The Kyiv City Association of the Greeks: History and Modernity

The article is devoted to the history of the formation and activity of one of the first in the history of independent Ukraine public organizations of the national Greek community, i.e. the Kyiv City Association of the Greeks. After all, in today’s world, public associations of national minorities are an extremely important structural component of the civil society, which can play both a consolidating role and serve as a source of aggravation of interethnic conflicts. The grounds of the source base of the research were the materials of the current archive of this organization (the Statute, protocols of meetings, resolutions, agreements, etc.), part of which in 2017 was already transferred to the funds of the Central State Archives of public associations of Ukraine. However, up to now, these documents have not become available yet to the general public concerned. Taking this into consideration, we find it appropriate to publish some of them in the full volume as an annex to this research, especially those that most clearly highlight the main achievements of the organization in the development of national and cultural life of the Greek community of Kyiv and Ukraine in general, and show the dynamics of the establishment of the Ukrainian-Greek intercultural dialogue. Important information on the activity of the Kyiv City Association of the Greeks is found on the pages of its printed edition, the newspaper “Elpida”, as well as on the organization site operating since 2016. The importance of recording and systematization of information on the current institutional development of national minorities in Ukraine is preconditioned by the necessity to form a conscious evaluation of the role of associations of national minorities in the process of forming public associations and the establishment of national Ukrainian culture in opinion of public and scientific communities.