UKRAINIAN SICH MOVEMENT IN THE GALICIAN HUTSUL REGION OF THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY: CONTENT AND FEATURES

Abstract

The end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was marked by the rise of the national movement of peoples. At that time, the activities of the branches of the “Sich” fire- gymnastics society, founded in 1900 by Kyrylo Trylovskyi, had a significant influence on the formation of the national self-consciousness of the Ukrainians of Galicia. The real rise of the Ukrainian sich movement at the beginning of the 20th century we observe not only in the territory of Pokuttia, where the first centers of the society were created, but also in the Galician Hutsul region.

The article highlights the activities of the branches of the “Sich” fire-gymnastics society on the territory of the Galician Hutsul region at the beginning of the 20th century. The Sich movement in this territory was in the fairway of the influence of the Ukrainian Radical Party and was formed in rather difficult natural and geogra- phical conditions. A large part of the territory of the region is a mountainous area, which at that time was cut off from the civilized world. In addition, the worldview of the Hutsuls was marked by conservatism and an ordinary level of consciousness. However, thanks to the efforts of K. Trilovskyi and his like-minded people, it was possible to quickly form a dense network of branches of the Sich fire-gymnastics society in the territory of the region.

The relations of the local “Siches” with the Greek Catholic clergy were extremely tense, and in many cases even hostile. Individual members of the society adopted the principles of militant anticlericalism. However, we also come across isolated examples of cooperation between local priests and the Sichovites. In particular, this concerns the activities of the priest from the village Dovgopole of the Kosiv county, Ivan Popel’, who interceded for the Sichovites during the distribution of Siches attributes in April 1904.

The Sich movement caused a lot of significant resistance from the Polish ruling circles of Galicia. Relations between the “Siches” and the Galician regional administration under the rule of the Governor of Galicia, count A. Pototskyi, became particularly acute. The watchful eye of government officials was drawn to the attributes of sich societies – hatchets and ribbons, the wearing of which was considered dangerous and could become a basis for preparing an uprising. The apogee of the confrontation was the alleged preparation by the “Sich” society of the so-called “Hutsul rebellion” in 1904, which was the reason for the authorities to dissolve more than 10 sich societies of the Kosiv county.

Keywords: “Sich”, Sich movement, Galician Hutsul region, Galician viceroyalty, Greek Catholic clergy, county administration, attributes of sich societies, “Hutsul rebellion”.