«The Light Thaw» at times of P.Yu. Shelest: myth or reality?

Abstract

The article deals with certain aspects, tendencies and peculiarities of the social and political life in Ukraine at times of Petro Yukhymovych Shelest – the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Ukraine – being in charge. The central point of the issue is the phenomenon of «ukrainofilstvo» (the utmost love to Ukraine), which this outstanding but controversial official kept to. We specifically study the essence, components and consequences of the historical process known as «the light thaw» of P. Shelest. This process was particularly obvious in very concrete though discrepant steps done by the official towards Ukrainian national interests and rights protection. Among the priorities were the basics of the Ukrainian identity, such as the language, education and culture. As a devoted communist, a supporter of the Soviet Union’s «brotherhood» and a determined bearer of the communist ideas and ideals (especially in the struggle against dissidence), the Ukrainian leader, at the same time, opposed as he could the Kremlin dictatorship in particular segments of humanitarian and economical policy. It partly prevented extensive implementation of the Russian language, which had a tendency to substitute Ukrainian (the process of Russification), as well as resisted to total destruction of the Ukrainian national landscape uniqueness for the sake of Moscow’s political and ideological pressure. Simultaneously we stress, that existing myths about «autonomy», «national communism» or the program of the so called «second Ukrainisation» of P. Shelest are not proved by documents, which means these facts do not correspond to the real state of events at the mentioned historical period.

Keywords

• Україна
• Петро Шелест
• «українофільство»
• «мала відлига»
• шістдесятники
• інакодумство
• мова
• культура
• освіта
• русифікація