ADVOCATE LEV BACHYNSKYІ: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Abstract

Lev Bachynskyі was a representative of prominent Ukrainian civil and political activists of the Eastern Galychyna in the first decades of the XX’th century, he belonged to this circle due to his political activity and participation in the state-building processes of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic period (ZUNR). Unfortunately his professional activity, his work as an advocate was usually excluded from the scientific researches on his personality, or mentioned in a moderate mode, therefore a little attention was given to the profession he consciously chose and devoted his life to, and which was a main source of his income and everyday concerns for nearly three decades. This study is aimed at researching the professional side of life of one of the most prominent Ukrainian advocates of the Eastern Galychyna at the beginning of the XX’th century.

1. Bachynskyі was born in a family of a teacher, he attended a grammar school on Kolomyia, and then studied at the law faculty of the Chernivtsi University. His choice of profession mirrored the tendency of the Ukrainian youth choice of that period. Being a lawyer, barrister or advocate allowed people to fulfill their professional strivings, and at the same time it gave them a possibility to actively participate in civil and political activities, become one of the leaders of social life of the Ukrainian society on a local level (be it a district, a town or a city).

In the beginning L. Bachynskyі practiced his theoretical knowledge working for famous Ukrainian advocates T. Okunevskyі and A. Kosa. In 1902 he received his doctor of law degree, during 1903–1910 he was completing an obligatory legal practice and after that he opened his own legal practice in Stanislaviv, where he worked as an advocate for nearly 2 decades. He earned his recognition as a lawyer both among his colleagues and clients, often he acted on behalf of Ukrainian peasants, he actively defended Ukrainian activists, who were subjected to legal prosecution by Austrian and, later, Polish authorities for their political actions, he was repeatedly imprisoned himself.

1. Bachynskyі was an active civil and political activist, he was a member of the Ukrainian radical party and he was chosen its head several times. In 1907–1918 he was a deputy of the Austrian parliament, in times of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic he was a member of the Ukrainian national council and one of its leaders, he authored the law about unification with the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the agrarian law of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic, he was among the participants of signing of the unification act between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic in Kyiv. In 1928–1930 he was a deputy of the Polish Seіm (Polish parliament), where he fought for national interests of Ukrainian people in the Polish state.
2. Bachynskyі was among the co-founders and leaders of the Ukrainian Advocates Union, he was the head of its Stanislaviv branch, and therefore he actively contributed to the professional studies of the younger generation of Ukrainian lawyers. All the biographical data provided by this scientific study complement the knowledge about the professional life of L. Bachynskyі as an advocate.

Keywords: advocacy, L. Bachynskyі, civil and political activist, ZUNR (West Ukrainian People’s Republic), parliamentary deputy, lawyer, Ukrainian Radical Party.