Cherkasy Region in the Context of World History: The Contribution of Natives to the Sociocultural Processes of Europe and America during the 20th Century (Based on Archival Materials)

Abstract

The article examines the integration of Cherkasy region natives into the sociocultural landscape of Europe and America during the 20th century by analyzing their professional and public activities. Employing a prosopographical approach, the study provides a comprehensive biographical reconstruction of the lives of Andriy Yakovliv, Oleksandr Koshyts, Vasyl Avramenko, and Yevhen Slabchenko (Eugene Deslaw). The research emphasizes the correlation between the regional origins of these figures and the scope of their subsequent activities in emigration. It is argued that the mental and cultural foundation of the Cherkasy region served as a basis for the adaptability and professional self-realization of these individuals within the European and American contexts. The study explores the individual contributions of each figure to the intellectual and artistic development of the West: from the legal concepts and archival practices of Andriy Yakovliv to the professional conducting activities of Oleksandr Koshyts. Particular attention is paid to Vasyl Avramenko’s choreographic projects as a tool of cultural diplomacy, as well as the innovative experiments of Eugene Deslaw within the European cinematic avant-garde. Archival evidence indicates that the professional expertise of these Cherkasy natives served as a means of asserting Ukraine's agency during the period of lost statehood, establishing them as active participants in global cultural progress. The use of archival materials facilitates a more personalized understanding of the past. The work demonstrates how local history, through the activities of specific individuals, integrates into a global context, representing the Cherkasy region as a center for the formation of intellectual and artistic circles that realized their potential within the global civilizational space.