SOCIAL INTEREST IN THE PUBLIC ORGANIZATION “SCHOOL MATICE ČESKÁ” AND ITS ACTIVITY IN VOLYN

Abstract

The article examines the process of formation and development of the public organization of the Volyn Czechs “School Matice česká”, whose principal task was the development of Czech schooling and education, excluding any political activity. The development of cultural and educational processes in the Volyn Czechs’ colonies had a significant impact on the public life of the region, because the Czechs had long-standing traditions and the school was the center that offered a network of educational services with the Czech language of instruction. The issue of public interests of the Volyn Czechs’ community actualizes the problem of educational processes via social and cultural actions or the relationship between them. The category “mechanism” is related to the category “interest” in the context of the research topic, which is interpreted mainly as an action/activity or a set of actions consisting of appropriately ordered components. The process of “ensuring interests” has been studied as a holistic movement of interests from their formation, particular stages of this movement up to its realization. The community of Volyn Czechs is distinguished as a national minority on the basis of ethnic, religious, and linguistic characteristics, having state entity outside Ukraine, a common ethnic name, and a self-name. The article highlights changes in school education after adopting the Law “On Some Provisions of the Organization of School Education” dated July 31, 1924, which contributed to the Polonization of education among national communities. The public society “The School Matice česká” was founded in September 1923. The Ministry of Schooling and Education of Czechoslovakia, together with the Association of Czechoslovaks Abroad and the Czechoslovak Foreign Office, the government of Czechoslovakia, individual representatives of the intelligentsia, and public organizations, provided significant assistance to the Matice schools of the Czechs. “The Matice česká” opened its Czech school in Lutsk in 1929. In 1933, the school had six grades, and since 1934 the Czech school in Lutsk provided a full seven-year education and existed until 1939. “Voice of Volyn” was a printed organ of the organization. At the present time, with the declaration of independence of Ukraine, the association is called “Matice Volynska”, the content of its activities is mainly aimed at the preservation and development of cultural, linguistic, song, and dance traditions.