Kostiantyn Matsiievych - an outstanding diplomat and a leading scientist-agriculturist of the Ukrainian People’s Republic

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to present the little-known contribution of K.A. Matsiievych in the development of
agronomic science of the first half of the 20th century, in the initiation and justification of the cooperative movement in Ukraine,
the reform of agriculture on sound principles and the implementation of new, scientifically based methods of its management.
The scientific novelty of the presented research topic is determined by the growing interest of modern Ukrainian society
in studying the life and activities of people who were organizers and direct participants in the struggle for Ukrainian national
revival. The study of the life path, activities and creative heritage of its prominent figures has become one of the important tasks
of modern science.
Conclusion. Historical personalism became a priority direction in scientific research, since the modern history of Ukraine
was created by many unique figures, on whom the implementation of decisions and instructions of Ukrainian governments of
different times depended. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, among the wide range of scientists, public and political
figures who participated in the Ukrainian movement, the figure of K.A. Matsiievych (1873–1942) is outstanding. He entered
the history of Ukraine as a well-known Ukrainian journalist, publicist, political, state and public figure, advanced agrarian
scientist, educational professor and excellent diplomat. However, if his public, political and diplomatic activities during the
years of Ukraine’s independence were reflected in scientific research, the agrarian aspects of his many years of work are not yet sufficiently covered and do not have a proper analysis by scientists. The main conclusion of the study is that in the approaches of K.A. Matsiievych to the reform of traditional agriculture, in particular on the issues of the introduction of mutually beneficial cooperation and the need to abandon the forced socialization of land, proclaimed by the III Universal of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1917, there are significant elements of novelty that retain their relevance to the present time. So, the life and activity of K.A. Matsiievych deserves additional and increased attention of young researchers and agrarian students.