THE HISTORY OF TERNOPIL IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD AS RECEIVED BY THE UKRAINIAN RESEARCHER LUBOMYRA BOYTSUN

Abstract

This paper analyses the history of Ternopil during the interwar period as perceived by the Ukrainian researcher Lubomyra Boytsun (1945–2015). The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and an interdisciplinary approach, employing historical-genetic, historical-typological, and historical-systemic methods, as well as methods of source criticism and content analysis. The scientific nov-elty of the study lies in the fact that, for the first time, the structure and content of L. Boytsun’s book “Ternopil in the Flow of Years: Historical and Local History Sketches” has been analysed in the context of the history of the interwar period. The following conclusions have been made as a result of the study. L. Boytsun’s book summarises the researcher’s many years of work on a project about the history of Ternopil, from its originsto the present day. It is an excellent example of historical memory preservation. The publication sheds light on the multifaceted life of the Galician city by exploring the history of its streets and notable buildings. The essays on the Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish national communities, and centres of intellectual and cultural life, contain a wealth of facts and events from the everyday lives of city residents during the interwar period. It has been established that Boytsun’s work reflects various aspects of the socio-cultural life of Ternopil during theSecond Polish Republic, and it remains a unique source of knowledge on a number of topics till nowadays. The researcher has played an important role in presenting a positive image of the city and its inhabitants.