All-Ukrainian Local History Day

On May 28, Ukraine celebrates All-Ukrainian Local History Day. This date commemorates the opening of the first All-Ukrainian Local History Conference, held in Kharkiv in 1925. One of the outcomes of that historic event was the establishment of a central organizational and coordinating body — the Ukrainian Committee for Local History. The modern-day National Union of Local Historians of Ukraine is the successor to that committee. Therefore, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the institutionalization of the national local history movement, and this day symbolizes the unbroken continuity between generations of researchers dedicated to exploring their native land.

Local history is a true art of discovery — a discipline that unites the past, present, and future. Studying the history, culture, and natural environment of one’s native region helps us understand the roots of our national identity and preserve invaluable knowledge about every corner of Ukraine for future generations. This mission takes on special importance now, amid full-scale war, when the challenge is not only to safeguard our cultural heritage but also to document the heroic and tragic events of our time.

Karazin University boasts a rich tradition of local history research, initiated by its founder, Vasyl Karazin. Professors and alumni of the University were among the first to study the natural and historical legacy of Slobozhanshchyna from a scholarly perspective. Symbolically, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the first Head of the University’s Supervisory Board and Honorary Doctor was Petro Tronko — Hero of Ukraine, academician, and patriarch of Ukrainian local history. It is no coincidence that in 2008, Karazin University became the first university in Ukraine to establish a specialized center for local history research, which today is known as the Petro Tronko Center for Ukrainian Studies and Local History.

We sincerely congratulate all those who have devoted their lives to local history!
May your work always be duly recognized, and may your research continue to enrich the treasury of knowledge about our unique and beautiful Ukraine.