Representation of Socio-Political Events in Ukraine in the Context of the Publications of the Newspaper "Sakartvelo" of 1917-1918"

Abstract

The paper deals with the publications of the national-democratic newspaper "Sakartvelo" ("Georgia") (1915-1921), which reflect the socio-political events in Ukraine in 1917-1918 - the historical background of Russian-Ukrainian relations. The modern perspective of the topic determines the relevance of the research issue, in particular, the fact that on February 24, 2022, the armed forces of the Russian Federation announced a so-called peacekeeping mission and invaded Ukraine under the pretext of "demilitarization and denationalization," resulting, in an unprecedented military confrontation between Ukraine and Russia on the European continent, which threatens the security of states, including Georgia. Modern processes in Ukraine and the historical aspects of the relations between Ukraine and Bolshevik Russia are discussed in the article on the example of the publications of the newspaper "Sakartvelo," which has not yet been the subject of a unique study. The study of newspaper publications will make it possible to understand the historical context of one of the most pressing problems in the modern world, its political or social aspects. The research topic is also relevant in terms of the analysis of the socio-political events of this era. As a result of the Bolshevik coup of November 7, 1917, the countries and peoples of the Russian Empire found themselves under threat of Bolshevik occupation and annexation. Ukraine was also facing a new reality on the territory of which a civil war occurred during the mentioned period. In 1918, the Soviet government launched a military attack on Ukraine, after which, on January 22, 1918, the People's Republic of Ukraine proclaimed its independence. It existed as such until 1922 - before joining the Soviet Union. For the newspaper "Sakartvelo," a major publication with a national editorial policy, the priority is to reflect the future of the countries within the Russian Empire and the struggle for their independence. This issue becomes even more topical in the context of the ongoing processes and the established geopolitical reality during the First World War (1914-1918). The causal analysis of the events confirms that these processes primarily determined the subsequent events and contemporary reality. Thus, the study of the issue from this point of view also contributes to understanding the genesis of the problem and analyzing contemporary trends. The newspaper "Sakartvelo" research publications on the topic of Ukraine reflect the period of the country's civil war - from November 1917 to the proclamation of independence of Ukraine on January 22, 1918, as well as the formation of the People's Republic of Ukraine. "Sakartvelo" has published 200 articles of different volumes on this topic. The material is mainly informative and presents events in chronological order. It is characterized by the process's eventfulness, documentary nature, accuracy, and truthfulness. The newspaper has special permanent headings: "National Issue - Russia and Ukraine," "Ukraine," "Ukrainian News," and "In Ukraine ."The most up-to-date news is published in the column "Latest Telegrams ."The newspaper, under the heading "Crimea," publishes articles about the current events in Crimea. It should be noted that the materials were obtained from various periodicals and information sources. The newspaper also publishes individual documents, decisions of the legislative and governing bodies - government decrees, and detailed information about the elected bodies. Newspaper articles depict the peripeties of the ongoing struggle against the Bolsheviks in Ukraine, pictures of separate attacks, and the formation process of political and electoral bodies. It should be noted that the newspaper "Sakartvelo" also pays attention to Ukraine's economic and social situation at that time. The publication discusses the situation of the conquered countries with a unified editorial approach and supports their struggle for national independence. In parallel with the reflection on contemporary events in Ukraine, the essence of Bolshevism as a common threat to countries striving for state sovereignty is presented, which in general, is the main feature of the publication's publicist discourse.  The research process involves archival work - search for newspaper materials, systematization - classification, and content analysis of publications. The paper is based on interdisciplinary approaches. Framing theory is used as a theoretical framework. With the help of this methodology, the research issue will be comprehensively analyzed based on contextual knowledge. As a result of the research, it will be possible to study the actual issue of the newspaper "Sakartvelo," which was published in the most critical period of the history of Georgian journalism in the XX century, and to find a modern reception for the research issue.