FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINIAN-ITALIAN RELATIONS (MID-17TH - EARLY 21ST CENTURY)

The article is devoted to the analysis of the study of Ukrainian-Italian relations from the 1650s to 2025. The aim of the work is a comprehensive study of Ukrainian-Italian relations in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, from ancient times to the present day. To solve this problem, classical methods of historical science were applied - the principles of historicism, dialectics, systematics, which make it possible to study phenomena in the process of formation, formation and development, in an organic connection with the conditions that gave rise to them, the spirit of the time. The study is conducted taking into account the unity of internal and external, subjective and objective factors of the historical process. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of an analysis of the entire complex of sources used, taking into account existing scientific and research traditions. Conclusions. The study showed the multifacetedness and depth of the issues related to the reflection of Ukrainian-Italian relations in sources of Ukrainian origin. Italian-Ukrainian contacts have a long history and date back to the times of the National Liberation War under the leadership of Bohdan Khmelnytsky to the present day. The most interesting example of political and economic communication is the opening of Italian consulates in the South of Ukraine in the second half of the 18th century, as well as the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Directorate of the UNR and Italy in 1919. A new stage in the development of interstate relations began with the founding of the Ukrainian SSR, when Italian consular representations were founded in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa. Despite the fact that during the Second World War, Soviet-Ukrainian-Italian relations were suspended for some time, they became quite active in the 1950s. Since the proclamation of Ukraine's Independence, Italy has become an important economic partner, and since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been actively providing assistance with weapons. The scientific novelty. The study is the first attempt to comprehensively analyze a wide range of Ukrainian sources that reflect Italian-Ukrainian political and cultural contacts from the mid-17th century to the 21st century.