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. Alcoholism is a large-scale social problem that disrupts the socio-economic life of society. The rise of alcohol abuse is observed in rural areas and primary caused by unemployment and limited cultural leisure opportunities. It is significant to consider the experience gained in combating this phenomenon in the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the XX centuries for developing the concept of overcoming alcoholism. Purpose. The aim of the article is to analyze the activities of the state government, the public, the clergy and the Guardianships of Public Sobriety in the field of combating alcoholism among the rural population of Southern Ukraine for a certain period. Methods. The interdisciplinary nature of the study led to the application of a modernization approach, which considered the anti-alcohol issue in Ukrainian society. Results. The abolition of serfdom caused a sharp surge in rural drunkenness. In the South of Ukraine, the wine industry was developed and operated under the conditions of the redemption system. That system brought great profit to the state and a narrow group of redemption merchants. When the excise system was introduced in 1863, a tax was levied on every sold bucket of vodka; spirits were produced in private factories, vodka was sold in pubs. Improvements in bread sales in other governorates (i.e. provinces) and abroad due to the development of communication routes have become the core causes of the regional wine industry decaying. As a result, the number of distilleries decreased; there was no mass drinking among the peasants. The peasantry’s attachment to the land and strong community traditions that governed the level of alcohol consumption by the population also influenced the fight against drinking. The fiscal policy of the state has led to negative consequences in the fight against alcoholism. Replacing pubs by taverns, introducing the bottled vodka retail trade and increasing in drinking establishments led to the appearance of street alcohol abuse. The introduction in 1894 of a state wine monopoly streamlined the production and sale of alcoholic beverages. The government committed restrictions on the sale of vodka and gave rural communities a right to sell alcohol on their territory independently. However, the fiscal interests of the state led to quantitative growth of drinking establishments and their structural change. The Katerynoslav Governorate [Province] was the first among other governorates of the Russian Empire in the consumption of alcohol. By 1913, the general level of alcohol consumption in the state decreased from 14.76 liters to 3.6 liters annually per capita. In the 1860s and 1880s, the fight against alcoholism among the rural population was provided locally, mainly by priests and rural communities. From the 1890’s, there were created the Guardianships of Public Sobriety (the Guardianships), which chief purpose was to distract the people from drunkenness by organizing free time for the population. The rural population in the South of Ukraine was assisted by the county Guardianships. Their primary measures in the fight against alcoholism were the following: conducting folk lectures, talks and readings; opening of tea rooms, canteens and reading libraries; organizing festivities. In the late XIX century, due to the reduction of estimates for the Guardianships, they were unable to finish their work. Originality. For the first time, the impact of the excise tax system reform and the state wine monopoly on the level of alcoholization of the Southern Ukraine rural population has been determined. Also, the activities of priests and the Guardianships of Public Sobriety in the fight against alcoholism in region’s villages have been revealed. Conclusion. The fight against alcoholism among the rural population in southern regions of Ukraine in the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the XX centuries was carried out within the framework of excise system reforms and the state wine monopoly. The Russian government realized the need to develop a system of measures aimed at preventing the alcoholization of population and, – at the same time, – stablishing replenishment of the treasury. However, the above mentioned measures did not produce the expected results, since the problem of alcoholism was not fully understood by the state because of the traditional priority of state interests over public ones. The rural population of Southern Ukraine was characterized by a strong attachment of peasants to the land and deep community traditions that governed the level of alcohol consumption by the population. The rural population consumed three times less alcohol than the urban one. The regional level of the rural population alcoholization was measured by the number of distilleries, their production and the cast of drinking establishments. The activities of priests and the Guardianships of Public Sobriety showed good results in cultural, educational and moral-religious work among peasants, distracting them from drinking and providing nonalcoholic leisure. However, the state was not ready to support the local constructive initiatives because of financial interests. Generally, the level of drunkenness among the country’s rural population has been reduced.

The practice of combating alcohol abuse in the rural population of Southern Ukraine (second half of ХІХ – early ХХ centuries)