Ideologization of the Educational Process in Schools of the Western Ukrainian region (1944–1953)

Abstract

This article analyzes the ideologization of the educational process in secondary schools of Western Ukraine during the postwar period (1944–1953). The aim of the study is to investigate the forms and methods of the ideologization of the school education under Soviet rule. The research is based on the analysis of archival documents and a critical review of previous scholarship by Ukrainian researchers. The methodological framework relies on the principles of scientific rigor, systematization, historicism, and source criticism. The research employs problem-oriented historical method, comparative, and microhistorical methods. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the key measures and methods employed by the Soviet authorities to cultivate a communist worldview among teachers and students. It assesses the effectiveness of these measures and their influence on the subsequent development of school education in the region, with particular emphasis on the role of party structures in controlling the educational system.

The study examines the attitudes of local youth and the intelligentsia toward the Sovietization of schooling. The findings indicate that the Stalinist totalitarian regime assigned a significant role to the ideological component in the education and upbringing of future citizens. The restoration of the Soviet education system was accompanied by an uncompromising struggle between the Bolshevik authorities and the Ukrainian national liberation movement, with teachers and students often finding themselves at the center of this confrontation.

A key element of Soviet educational policy was the imposition of total control over schooling and teaching staff. These processes were associated with the complete ideologization of education, the imposition of a worldview alien to Ukrainians, pressure on educators, repression, and the erosion of the national character of schooling through Sovietization and Russification.