A project in the making: Encyclopedia of the History of the Ukrainian Revolution

The article presents the conceptual foundations for the creation of the Encyclopedia of the History of the Ukrainian Revolution, 1914–1923, which is currently being developed at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The idea of this encyclopedia emerged as a response to the need within contemporary historiography to systematize, interpret, and represent the experience of the Ukrainian Revolution in the broader context of global transformations of the early twentieth century. The project seeks to overcome ideological distortions inherited from the Soviet his­torical tradition and to present the revolution as a multidimensional process of national and state re­vival. The article takes the form of an analytical essay that combines descriptive, historiographical, and conceptual-reflexive approaches. This methodological synthesis makes it possible both to trace the evolution of the concept of the “Ukrainian Revolution” in historical scholarship and to substantiate the relevance of creating the Encyclopedia of the History of the Ukrainian Revolution, 1914–1923 as a contemporary digital humanities project. It is noted that more than 600 encyclopedia entries have already been prepared out of the planned 2,000. The materials cover biographical entries on political, military, civic, and cultural figures, as well as foreign individuals associated with the Ukrainian strug­gle for independence. The article emphasizes that the implementation of the project is taking place under conditions of ongoing Russian aggression, which has significantly complicated research activity in Ukraine. Despite resource limitations and the loss of personnel, work on the encyclopedia continues, contributing to the preservation of historical memory, the strengthening of national identity, and the affirmation of the continuity of Ukraine’s state-building tradition.