Evolution of Ukrainian Conservatism in Political Thought of the 20th – Early 21st Centuries: From the Ideology of Self-Preservation to the Strategy of National Development

The article comprehensively examines the problems of the formation and transformation of Ukrainian conservatism as a unique ideological and political doctrine during the long and turbulent period of the 20th-early 21st centuries. The study focuses on the deep evolutionary path of conservative thought: from its initial role as an ideology of self-preservation and protection of national identity in conditions of systemic statelessness, colonial oppression and assimilation processes, to the formation of a multi-vector strategy of national development in independent Ukraine, which faced the existential challenges of a modern full-scale war.The impact of key historical events – from the period of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917-1920 and attempts at state formation (in particular, the Hetmanate of Pavlo Skoropadsky) to the events after the restoration of independence in 1991 and the unprecedented test of February 24, 2022 – on the formation, rethinking and actualization of conservative ideas is analyzed. The fundamental role of key figures in Ukrainian political thought is highlighted, in particular Vyacheslav Lypynsky, whose concepts of the territorial (political) nation, as well as the need to form a responsible and nationally oriented elite, have proven to be prophetic and vital for the present. The contributions of Edmund Burke to world conservatism and their suitability for the Ukrainian context are also considered, as well as the activities of such prominent figures as Oleksandr Barvinsky, Stepan Tomashivskyi and Vyacheslav Kuchabskyi, who represented different shades of conservative thought in Galicia and in emigration.Special attention is paid to revealing the deep spiritual and metaphysical content and axiological basis of Ukrainian conservatism. It is emphasized that its values, national traditions in an organic combination with innovations, do not simply reflect the past, but are key to the formation of a sustainable future.It is emphasized that conservatism in the Ukrainian context is not a denial of changes, but an understanding of their essence, the need for their justification and compliance with the unique characteristics of the state and society, which makes it impossible to blindly copy other people’s models. This is a desire to organically combine the past with the present and future, realizing the existential significance of national existence. The study actualizes the importance of the conservative idea as a viable platform for the consolidation of Ukrainian society and effective counteraction to modern challenges, emphasizing the need for its further popularization and institutionalization.