Mass Renaming of Settlements of Lviv Region in the mid-1940s

The objective of the work is to study (on example of Lviv Region) the large-scale campaign of the renaming of settlements of the Ukrainian SSR in 1944–1946, as a result of which the names of almost 3 thousand cities, towns, villages and hamlets were changed. The scientifi c novelty of the article consists in the introduction into scientifi c circulation of documents with proposals to rename settlements (including rejected ones). These materials are stored in the fond of the Lviv Regional State Administration in the State Archives of Lviv Region. Methodology. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research, the article uses methods of both historical (historical-critical, comparative-historical, historicaltypological) and linguistic studies (textological, descriptive, comparative methods, etymological analysis). The prospect of further research consists in identifying and studying documents of the Region executive committees of Soviet Ukraine with draft decisions (including unimplemented ones) on renaming of settlements. Renamings had an important ideological signifi cance, so the republican authorities often resorted to them. Conclusions. It was found that the names of 374 settlements of Lviv Region were changed as a result of the renaming campaign of 1944–1946 (320 names offi cially, another 54 – de facto). It was mainly about oikonyms, which indicated the presence of Poles and Germans in the region (in particular, motivated by the relevant anthroponyms). Settlements with unpleasant names were renamed, compound oikonyms also underwent changes. Lists of settlements for renaming were formed on the basis of proposals sent to the Lviv Regional Executive Committee by the heads of raion executive committees. Among the rejected proposals, there are also ideological options. The main goal of the campaign was to «Ukrainize» oikonyms motivated by vocabulary of foreign origin. New names were often common (such as Verbivka or Ivanivka) or those that violated the established norms of word formation of the Ukrainian language (Vysoko-Fedorivka, Zelenivka). In addition, they could be duplicated even within the same district.