HISTORY OF KYIV IN MYKHAILO HRUSHEVSKYI’S SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE

Abstract

The article is devoted to representation of problems in political, social, economic and cultural history of Kyiv in scientific works by Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Ukrainian historian and public figure (1866–1934). It is proved that Hrushevskyi’s research about Kyiv scientific heritage is an important historiographical issue which was addressed to and will be addressed by researchers. The objective of the author is the role of city of Kyiv in its conception of history of Ukraine in the context of historiogeographical process at the end of the 19th century till the beginning of the 20th century, according to the analysis of Hrushevsky texts. The article shows how the scientist comprehended Kyiv past in the context of Ukrainian national history. The topic of Kyiv as a traditional centre of Ukraine was significantly placed in his historical concept. All this was explained by Hryshevskyi’s orientation on ideological justification for the formation of modern Ukrainian nation by means of historical science. The key challenges of Hrushevskyi’s historical concept were Mongol invasion and its influence on the fate of the whole Kyiv and Ukraine-Russ. The scientist used rich Kyiv scientific and educational traditions to justify long cultural continuity of Ukrainian history. The author shows how M. Grushevskyi put Kyiv past into Ukrainian national historic grand narrative. Kyiv concept “central city» as well as «Capital City», which was explained by the desire to justify by means of historiography Kyiv role as a leading center of modern Ukrainian national movement, was of big value for the scientist.