FATHER STEPAN ONYSHKEVYCH: THE CREATOR AND BUILDER OF ZUNR

Abstract

Rev. Stepan Onyshkevych was the founder and organizer of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) in exile. At the beginning of the 20th century, the personae of a Greek Catholic priest S. Onyshkevych (12/21/1861 – 12/16/1944), brightly stood out among other famous persons of Galicia. S. Onyshkevych together with Mychajlo Hrushevskyy, Ivan Franko, Volodymyr Okhrymovych and others founded the National Democratic Party which was one of the most popular political parties in Ukraine at that time. Onyshkevych a leading representative as well as a member of the Ukrainian National Council and its provisional parliament was instrumental in laying down the economic and legal and agrarian foundations of this newly created state known as ZUNR. Based on his memoirs and different sources, the milestones of his life and activities have been studied and analyzed. For example, the author found out that S. Onyshkevych had been the ambassador to the Austro-Hungarian parliament. He was instrumental in forming local policy in Rudkivskyi County while organizing and founding the UNR in exile, a member of the Central Committee of the Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance (UNDO), and its local leadership. Another aspect of his life's achievement was economic and entrepreneurial activities like organizing different cooperatives (dairy, loan, basketry coops), public and youth organizations ("Ridna Shkola," society "Sich," fire brigade, drama club, etc.). Of great importance was the creation of a legal defense committee for farmers and Ukrainian peasants. He furthered a farmers union. This research aims to uncover the personae of Stepan Onyshkevych, and his community policies and his involvement as such. A methodical basis for this is a complex approach in analyzing this situation. Keywords: pastoral and political activity, West Ukrainian People's Republic, public organizations, cooperative movements.