Cultural and Educational Processes in Volynia-Zhytomyrshchyna in 1921-1928

The purpose of the article is to analyze the cultural and educational processes in Soviet Volyn during the NEP years. Problems in the field of Ukrainization of government institutions are shown; the development of the education of national minorities who lived in this region at that time (in particular, Czechs, Poles, Jews) is described. The ideological influence of the Bilshovyks’ government on the development of education and culture of the region and anti-religious campaigns are characterized. The research methodology is based on analysis and synthesis, comparison (analysis of the development of education of different national groups) and special historical approaches: historical-systemic and elements of postcolonial studies (analysis of Soviet government policy in the field of education, culture and religion); historical-typological (to identify the main trends in the development of education and culture in the period); and tools of national studies. The scientific novelty is in a comprehensive study of the cultural and educational processes in this region during the NEP years. New archival sources were used to reveal this problem. Conclusions. The educational and cultural processes in Volyn-Zhytomyr in the 1920s were aimed primarily at solving urgent political problems, which was associated with the ideologization of education and the cultural sphere in general. In the analyzed documents, it was constantly emphasized that education and culture should be controlled by the Soviet authorities and correspond to the interests of the ruling party. The authorities were well aware that the main struggle after the events of the Civil War would take place precisely in the sphere of education, culture and religion. Therefore, the Bilshovyks had to do everything to establish their influence in those areas where the population’s social and political consciousness was being formed. Anti-religious campaigns proved the irreconcilability of the Bilshovyks’ ideology and the religious consciousness. The authorities tried to gradually replace religious holidays with Soviet ones, give them a political and ideological color, tear people away from their traditional religious views and beliefs. The same was the policy of the Soviet authorities regarding the educational and cultural development of national minorities. Although the opening of schools with the national language of instruction was allowed, the authorities closely monitored the teaching staff, and the content of textbooks, etc. The Soviet government used as an ideological tool the fact that Volyn Czechs were taught in their native language, which favorably distinguished their situation from that of Polish Czechs, who did not have such an opportunity. However, the permission to use the mother tongue in education was accompanied by harsh ideological pressure aimed at educating a "new" person. The Czechs, Jews, and Poles (as well as Ukrainians) experienced these changes, which gradually led to the establishment of a totalitarian political system.