The scientific cooperation of Mykhailo Slabchenko and Serhii Iefremov in 1926-1929

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ukrainian intelligentsia was joined by young people active in political, scientifi c, and educational terms. It faced a diffi cult choice – to choose the direction of its contribution to the reform of Ukrainian society at that time. Some of the young people clearly decided to break with the scientifi c and educational activities of their parents and engage in political work, while others chose to combine both political and cultural, educational and scientifi c work. Mykhailo Slabchenko and Serhii Iefremov can be called a vivid example of the cooperation between supporters of diff erent ideological positions. Socio-political views of scientists determined the direction of their Ukrainian studies activities, which began immediately aft er joining the cultural and educational work of local Ukrainophile communi- ties. It is essential to note their industriousness and unfailingness in the organization of various educational events, activities of “Prosvita”, Scientifi c Societies, and work in commissions of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Th ey had a convergence of their positions regarding developing national education and science. Th e purpose of the work is to analyze the pro-Ukrainian work of representatives of various political ideologies – M. Slabchenko as a supporter of Ukrainian social democracy and S. Iefremov as one of the active representatives of the Ukrainian liberal in- telligentsia of the fi rst third of the 20th century. Th e research methodology. Th e methods of gen- eralization and synthesis, principles of historicism, objectivity, and scientifi city were used among the methods used to reveal the topic. Th e scientifi c novelty. In the article, based on published and unpublished archival materials, the organizational and scientifi c cooperation of the famous scientists M. Slabchenko and S. Iefremov in relation to the development of scientifi c centres in the south of Ukraine, which determines its scientifi c novelty, is investigated. Conclusions. Th e study of the cooperation of M. Slabchenko and S. Iefremov made it possible to highlight the stage of their cooperation, namely 1926-1929, when the Odesa Scientifi c Society was created, and M. Slabchenko was elected an academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.