Bohdan Tsymbal

The proposed project examines Mykhailo Drahomanov’s political and intellectual role in the formation of modern Ukraine in the 19th century. It analyses Drahomanov’s interpretation of socialism within the broader traditions of Western European utopian socialism (Proudhon, Saint-Simon, Fourier, Owen) and Russian revolutionary thought (Herzen, Ogarev, Lavrov, Kropotkin, Plekhanov), tracing the evolution of his ideas in response to shifting political and social conditions. Often referred to as a “second Herzen,” Drahomanov played a key role in adapting socialist thought to Ukraine’s stateless condition, advocating for federalism, cultural autonomy, democratic socialism, and anarchism. The novelty of the project lies in situating Ukrainian modernity within broader European debates on socialism and nationalism, challenging the dominant nation-centred narratives by demonstrating Ukraine’s integration into European intellectual and political discourses. Additionally, the project reconstructs Drahomanov’s intellectual networks by analysing his correspondence with European and Ukrainian thinkers, highlighting his role in shaping the Ukrainian national movement within the wider socialist and federalist traditions of 19th-century Europe.