Kharkiv Journal «Nova Hromada» in the Context of the Unfolding Ukrainian National Liberation Struggle in Slobozhanschyna in November — December 1917

The article explores the editorial policy of the Kharkiv journal «Nova Hromada» in the context of the unfolding liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people in November — December 1917. It examines the specific nature of the Ukrainian political movement in Slobozhanschyna at that time and the issue of forming a unified information space to facilitate the progress of state-building forces in the region. The political «Credo» of the members of the newspaper’s editorial board, representing Ukrainian socialist parties in Kharkiv, is identified. The main focus of the article is on the themes of the «Nova Hromada» articles. This includes extensive coverage of the cultural and national revival in Slobozhanschyna and related issues such as the enlightenment movement and the Ukrainization of education. The prospects for economic progress and the development of banking are also discussed. Additionally, there were active discussions about the threats posed by the recently proclaimed Ukrainian People’s Republic and interactions with socialist parties in Russia, particularly the Bolsheviks. It is concluded that the editorial board of the «Nova Hromada» journal shaped an information policy that supported the cultural and national movement in Slobozhanschyna, encouraged cooperation, and rallied supporters around the Central Rada. However, the editorial board and authors were proponents of socialist ideas with inherent utopias, particularly concerning the socialization of industrial enterprises and the need for monetary reform through confiscation. A significant mistake was their class-based approach to understanding potential threats to Ukraine, a lack of understanding of the essence of Russian Bolshevism, and an underestimation of its danger.