Formation of a Network of Reading Rooms and «Peasant Houses» in Ukraine in 1920–1930’s

The purpose of the article is to analyze and summarize information about the peculiarities of the creation and operation of the reading rooms and «peasant houses» in Ukraine in the 1920-1930s, to describe the main directions of their work, the specifics of cultural, educational and library activities. importance in the dissemination of knowledge, reading, books, education and culture in general. The methodology of the study is to apply both general scientific research methods and historical methods. In particular, by means of factor analysis it was possible to trace the peculiarities of the formation and development of the reading rooms and «peasant houses» in Ukraine during the 1920s-1930s. and to present the analyzed information in the form of an array of concentrated data and tables. The comparative method was used to analyze the statistical data on the dynamics of the development of the reading rooms and «peasant houses» at different stages of their development. The comparativehistorical method of research has allowed to study the phenomena and events concerning the development of the reading rooms and «peasant houses», along with other phenomena of social and cultural life of society, in particular in relation to the activities of libraries and clubs. The use of the diachronous analysis method made it possible to compare the achievements of the cultural-educational and educational activities of the reading rooms and «peasant houses» during the study period in chronological order. The scientific novelty of the work is to expand ideas about the cultural-educational and library activities of the reading rooms and «peasant houses» as centers of cultural and educational life in rural areas in Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s–1930s. Conclusions. Prior to the Second World War, reading rooms and «peasant houses» in Soviet Ukraine were one of the most popular rural cultural, educational and information facilities of the club type and, at the same time, one of the leading types of rural libraries, which finally formed at the turn of the 1920-1930s. In particular, reading rooms, in the form of a network of original libraries-clubs, existed in the country until the early 1960's, despite the fact that at the First All-Russian meeting of mass cultural educational work (1930) it was decided to gradually reorganize the reading rooms with the conversion of them into separate independent rural libraries or clubs. However, this decision could not be fully implemented, because, firstly, the state lacked adequate material resources; secondly, at that time there was an underdeveloped network of rural libraries and clubs that could take over the functions of home reading rooms; third, reading rooms were still quite popular with the peasants and many of them existed at various agencies, organizations and enterprises, in particular at MTS (machine-tractor stations), collective farms, artilleries and other rural organizations. In the period under study, reading rooms and «peasant houses» in Soviet Ukraine were formed as a kind of club libraries, combining the forms and methods of work of the library, club and educational institution. Such «symbiosis» of different directions of cultural and educational activity occurred against the background of the formation of new Soviet educational and cultural-educational institutions, in the conditions of their inadequately developed material and technical base. The lack of funds and the lack of a network of effectively operating public rural libraries, clubs and primary educational institutions have led to the emergence of new syncretic forms of cultural and educational institutions and the corresponding specifics of organizing their activities. Library work was an integral part of their cultural and educational activities.