CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Balkan, Eurasian, and Central European Studies Master’s Thesis 2017 Sofiia Riabushkina CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Balkan, Eurasian, and Central European Studies Sofiia Riabushkina Ukrainian national identity under Polish rule in the interwar period (1918-1939) Master’s Thesis Prague 2017 Author: Sofiia Riabushkina Supervisor: Doc. PhDr. Jiří Vykoukal, CSc. Academic Year: 2016/2017 Bibliographic Note Riabushkina, Sofiia. Ukrainian national identity under Polish rule in the interwar period (1918-1939). Master Thesis. Charles University, Balkan, Eurasian, and Central European Studies. Supervisor: Doc. PhDr. Jiří Vykoukal, CSc. Abstract The national politics of interwar Poland aimed at the full assimilation of the national minorities, including Ukrainians who lived in the occupied region of Eastern Galicia. This thesis studies the political basis, tools and outcomes of polonization policy during the period between 1918 and 1939 on the territory of Eastern Galicia and its main city Lviv. Deep analysis of Polish and Ukrainian political doctrines, Polish legislation, books, articles and periodical of the interwar period, as well as of modern historiography (both Polish and Ukrainian) resulted in developing of a comprehensive understanding of why the policy of polonization, aimed on population of Eastern Galicia failed to change historical Ukrainian identity. The data gathered in the analysis proves that the Polish government used tremendously rigid, if not brutal, tools of assimilation, and it resulted in rejection of the Polish national identity by Ukrainians. Moreover, confidence in the fact that Ukrainians are nothing more than underdeveloped Poles-to- be rise led to the rise of Ukrainian radical nationalism on the eve of the Second World War. Keywords Ukraine, Poland, National Identity, Assimilation, Polonization, Interwar Period Abstrakt Národnostní politika v meziválečném Polsku usilovala o plnou asimilaci všech národnostních menšin včetně Ukrajinců kterí žili veVýchodní Haliči, oblasti obsazené Polskem. Tato disertační práce studuje politicky základ, nástroje a výsledky politiky polonizace v období mezi rokem 1918 a 1939 na území Východní Haliče a jeho hlavního města Lvova. Hloubková analýza polských a ukrajinských politických doktrín, polské legislativy, knih, článků a periodik meziválečného období, stejně jako moderní historiografie (obš polská a ukrajinská) vedlo k vývoji komplexního pochopení toho, proč nebyla funkční politika Polska, která byla zaměřena na asimilaci populace Haliče a proč se nepodařilo změnit historickou ukrajinskou identitu. Z analýza vyplývá, že polská vláda používala nesmírně přísné, ne-li brutální nástroje asimilace, a to mělo za následek odmítnutí polské národní identity ze strany Ukrajinců. Navíc, důvěra v to, ze Ukrajinci nejsou nic víc než ne rozvinutí Poláci vedla k vzestupu ukrajinského radikálního nacionalismu v předvečer druhé světové války. Klíčová slova Ukrajina, Polsko, Národní Identita, Asimilace, Polonizace, Meziválečné období Declaration of Authorship 1. The author hereby declares that he compiled this thesis independently, using only the listed resources and literature. 2. The author hereby declares that all the sources and literature used have been properly cited. 3. The author hereby declares that the thesis has not been used to obtain a different or the same degree. In Prague, PROJECT OF M.A. DISSERTATION Name: Sofiia Riabushkina Program: BECES E-mail: [email protected] Dissertation Title: Ukrainian national identity on the territory of Western Ukraine under Polish rule in the interwar period (1918- 1939) Submission Date (term, academic year): Summer 2017 Seminar Supervisor: Doc. PhDr. Jiri Vykoukal Dissertation Supervisor: Doc. PhDr. Jiri Vykoukal Description of the Topic (max 20 lines): The concept of a national identity has always been highly controversial. No academic can clearly define the essense of one, and when one tries, there are always 100 other people with their own definitions. What is quite clear about this concept is that it, first of all, is based on a personal perception. Even if a huge group of people share the same idea of their identity, it will not necessarily be the same during the interaction with the other groups (which often leads us to the bloody wars and conflicts). Second of all, the national identity is socially constructed. The question is, who does it, who is responsible for that? Is it a one specific nation? Are these political actors? If yes, how will other nations and other definitions of national identity influence this specific society? When it comes to Ukraine, the question whether our nation has a strong national identity is really hot-debated, not