THE ROLE OF “PROSVITA” IN THE FORMATION OF UKRAINIAN NATIONAL SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS IN EASTERN GALICIA (at the end of 60-s XIX - the beginning of XX century)

The meaning of peoples’ reading room opening at the territory of Eastern Galicia in the second half of XIX - the beginning of XX century is studied in the development of national self-consciousness of Russinian for this period of time. The appearance and development of reading rooms is characterized, the role of representatives of basic movements of Russinian social-political thought, Greek-Catholic clergy and secular intellectuals in the becoming of reading clubs, the reasons and dynamics of relation change of different groups of peasants (first of all, depending on their social, age and gender belonging) to the opening institutions are revealed. The influence on regular members of reading rooms is analyzed depending on difference in managing staff of branches of big organizations, coordinating the activity of public clubs - Russophile “Mikhail Kachkovskiy Society” and mostly Ukrainophilia “Prosvita”. The question considering the nature of publications, proved in public reading rooms - educational, fiction, scientific and productive-agricultural literature, the change of readers’ preferences, focused on fiction work are studied. Due to comparative analysis of this literature it is concluded that the reasons of success of “Prosvita” spreading comparing to “Mikhail Kachkovskiy Society” which lie in availability of language of the literature and the direction of publishing, on satisfaction of economical and social needs of peasants and citizenry.

Prosvita, national self-consciousness, Galicia, Austria-Hungary, Mikhail Kachkovskiy Society