Leisure practices of urban youth in Stanislaviv through the prism of Orest Korchak-Horodyskyi’s memoirs

Abstract

Abstract. Purpose. The study aims to reconstruct leisure practices of urban youth in Stanislaviv (today Ivano-Frankivsk) during the interwar years through the memoirs of Orest Korchak-Horodyskyi. These recollections provide insights into cultural and social dynamics that shaped the upbringing and social integration of young people in Galicia. The research seeks to demonstrate how collective events, sports, informal gatherings, and personal hobbies contributed to identity formation and participation in the urban community. The methodological foundation is based on the application of general scientific principles of historicism, comprehensiveness, and objectivity, which ensure a holistic and unbiased reconstruction of the processes under study. The use of general scientific methods such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, and generalization is complemented by specific methods of historical research – source analysis, historical-typological and comparative approaches, which provide a high level of reliability and scholarly validity. Scientific novelty. This work offers the first systematic analysis of Korchak-Horodyskyi’s testimonies concerning youth leisure in Stanislaviv, thereby enriching knowledge of the city’s cultural life in the 1920s-1930s. The novelty lies in highlighting the educational dimension of cultural events such as Shevchenko concerts and St. Nicholas evenings, which combined artistic expression with civic themes. The study also emphasizes the significance of physical culture and sports as instruments of patriotic education. By employing memoirs in this way, the research integrates the local experience of Stanislaviv into broader studies of Galician youth culture and everyday history. Conclusions. The memoirs reveal that leisure among Stanislaviv’s youth was multifaceted: it entertained, educated, and fostered socialization. Collective activities opened access to art and nurtured community spirit, sports cultivated discipline and resilience, while individual hobbies stimulated intellectual curiosity and self-expression. Leisure thus became a key factor in cultural development and reflected the specificity of the Galician urban environment in the interwar era.