only now, but always has been. The opinions vary, however, it was not ever really questioned if one specific Ukrainian region has (or had) this identity. The answer is simple - for most Ukrainians the Western part of the country - with its cultural center in Lviv - was always a center of developments, shaping of the national identity, moreover, its active resistance against numerous foreign occupants and rulers became something granted. This is the narrative they use to teach us in schools. However, it is now completely clear why is so? What makes the region so special and efficient in its efforts to be Ukrainian? Is there anything we can learn form its experience? In my opinion, yes, we can and we have to. I chose the period between the two world wars, as I think it was one of the most active and fruitful periods in the process of our identity-formation. I also chose the period of Polish rule over the part of our territory as relations between two national identities - Polish and Ukrainian - contributed a lot to the identity of Lviv. Aim of Dissertation (10 lines): The aim of my dissertation is to research the process of formation and development of the Ukrainian national identity under Polish rule in the interwar period (1918-1939), to analyse the factors, which influenced the development (both positively and negatively, both from Polish either Ukrainian side) and to bring to light the importance of Lviv as an historical center of national identity. I also aim to highlight the relations and mutual influences between Polish and Ukrainian national identities. The aim is also to analyse both Polish and Ukrainian historiographies of the time between the wars and modern ones in terms of perception of Ukrainian national identity and reaction to the Ukrainian cultural, social, political resistance against polonization. Research Question(s) (max 10 lines): 1. How Ukrainian national, political, economic and cultural life in Lviv and Galicia was influenced by Polish rule in 1918-1939? 2. How fruitful Polish rule was/was not for Ukrainian self-determination on the territories, mentioned above? Which tools and means did Poland use to shape Ukrainian national identity for its own profit? 3. How active was the Ukrainian national, political, social and cultural resistance against polonization? What was the process and results of the resistance? How did Poland react to the efforts of the Ukrainians to resist? 4. How and why Lviv became the ideological incarnation of Ukrainian identity? 5. How different are Polish and Ukrainian historiographies in terms of perceptions of Ukrainians and their national identity? Proposed Theory and Methodology: Lviv and Galicia were a part of Polish kingdom for a long period of Ukrainian history. During the Polish rule Ukrainian nation and its national idea were the objects for the policy of "polonozation", and Lviv, as a cultural center of "ukrajinstvo", became the center of Polish-Ukrainian debate. Much of an efort was taken to oppres, to eliminate, to weaken the national identity of Ukrainians. Nevertheless, active cultural, political and social resistance let Lviv and its citizens not only to preserve Ukrainian character, but moreover - to manifest one. This is the most noticable thing - not only in the interwar period, city being a part of Poland, but during the entire XX century (from the times of Habsburg monarchy to Poland, then to the USSR, then to independent Ukraine), Lviv always has been a guard of the concept of Ukrainian national idea, character and self-definition. Methodology: qualitative research combined with a method of comparative analysis, literature survey Proposed Structure (15 lines): 1. International political climate in the Eastern Europe after WWI. Relations between Poland and Ukraine. Incorporation of Western Ukraine into the Polish state. Reaction of international community. 2.Lviv in the Polish state. Ethnic, social and religious composition of the city’s population. Polish national policy and politics towards its Ukrainian territory and city of Lviv in 1918-1939. Relations and tensions between Polish and Ukrainian national identities. 4. Lviv as a multicultural city and/or the incarnation of the national identity. 3. Ukrainian cultural, political and social resistance against polonization and for Ukrainian idetity. Ukrainian social, political, scientific, cultural, educational organisations of Lviv and Galicia. Nationalistic movement as embodiment of Ukrainian identity. 4. Lviv's inteligentsia vs. Polish inteligentsia's perspectives on the future of Ukrainian national identity. Ukrainian emigration's perspective. 5. Anti-Ukrainian theories among Poles and Ukrainians. Moscwophiles (Russophiles), Rusyns, Poles. 6. Situation in Lviv and Galicia in the beginning of