Professor of the Department of Political and Cultural Studies Olha Smolina spoke at the plenary session of the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference at the invitation of the Department of Cultural Studies of Mariupol State University. Her report on “The Image of Ukraine in the International Arena in the Early Twentieth Century (Based on the Materials of the Ukrainian-Bulgarian Publications “Ukrainsko Slovo” and “Ukrainsko-Bulgarian Pregled”) was devoted to identifying parallels between the images of Ukraine 100 years ago and the present.
Today, in the context of Russia’s armed aggression, Ukraine is seeking help and support from the countries of the civilized world, primarily from independent European states and the United States. It should be noted that 100 years ago, in 1918-1920, Ukraine was in a similar position. From November 1917 to February 1921, the Ukrainian People’s Republic fought for its independence from Russia and for recognition in the world.
One way to promote Ukraine was through periodicals in the languages of the countries where they were published. The leading topics, sub-sections, and tone of the publications can be used to trace how Ukraine saw itself at the time.