Materials on history of Lviv in fonds of Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv: history and prospects of research

The aim of the research is to analyze the materials on the history of Lviv in the fondsof the Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv and define the prospectsof their research. Research methodology is based on the principles of historicismand consistency. The application of archival heuristics has a key function in the research.Scientific novelty lies in the analysis of the fonds of the Manuscript Department for theavailability of materials on the history of Lviv and differentiation of the ways of their furtherusage by the scientists who study the history of Lviv. Excerpts of the annotated index“History of Lviv” were published. It was the first research that generalized informationabout the documents on the history of Lviv in the Manuscript Department. Conclusions.Materials on the history of Lviv presented in the fonds of the Vasyl Stefanyk NationalScientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv cover the period from the Late Middle Ages to themiddle of the 20th century. They are concentrated in the fonds of separate institutionsthat functioned in Lviv until the Second World War and academic and cultural figuresin Lviv. The research of these materials started right after the foundation of the academiclibrary. Comprehensive research of the manuscripts on the history of Lviv was performedin the index from 1956 dedicated to the 700-anniversary of the city foundation. 289 records from 22 fonds of the Manuscript Department are included into the index.They are divided into eight big thematic groups that highlight main directions in Lvivhistory – from art, architecture, and cultural life to environmental conditions and the developmentof economy. The analysis of the available handwritten sources demonstratesthat historians still have a prospect to study the history of Lviv through the prism of culture(school and academic education; theatre; book and media; etc), politics (politicalmovements and parties; politicians; power structures), religious life (churches of differentChristian confessions; monastic orders; sacral art landmarks), economics (artisan guilds,trade, farming), etc.