Ukrainian-Swedish Scientific Cooperation in the Context of Soviet Reality (based on documents from the archive of Yaroslav Dashkevych)

The work’s objective is to explore the significance of scientific correspondence in the biography of Yaroslav Dashkevych (1926–2010), focusing on his interactions with Swedish archivists and historians from 1979 to 1980. This examination allows us to consider their communication as a crucial episode in the history of Ukrainian-Swedish scientific cooperation, particularly against the backdrop of soviet reality, while also promoting the scholar’s intellectual legacy. The methodology of the study is based on the contextual definition and analytical interpretation of scientific communication in the light of Ya. Dashkevych epistolary practices as an important component of his intellectual biography. The scientific novelty of the study lies in introducing six unpublished letters into academic circulation. These messages, which Ya. Dashkevych received from his Swedish colleagues between April 1979 and January 1980, focus on the life of Armenian diplomat Zakharii Gamotsky, who lived during the latter half of the 17th century. By studying these documents, we underscore the value of correspondence for scholarship in biographical studies and uncover a previously unknown chapter in the scholar’s life. The prospects for further research. The Swedish correspondence of Ya. Dashkevych constitutes only a small part of his extensive epistolary legacy. Most of his letters, preserved in the Memorial Library-Archive of Ya. Dashkevych (Lviv), have yet to be introduced into academic circulation. Therefore, future research should explore his broader correspondence with various Ukrainian and foreign scholars, as well as political and public figures from countries such as Poland, France, Canada, the United States, and others. Conclusions. Despite the prohibitions and constraints of the Soviet era, Ya. Dashkevych successfully fostered effective Ukrainian-Swedish scientific cooperation. His correspondence with workers from The Military Archives of Sweden (Krigsarkivet), The State Archives of Sweden (Riksarkivet), The Royal Library of Sweden (Kungliga Biblioteket), and The Swedish Army Museum (Armémuseum) regarding the diplomatic activities of Zakharii Gamotsky, particularly his meeting with Bohdan Khmelnytsky in 1655 in Lviv, highlights the importance of international scientific connections for the scholar’s research work. Thanks to these efforts, Ya. Dashkevych made a substantial contribution to the development of Ukrainian historiography, the study of early modern Ukrainian history, and its promotion abroad. References: 1. Aradzhyoni, M., Bubenok, O., & Mavrina, O. (2016). Vidomi ta malovidomi skhodoznavchi doslidzhennia Ya. R. Dashkevycha [Known and little-known oriental studies of Ya. R. Dashkevych]. 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