Pedagogical Biography of Ukrainian Revolution Period (1917–1921) as a Ground and Source for National and Patriotic Education of Children and Youth: Dialogue of Generations

Abstract

The biographies (life works) of Ukrainian teachers (V. Durdukivskyi, H. Ivanytsia, A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Muzychenko, I. Ohienko, S. Rusova, I. Sokolianskyi, I. Steshenko, P. Kholodnyi, Y. Chepiha, etc.) who made a significant contribution to the safeguarding the Ukrainian identity are actualised.  Such individuals serve as exemplars for the contemporary generation and should become a means of national and patriotic education of children and youth. It has been demonstrated that Ukrainian educators from a century ago, drawing upon European pedagogical thought and experience, laid the bricks of national and patriotic education, namely they introduced the concepts of "national education", "national and patriotic education" (love for Ukraine and the desire to defend it, native environment, conformity to the child’s psychology and personality); determined the goal (education of a citizen of the independent state of Ukraine, unity of the Ukrainian people); principles (child-centredness; humanism; naturalness; cultural relevance; individuality; national orientation; multiculturalism; historical memory, etc. ); means (national school, language of instruction, Ukrainian studies subjects (language, literature, history, geography); literary and musical festivals dedicated to famous Ukrainian figures; excursions; lectures; clubs; Ukrainian songs, books, libraries, theatre, periodicals, student organisations, etc.) These strategic achievements began to be implemented in educational practice. It is argued that if these educators had not been repressed by the Stalinist system, had not died or emigrated as a result of the Russian-Bolshevik invasion, their pedagogical humanistic and national concepts would have been implemented during their lifetime. Currently, the lives and ideas of Ukrainian educators about the formation of a citizen-patriot of an independent Ukraine need to be popularised (inclusion in the content of pedagogical disciplines during teacher training and retraining; relevant biographical research and publication of historical reference, popular science literature; scientific and practical, scientific, informational, cultural and educational events; creation of digital biographical resources) in order to reconstruct the historical memory of Ukrainians. A comparative analysis of the views of Ukrainian educators of 1917–1921 and the provisions of the 2022 Concept convincingly proves their coherence and the need for early widespread implementation in the educational and scientific space.