THE CULTURAL WORK IN THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE (1991-2013)

The main forms of cultural work in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the period from 1991 to 2013 and their influence on the moral and psychological state of the servicemen and members of their families are analyzed in the article on the basis of archival sources and publications. The leisure and recreation of the servicemen play a vital role in removing the psychological burden that accumulates during the performance of military duties. In the organization of leisure of servicemen and their families a vital role was assigned to the houses of officers, clubs and houses of culture. For the organization of free time and rest of the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, centralized activities were cared out by educational bodies. However, no less important role was played by the personal initiatives of servicemen and army workers to create entertainment and recreation for themselves and their peers. It should be noted that many cultural services remained inaccessible in remote and military camps with restricted access. The financial assistance in the organization of leisure and recreation was provided by the authorities and philanthropists. Nevertheless, there were not enough specialists capable of professionally organizing the work of military cultural institutions, as well as leisure of servicemen and their family members.