SOCIO-POLITICAL AND LAWYER ACTIVITIES OF MYKOLA LAGODYNSKYI IN THE GALICIAN HUTSUL REGION (1900–1914)

Abstract

The article analyzes the socio-political and lawyer activities of Mykola Lagodynskyi in the Galician Hutsul region (1900–1914).

The conditions and features of M. Lagodynskyi’s professional work as a lawyer are revealed. He opened a law office in the town of Delyatyn at the beginning of 1900. His office provided not only legal assistance to the local population, but also played the role of a center of political, economic and educational life of the Delyatyn judicial county. Thanks to his skillful professional activity, M. Lagodynsky managed to establish the limited liability company “Ruska kasa” in 1902 in the town of Delyatyn. This credit institution was supposed to help the peasants avoid dependence on usurious capital of Jewish and Polish organizations.

Mykola Lagodynskyi was an ardent supporter of the organization of the sich movement in the territory of the region. He ceded the building of the “Ruska Besida” society in the town of Delyatyn for the local branch of the “Sich” society. Even after he was elected a deputy of the Austrian parliament in 1907, he tried to support the activities of the “Sich” society in the territory of the region. In 1910, at the meeting of the “Sich” county society in the town of Delyatyn, M. Lagodynskyi was elected chairman, and in 1913 he took part in the work of the 1st “Sich” county congress in the same town.

As a member of the Ukrainian Radical Party, Mykola Lagodynskyi was immediately absorbed into the whirlpool of the party-political life of the Galician Hutsul region. His party and political work on the territory of the region from 1906 to the beginning of the First World War is distinguished by his special activity. During this period of time, he managed to become a deputy of the State Council twice in 1907 and 1911, and in 1913 also a deputy of the Galician Regional Diet. In 1908, Mykola Lagodynskyi put a lot of effort into the victory of URP candidate Ivan Sanduliak in the elections to the Galician Regional Diet in Nadvirna county. In addition, at the end of 1910, he headed the Ukrainian Radical Party. He maintained close relations with the leaders of the Ukrainian radical movement M. Trylovskyi and M. Pavlyk.

Mykola Lagodynskyi was actively involved in educational and economic work on the territory of the region and was an ardent supporter and admirer of Ukrainian national art. In 1902, on his initiative, the “Prosvita” reading room was founded in the town of Delyatyn. In 1904, he headed the district committee in the town of Delyatyn, which was engaged in collecting donations for the construction of the Ukrainian national theater in the city of Lviv. In 1912, he was elected as the head of the affiliate of “Silsky Hospodar” society.

Keywords: Mykola Lagodynskyi, Galician Hutsul region, Ukrainian Radical Party, lawyer, law office, public meeting, State Council, Galician Regional Diet, “Sich”.