The Perception of Socio-Political Processes in the Western Regions of the Ukrainian SSR in 1939 – the 1950s in Archival Sources

The aim of the article is to explore the role and place of archival sources as one of the key elements of the scientific research regarding the specifics of development of Western Ukrainian lands in the late 1930s – 1950s, stemming from the entity of complicated ethnocultural and demographic processes. The research highlights the influences of various political and state systems and the establishment of totalitarian governance models. Research methodology is based on following the principles of objectivity and comprehensiveness in studying historical sources. Implementation of the methodological principles was ensured by complex application of research methods approbated in contemporary historical science. Methods of critical analysis and synthesis, as well as historical comparative, problematic and chronological principles, ensured research into essential aspects of social, territorial and demographic changes, the dynamics of political and state structures' development in Western Ukrainian lands during the aforementioned period. Scientific novelty. Due to the relevance of the researched issue and the necessity of its comprehensive analysis, the author determines the role of archival sources in the research of socio-political processes in Western Ukrainian territories in 1939 – the 1950s, based on the introduction of the variety of unpublished archival documents and their analysis. Conclusions. The key element of scientific inquiry of any research is completeness of source base as a main prerequisite for objectivity and depth of acquired information, its comprehensiveness and reliability. Archival documents in the fonds of the Central State Archives of Supreme Bodies of Power and Government of Ukraine (TsDAVO of Ukraine), Central State Archives of Public Organizations of Ukraine (TsDAGO of Ukraine), Sectoral State Archives of the Security Service of Ukraine, state archives of the Volyn, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions are represented as a source basis of studying and highlighting the issue of socio-political, ethnic and demographic processes in the USSR Western regions in 1939 – the 1950s.