Socio-Political Activity of Stepan Kuzyk in the 1920s – the First Half of the 1930s

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the socio-political activity of Stepan Kuzyk in the 1920s and the first half of the 1930s. It is noted that the leading direction of his activity in the first half of the 1920s was the cooperative movement, which under the conditions of the Polish state regime became an instrument of economic self-preservation for the Ukrainian population. According to contemporaries, the county union of cooperatives in the Rohatyn region headed by S. Kuzyk was among the most dynamic in Galicia, demonstrating significant achievements in the procurement and marketing of agricultural products, particularly grain, livestock, and poultry. The considerable financial turnover of the committee in the late 1930s indicates that it had become a powerful economic factor in the county, while at the same time remaining a nationally oriented institution.

It is emphasized that alongside his work in the cooperative and cultural-educational spheres, in the second half of the 1920s and the 1930s S. Kuzyk actively engaged in political processes as a member of the Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance (UNDO). The politician regularly organized public assemblies in Rohatyn County, reported on the activities of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Representation (UPR), and explained the measures undertaken by the national democrats to defend the civil rights of Ukrainians, which contributed to raising the political awareness of the Ukrainian peasantry.

It is established that in 1928–1935 S. Kuzyk served as a deputy to the Polish Sejm, where he consistently defended the interests of the Ukrainian population of Galicia. In parliament, he became a member of the Committee on Industry and Trade, which corresponded to his economic interests and experience in cooperative activity. The parliamentary work of the UNDO representative developed in line with the general strategy of the Ukrainian Sejm Club – he consistently supported the programmatic declaration of the Ukrainian faction on the non-recognition of international acts that legitimized Polish authority over Ukrainian lands. In practical terms, the deputy’s activity was aimed at protecting the civil, economic, and cultural rights of Ukrainians.