History of becoming and development of cooperative movement in Ukraine at the end of XIX – at the beginning of XX centuries

Abstract

The article states that the cooperative movement has become widespread in order to overcome the socio-economic problems of rural communities and restructuring of the social system at the end of XIX at the beginning of the XX centuries in various regions of Ukraine, which subsequently became the national socio-economic phenomenon. The formation of service cooperatives was carried out through the creation of agricultural partnerships and their associations in cooperative unions, federations and development centers. It was proved that the formation of a cooperative movement did not take place without the intervention of public authorities, which in addition to the adoption of relevant normative documents constantly tried to impose their party ideology to the citizens through collaboration with cooperative system. It was established that at the same time the cooperative institutions influenced on the political life of the country through the financing of parties and fulfilling the propaganda work among the population. It was determined that the spread of cooperation was due to the mass involving of cooperatives and their institutions to the cultural-educational, information-educational and upbringing work. In particular, the special attention was paid to the creation of cooperative circles, schools, libraries, carrying out of demonstrative shows and exhibitions, organization of hire stations of agricultural machinery and equipment. The expediency of taking into account the historical experience of the formation and development of cooperation as a social and economic phenomenon in the state in the current conditions of the reform of decentralization of power and the emergence of rural united territorial communities was summarized. It was noted that it is necessary to focus the attention on the main ideological and organizational principles of the revival and development of the Ukrainian cooperative movement, education of nationally conscious members of society, raising the cultural-educational and financial-economic level of the population for the successful development of rural areas of Ukraine.