Ukrainians as a divided nation from 1917 to 1939

Introduction. The article examines the problem of divided nations by the example of Ukraini-ans who lived during the interwar period in the territories of the USSR, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia. The purpose of the study is to determine the possibility of preserving the identity of the people, the parts of which for different reasons were or are in the position of a national minority living in different states. Materials and Methods. In the article the method of comparative analysis was used, which allowed to consider the peculiarities of Ukrainians’ self-awareness and differences in their legal status in four states. A comparative analysis of the status of the Ukrainians assumed the use of sources of Russian, Ukrainian and foreign historians. Results. After the study of the main aspects of the national policy of the leadership of the USSR, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia the author has come to the conclusion that there were different approaches to Ukrainian minority. The policy of Poland and Romania implied the assimilation of Ukrainians. At the same time, the leadership of the USSR and Czechoslovakia granted Ukrainians certain rights in the sphere of ap-plication of their mother tongue. Nevertheless, despite the differences in the implementation of the national policy, the most Ukrainians in all these states managed to maintain their identity. Discussion and Conclusions. So, we can regard Ukrainians as a united nation, which was divided during the interwar period (from 1917 to 1939), but retained the main features of national identity. At the same time, the long historical experience of the existence of Ukrainians as a divided people led to significant regional differences that are also observed in modern Ukraine.