ІМПЕРІЯ ЯК ІСТОРИКО-ГЕОПОЛІТИЧНИЙ ФЕНОМЕН

There have been few researches recently in Ukraine investigating empires as a political phenomenon. The beginning of the XX century showed that empires were in the past, yet in the previous century, for the following empires collapsed: British, French, Prussian, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Ottoman, Japanese. However, the issue of empires is not closed, has not been taken off the political agenda. The notion of empire was not yet investigated in the XIX century, and in the XX the scientists introduced such terms as imperial thinking, imperial ambitions, and imperial traditions. However, the content of the notion "empire" was not investigated or had a demonized meaning with a destructive sense. The research and analysis of empires had a serious theoretical significance for the objective perception of history, modernity, and development perspectives of international relations system. Although it must be emphasized that European countries actually claim to form their own organizational type of state. So, recently, quite often, researchers and politicians have expressed different assessments regarding the prospect of the development of forms of state-territorial organization of European countries. What is the future of the European Union? In decentralization and separation of states in the further integration of cultural and economic space? Is it possible for the united Europe to coexist within the confederacy or federal structure? Price issue concerns not only the EU, but also its territorial organization and, most importantly, the future format of the state. In this regard, the question arises: the prospects of the European alliance - the consolidation of the federation, the confederation of countries, and perhaps the future version of the renewed type of "soft" empire? We examined the separate principles and aspects of the imperial system. Empires existed in different ages, in different political and cultural environments. All empires were characterized by different models of colonization and space exploration. Different empires perceived their regions with their autochthonous population. However, in many respects the imperial dominant remained similar. This allows us to assume that the ethnic groups can perceive the imperial order at least if it is adapted to its ethno-social and ethnosciological peculiarities, and therefore, in our opinion, it will be incorrect to recall the empire-state only in the past.