«I am a Sword, i am a Fire»: Ukrainian Liberation Movement in the Coverage by Borys Hrinchenko (From the Unpublished Publicistic Legacy)

This publication continues the introduction into scientifi c circulation of the original documents revealed in Manuscript Institute of Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine (MI VLNU) – the Borys Hrinchenko's publicistic articles on topical issues of national and political life on the Ukrainian lands in the Russian empire during the years of revolutionary transformations 1905–1907 yy. The Hrinchenko's articles were intended to introduce Russian-speaking and Ukrainian audience with the duration of Ukrainian liberation stuggles from Bohdan Khmelnitsky era to the formation of Ukrainian political parties. The purpose of the research is an actualization of the unpublished and little-known publicistic heritage of Boris Hrinchenko, which allows to fl esh out his political and historical views, its infl uence on public educational and socio-political activities. Methodology of research is based on the principles of historism, systematics, objectivity, anthropologism. The general historical methods of analysis and synthesis and special-historical methods (historical-genetic, historical-typological, comparativistic) were used. The scientifi c novelty of the publication is due to the source and historiographical value of the journalistic and public educational works of B. Hrinchenko, which to some extent, reveal the «creative laboratory» of the author. Conclusions. In these documents B. Hrinchenko considers the main milestones of the struggle of conscious Ukrainian cultural and political forces against Russian enslavement, defi nes the role of certain social groups (cossack offi cers – «starshyna», intellectuals – «intelligentsiya») and individual members of the intellectual and political elite – examples of dedication and sacrifi ce in the struggle for Ukraine. The author shows the regularity of the transition to the democratic political and party stage of the Ukrainian liberation struggle in the Russian Empire, analyzes the range of Ukrainian political forces in terms of their social and national program provisions. Special attention is paid to the Ukrainian Radical Party, in which B. Hrinchenko was one of the founders and ideological inspirers.