SOCIO-POLITICAL LITERATURE OF THE 1920'S ON THE “KORENIZATION” OF NATIONAL MINORITIES IN THE UKRAINIAN SSR

The article analyses the process, how the socio-political literature of the 1920s presented the Bolshevik policy of so-called “korenization” (supporting development of indigenous cultures) of national communities on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR. The Bolsheviks skillfully made use of national, ethnic, linguistic and cultural factors for their authority’s consolidation and gaining support among all national communities of the USSR, including ethnic minorities in particular Soviet republics. In the socio-political literature of the 1920's both goals of that policy and its practical implementation were propagated. Even the party’s and state’s leaders could be authors of publications on this subject, together with officials directly implementing above mentioned policy, members of the People's Commissariat for Education of the Ukrainian SSR, and publicists. The publications were based on Marxist ideology and on party programme and other documents of the Bolshevik Party related to the national question. At the same time, those documents contained materials illustrating the practice of “korenization” policy, including so-called "Soviet construction" among national minorities, national-territorial administration, creation of national, cultural-educational institutions, elimination of illiteracy among ethnic groups and minorities, activity of “village (cultural) houses”, reading-houses, clubs and libraries, as well as publication of newspapers and magazines in the languages ​​of national minorities, preparation of national cadres, and, finally, successes and difficulties of “korenization”. However, the socio-political literature considered the temporary "national-cultural autonomy" of national minorities through the prism of the "cultural revolution", treating such policy as an important component of the plan for building socialism.