Historiography of relations between the soviet government and the local population in the territory of Northern Bukovyna and Khotyn region in 1940-1947

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the historiography of the topic of relations between Soviet authorities and local population, the instruction of Sovietization processes in the territory of Northern Bukovyna and Khotyn region during 1940-1947. The study of relationship between Soviet authorities and local population is quite unexplored and requires further scientific study. There was no comprehensive study. In the scientific literature, this issue is highlighted in the form of a diverse thematic spectrum and concerns current political, economic, household and educational and cultural issues. During the last decades, depending on socio-political conditions and the available base of historical sources, the approach to the coverage of the mentioned issues has changed. The conclusion emphasizes that modern Ukrainian historiography, relying on a much wider source base, examines in more depth certain aspects the life of population in the territory of Chernivtsi region. Soviet historiography in Ukraine was strongly influenced by communist ideology and censorship, which had a significant impact on the study of the history of Bukovyna. The problems and achievements of Soviet industrial construction, the collectivization of agriculture, and the development of industry and transport infrastructure were studied. Special attention was paid to Soviet land reform policies and national policy regarding Bukovyna national minorities. Researchers are forced to work within the approved historical concept and maintain a positive image of Soviet government. This approach significantly limited the possibility of conducting objective research and analysis of the history of Bukovyna in the specified period. Foreign historiography of the history of Bukovyna was aimed at a detailed study of the events and processes of that time, in particular in the context of national issues using available sources and archival materials. Ukrainian historiography of the history of Bukovyna sought to understand and analyze the complex events of that time, focusing on the political, socio-economic and cultural aspects of life in Bukovyna, as well as on the role of Ukrainian population in the struggle for freedom and national independence. Thus, during the half-century period of studying the problems of the entry of Northern Bukovyna territory into the USSR, the interaction of local population and the Soviet authorities, the literature is not sufficiently systematized and does not cover the problems as a whole, a lot of works have a limited source base, because access to information on this topic was provided only at the end of the 20th century.

Keywords

• Bukovyna
• historiography
• modern studies