KARPAN A. The Development of Historical Local Studies in Cherkasy Region in the (1920s – 1930s of the 20th century)

The dissertation traces the development of historical local studies (kraieznavstvo) in Cherkasy region during the 1920s – 1930s in historiography, explores the activities of the Ukrainian Committee for Local Studies as the main coordinating centre in Ukraine, investigates the local studies work of archival and museum institutions as well as educational establishments in the region, and highlights the work of prominent researchers of the period. Relevance of research .Under current conditions, local studies have become a powerful tool for shaping citizen’s historical consciousness and patriotism, particularly among younger generations. The growing role of local studies has not only expanded its scope but also stimulated active efforts to disseminate knowledge about local history. This socially important and meticulous work requires the collaborative efforts of professional regional researches and the broader public. In this context, periodical publicationson local studies as sume particular importance, as Cherkasy region –despite its rich historical legacy and heritage of regional research – lacked any periodical dedicated to local studies prior to the early 1990s. Amidst an active national and cultural revival, there has been increasing interest not only in the general history of Ukraine but also in regional history (micro-history) – the study of history of individual cities, towns, and villages. In this regard, the peculiarities of formation and development of local history, as an essential component of historical science, require further research by scholars engaged in local studies. The relevance of the topic is also determined by the fact that local historical research today has become a mass movement due to the involvement of wide layers of the population in local history pursuits. The topic is particularly pertinent given the systemic revival of local studies in Ukraine as a distinct form of both professional and amateur activity that expands the boundaries of historical knowledge and influences public consciousness, societal awareness, and the development of national historical science. Regional research begins to acquire particular local studies significance in the context of the need to explore the history of the "small homeland", in our case, Cherkasy region. At the same time, facts and knowledge gained through local studies can significantly contribute to broader scientific corpus, particularly in understanding the general and the particular within the historical process. The expanding role of the local studies movement in shaping independent Ukraine is reflected in the increasingly productive engagement of local researchers across regional and district centres. However, the history of Ukrainian historical local studies remains marked by numerous underexplored events and phenomena that require deeper scholarly analysis and interpretation. In particular, there is still no comprehensive analysis or critical assessment of the local studies process in Cherkasy region during the 1920s and 1930s – a gap that further underscores the necessity of a thorough dissertation-level investigation. The choice of this research topic is also justified by the broader need to restore contemporary Ukrainians’ historical memory, which has been long disrupted by prohibitions and ideological distortions of the past era, and the Russian-Ukrainian war of the 21st century. Reconstructing this memory is essential to the formation of a coherent national consciousness. Within this framework, local studies must be recognized as a vital component of the source base for Ukrainian historiography and as a foundational platform for regional historical inquiry. This dissertation seeks to illuminate an overlooked chapter in the history of the local studies movement in Cherkasy region and to contribute to a fuller reconstruction of a more holistic picture of Ukraine’s historical development as a whole. This dissertation addresses critical gaps in the regional historiography of Cherkasy region by offering an objective reconstruction of overlooked, little- known, and falsified episodes of Ukrainian history. While certain aspects of the subject have previously received scholarly attention, no comprehensive historical and local studies analysis has yet been undertaken, which highlights the necessity of this research and affirms the relevance of the chosen dissertation topic. The scientific novelty of this dissertation lies in presenting the first comprehensive analysis of the development of historical local studies in Cherkasy region during the 1920s – 1930s. It assess both achievements and shortcomings of the local research from that period and offers a critical synthesis of local studies experience, which can be applied at the current stage of development in Ukrainian local studies.