Spadshchyna
Спадщина | |
| Merged into | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1987 |
| Dissolved | 5 June 1990 |
| Purpose | cultural preservation, environmentalism |
Spadshchyna (Ukrainian: Спадщина, lit. 'heritage') was a Ukrainian non-governmental organisation devoted to protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage and opposition to nuclear power shortly prior to and during the 1989–1991 Ukrainian revolution. The organisation was part of the People's Movement of Ukraine, the popular front organisation advocating for Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union.
History
[edit]Spadshchyna was founded in 1987 by Leonid Dobrianskyi, Stanislav Bushak, and Yaroslav Fedoryn, three geologists within the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. The three were motivated by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and began writing letters to the directors of Atomenergoproyekt urging them against the further construction of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. The non-response to their letters prompted the three to further activism, and upon learning of the existence of the Ukrainian Culturological Club, they established Spadshchyna.[1]
The first conference of Spadshchyna was held in 1988. During the meeting, a resolution was adopted calling for the establishment of a popular front of Ukrainian anti-Soviet groups. Additional calls were made for the restoration of Ukrainian as the state language and of Ukrainian national symbols as the symbols of the country, for the revival of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, for the establishment of historical reserves at Lychakiv Cemetery and Shevchenkiv Hai, and the establishment of an Ivan Honchar Museum.[2] The organisation also co-hosted an event with the Institute of History of the Ukrainian SSR on 5 December 1988 honouring Mykhailo Hrushevsky. Around 800 people attended the event, filling the hall of the Section of Social Sciences of the Academy of Sciences.[3]
In April 1988, Spadshchyna began the process of becoming part of a Ukraine-wide popular front under the leadership of Viacheslav Chornovil. This would eventually be realised with the Ukrainian Helsinki Union and later the People's Movement of Ukraine.[4] During the 1990 Ukrainian Supreme Soviet election one of the organisation's members, Ivan Zaiets, was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Two other members were elected to the Kyiv City Council and another was elected to the Kyiv Raion Council.[1]
On 5 June 1990 Spadshchyna was fully integrated into the People's Movement of Ukraine. Fedoryn was given responsibility for the party's coordination, while Dobrianskyi was placed in charge of cultural, educational and language affairs. Two other members of Spadshchyna, V. Verkhovtsev and A. Nedoshovenko, were appointed as directors for the party's ecological affairs.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Dobrianskyi, Leonid (2024). Спогади про українознавчий клуб "Спадщина" в Києві 1987-1991 років [Memories of Kyiv Ukrainian Studies Club Spadshchyna, 1987–1991] (in Ukrainian) (2nd ed.).
- ^ Dzhuma, Natalia (9 June 2021). "До 30-річчя Незалежності України: До архіву передано документи організації, з якої починався Народний рух України. ФОТО" [30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence: documents of organisations from which the People's Movement of Ukraine began transferred to archives (PHOTOS)]. Censor.net (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Zharkykh, Mykola (6 March 2011). "Повернення Михайла Грушевського: як це було у 1988-му" [The return of Mykhailo Hrushevsky: How things were in 1988]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Krupnyk, Liuba (15 March 2019). "Роль Вячеслава Чорновола в ході Української національго-демократичної революції кінця 1980-х - 1991 років" [Viacheslav Chornovil's role during the Ukrainian national-democratic revolution of the late 1980s - 1991]. In Derevinskyi, Vasyl (ed.). Чорноволівські читання: Матеріали V Всеукраїнської наукової конференції [Chornovil Readings: materials of the 5th all-Ukrainian scientific conference] (in Ukrainian). Kyiv: Beskydy. pp. 45–46.