ULAS SAMCHUK'S EDITORIAL AND PUBLISHING ACTIVITIES IN GYMNASIUM MAGAZINES IN THE KREMENETS REGION IN THE 1920S

Abstract

The article examines the activities of Ulas Samchuk as editor and publisher of handwritten gymnasium magazines in the context of the cultural and educational environment of the Kremenets region in the 1920s. It focuses on the future Ukrainian writer's involvement in preparing and publishing literary magazines put out by students at the I. Steshenko Ukrainian Gymnasium in Kremenets. Based on an analysis of handwritten sources, memoirs, and scientific literature, the conditions of emergence, thematic priorities, authorship, and ideological orientation of the youth publications ‘First Steps’ (1921–1922), ‘Youth’ (1922), ‘Hvylia’ (1923) and ‘Proliski’ (1924). It has been determined that the participation of the young U. Samchuk in the activities of the literary and artistic circle “Yunatstvo”, the editing of the almanac of the same name, the organisation of the periodical ‘Hvylia’, as well as his probable involvement in the creation of the magazine ‘Proliski’ indicate his active involvement in the literary process of that time, his organisational skills and his awareness of the importance of the printed word in establishing the national identity of his compatriots. It is noted that involvement in the cultural environment of gymnasium youth formed Samchuk's skills in editing, working with texts, organising the publishing process, and shaping the ideological and patriotic vector of publications. It is emphasised that the editorial and publishing activities of the Kremenets period influenced the formation of U. Samchuk as a national cultural figure, since his participation in the organisation and creation of the cultural space of Kremenets gave him the opportunity to gain experience that played an important role in his further creative biography. It is noted that gymnasium magazines were not only a platform for self-expression for Ukrainian youth, but also an important means of national-patriotic education and counteracting assimilation processes in the difficult conditions of the educational policy of that time. The cultural and educational space of Volhynia in the 1920s is presented through the prism of U. Samchuk's editorial and publishing activities.