BRANCHES AND CIRCLES ACTIVITY OF “UNION OF UKRAINIAN WOMEN” IN TOVMACHCHYNA (1925–1939)

Abstract

The article covers the activities of branches and circles of the “Union of Ukrainian Women” in Tov¬machchyna on the basis of discovered archival and newspaper materials. The author, on the example of three branches in Tovmach, Otyniіa and Tysmenytsia towns, and several rural circles, reflected the work of the Ukrainian women’s organization in the county, described their organizational, cultural, educational and socio-political activities.

The organizational work of the branches consisted in the establishment of grassroots cells – circles in the settlements that belonged to the boundaries of a branch. The most successful in this direction was the activity of the Tysmenytsia branch. Cultural and educational work of the “Union of Ukrainian Women” in Tovmach district is presented through the organization of various holidays, ceremonial events in honor of prominent Ukrainian writers, public figures, through the organization and conduct of various educational lectures and courses for women, through the establishment of a network of kindergartens and custody of children from poor Ukrainian families. The article also shows the socio-political activities of the “Union of Ukrainian Women” of Tovmachchyna in terms of the participation of allies in the elections to the Polish Parliament. The researcher also gave examples of cooperation of the women’s organization with other Ukrainian cultural, educational and economic societies “Prosvita”, “Native School”, “Silskyi hospodar” (“Farmer”).

The methodological basis for writing the article was the principles of objectivity and historicism, dialectical development, the ascent from the abstract to the concrete, terminological and systemic. The methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization and classification, archival and bibliographic heuristics, source criticism, problem-chronological, comparative-historical methods are used in the work.

Keywords: “Union of Ukrainian Women”, Tovmachchyna, woman, branch, circle, holiday.