Place of Katerynoslav province in the territorial policy of Tsentralna Rada

Abstract

Introduction. After the overthrow of the tsarist in 1917 the question of reviewing the former administrative-territorial division of Ukrainian lands began to rise. Particular importance had the policy of Tsentralna Rada as a representative of the first national authority, which defined the place of the Katerynoslav province in administrative and territorial system of Ukrainian lands.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the territorial policy of Tsentralna Rada towards the Katerynoslav province.

Results. With the onset of revolutionary events, the creation of Tsentralna Rada in Ukraine the imperial administrative-territorial system preserved. However, the issue of autonomy arose sharply, requiring a delineation of the territorial boundaries of Ukrainian autonomy. For the first time, the issue was discussed at the All-Ukrainian National Congress, which took place on April 6-8, 1917 in Kyiv, which clearly outlined the national, ethnic principle of the creation of administrative and territorial units. The territory of Ukraine had to include all the provinces, including Katerynoslav province, in which Ukrainians constituted the overwhelming majority of the population. However, the efforts of Tsentralna Rada to receive support from the Russian Provisional Government in the issue of autonomy and the inclusion southern provinces in its composition were collapsed. This led to a series of protests in Katerynoslav province with the requirement to include its territory in Ukrainian autonomy. The Tsentralna Rada extended its power to Katerynoslav province only after the October Revolution 1917. M. Hrushevsky were put forward the ideas for the new administrative-territorial reform, and on March 6, 1918 «Law on the division of Ukraine into the grounds» was adopted.

Conclusion. The leaders of the Ukrainian People’s Republic devoted a lot of attention to the issue of state building and the advocacy of the territorial unity of Ukrainian lands. Significantly, the first national government stated that Katerynoslav province was a Ukrainian province and formed an integral part of the lands of the Ukrainian state. However, due to the complexity of the military-political situation of 1917-1918, all the initiatives of Tsentralna Rada on the inclusion of the southern Ukrainian province into the Ukrainian lands were collapsed.