[SIGNED] Narodnyi iliustrovanyi kaliendar tovarystva "Prosvity" na perestupnyi rik 1928 [Prosvita Society's Illustrated People's Calendar for the Leap Year 1928]

Lviv: T-vo, 1927. Hardcover. Good condition. Book dimensions: 23.5 x 16.5 cm. It consists of 302 pages with illustrations and advertisements. The text is in Ukrainian. The hardcover binding features embossed lettering, and the top edge of the pages is gilt. The title page bears the stamp "From the private library of Osyp and Anastaziia Kochan." This copy is inscribed and signed by the president and secretary of the Prosvita Society. It is a jubilee edition, commemorating the organization's 60th anniversary and the calendar's 50th anniversary. As of January 2024, only one copy of the 1923 edition has been located at Harvard University according to OCLC.<br /> <br /> Ukrainian community organizations known as Tovarystva Prosvita [Enlightenment societies] played a significant role in Ukraine and various countries from the late 1860s to the 1940s. Initially established in Galicia, these societies had a primary educational purpose and were initially comprised of the intelligentsia. However, they later expanded to include a broader membership and diversified their activities. In some cases, they laid the foundation for economic cooperatives, educational groups, and other organizations that contributed to the Ukrainian national movement.<br /> <br /> In Galicia, Prosvita societies thrived and became highly developed, influencing various aspects of Ukrainian society. In central and eastern Ukraine, political opposition to Ukrainian populist ideals hindered the growth of Prosvita societies, although a few were established after the Revolution of 1905, contributing to the development of Ukrainian national consciousness.<br /> <br /> The Prosvita movement gained momentum following the Revolution of 1917, showing potential for mass support. However, the Soviet regime suppressed these societies in the early 1920s, preventing their further expansion.<br /> <br /> Outside the Russian Empire, Prosvita societies served as essential community hubs, although they never reached the same mass scale as their counterparts in Galicia. These organizations also found a presence in Europe and the Americas, contributing to the Ukrainian diaspora communities.