PROTECTION OF NATIONAL CULTURAL RIGHTS IN IVAN OHIIENKO’S ACTIVITIES UNDER POLITICAL PERSECUTION

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines the human rights activities of Ivan Ohiienko (Metropolitan Ilarion) in the context of historical challenges related to the political persecution of the Ukrainian language, church and culture in the first half of the twentieth century. The relevance of the topic is determined by modern threats to Ukraine’s cultural sovereignty and the need to form the spiritual immunity of the nation in the conditions of hybrid aggression. Purpose is to investigate and theoretically generalize the human rights activities of Ivan Ohiienko in defense of the Ukrainian language, Orthodox Church and national culture in the conditions of political persecutions of the twentieth century, as well as to determine the educational potential of his ideas for the modern education system. Methodology. The study employs a complex of scientific methods: historical-biographical (to reconstruct the life and creative path of Ivan Ohiienko in the context of political persecution); problem-chronological (to trace the evolution of his human rights views); document analysis (to process primary sources – the thinker’s works, archival materials, legislative acts of the UNR); hermeneutic (to interpret the semantic accents of his concept of cultural sovereignty); comparative (to compare the approaches of different researchers); systemic (for theoretical generalization of human rights activities as an integral phenomenon). Scientific novelty. For the first time, the human rights activity of Ivan Ohiienko has been systematically analyzed through the prism of the protection of cultural and linguistic human rights in the conditions of totalitarian pressure and political persecution. It is substantiated that his concept of cultural sovereignty and spiritual immunity of society constitutes an integral human rights system that combines scientific accuracy with an unwavering patriotic position. The pedagogical significance of the thinker’s heritage for the formation of a nationally conscious language personality of an education recipient has been determined. Conclusions. The human rights activity of Ivan Ohiienko in the conditions of political persecution of the twentieth century was a systematic response to the challenges of denationalization of the Ukrainian people. His concept of cultural sovereignty, based on the protection of language, church and historical memory, is an effective mechanism for forming the spiritual immunity of the nation. For the modern educational system of Ukraine, the pedagogical and human rights views of the thinker are a theoretical basis for developing effective strategies of patriotic education and protecting the national information and educational space.