building a sovereign democratic state governed by the rule of law has been shown in the dissertation. In particular, the formation of the republican political bloc “Democratic Ukraine”, as well as the Committee “Referendum – Sovereign Ukraine” and others have been analysed. It turns out that the NRU, playing the role of leader of the patriotic and political movement, was the most proactive speaker of the national idea among all democratic forces, the embodiment of the unity of the country's patriots for the independence of Ukraine.
