Abstract

The study of historical sources and factors and the occurrence of geopolitical events is a prerequisite for understanding the political reality in Ukraine. It is noted that the formation of Ukrainian political thought of the late XIX - early XX century. geopolitical situation on Ukrainian lands affected by political and geographical location on the border of Ukrainian territory civilizational borders between Western and Eastern Christian religious regions of the world. Established that A. Sheptytsky geopolitical views shaped by certain political realities. Metropolitan was familiar with the then European construction projects – «median Europe» and «New Europe». His own views can be considered a combination of Western and Central European areas that existed in the Ukrainian political thought. A. Sheptytsky was inherent to national Christian type geopolitical consciousness – seeing the world as a combination of related religious people. Ukraine he viewed primarily as a Christian country in the Christian community of states. The key elements of Ukrainian history consider the metropolitan of Christianity and the conclusion of Brest. These two acts allowed Ukrainian unite the Christian world, gave impetus to the culture, and the ability to maintain identity in a hostile environment. A factor that determined the current situation of the Ukrainian lands were geographical location between two culturally and religiously distinct spaces – Western and Eastern. Ukrainian Religious differences were the result of different foreign policy goals and in turn led to different geopolitical orientation. A factor which provides one people over another advantage is its high level of culture based on education and science. A characteristic feature of the geopolitical views A. Sheptytsky was focused on such intangible factors as geopolitical religion, culture, strengthening the thesis of the right of peoples to selfdetermination, building relationships based on recognition of equality, establish state borders based on ethnographic principle. Noted Western European orientation clear foreign policy orientation A. