Southern Ukraine under the times of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Hetmanat of Pavlo Skoropadsky: testimony of the representatives of the Central States

Annotation. The purpose of the research is to determine the main types of written historical sources created by German and Austro-Hungarian representatives about Southern Ukraine during the times of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian State (1918 – early 1919), to clarify the informational potential of these materials. The scientific novelty is seen in the fact that for the first time an analysis of written historical sources (authored by representatives of the Central Powers in Ukraine) about southern Ukrainian lands as part of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Hetmanate of Pavlo Skoropadsky was carried out as part of a special study. Conclusions. In 1918 – at the beginning of 1919, Austro-Hungarian and German soldiers (introduced in the framework of providing armed assistance to the Ukrainian government against the Bolsheviks), diplomats, entrepreneurs, journalists and scientists were stationed in Southern Ukraine (Katerynoslav, Kherson and Tavriya provinces), as well as in the rest of the territory of the Ukrainian state. The texts written by them are a source of valuable information about the southern Ukrainian region during the times of the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian State. These texts include official documents (reports, notes, etc.) and personal documents (private correspondence, diaries, memoirs, essays). They relate to various fields (economy, politics, state building, defense, everyday life, culture), characterize regional and local institutions, communities, people and describe local events. The testimonies of Austro-Hungarian and German inspectors, especially official documents, are characterized by a high degree of reliability.