Role of M.V. Levitskyi in the Creation of the First Cooperatives in the Yelysavethrad Region and Distribution of Cooperative Ideas

The purpose of the article is to study the role and value of created by Mykola Levitskyi in Elysavethrad region grain-growing farms in distributing of cooperative idea in the late XIX - early XX century and retrieval of mechanisms of resolving the current actual problems in the agricultural sector of economy of Ukraine. Based on the analysis of published and manuscript sources, the role of Mykola Levitsky in the creation of the first co-operatives in Ukraine and directly in Yelysavethrad have been investigated. The conditions of formation of Mykola Levitsky as a co-operative leader have been considered. The main reasons for his craft activities have been analyzed. Different views of researchers on the importance of theoretical and practical developments of Mykola Levitsky have been characterized. It has been proved that the ideas of M.V. Levitskyi didn`t lost their importance in our time and in difficult economic conditions, during the search for ways of development, in the process of building a new, effective Ukrainian state, they can become the reference point that will lead to economic growth. Accordingly prospects for future researches are the concrete definition and systematization of benefits and shortcomings of the cooperative movement at different stages of historical development.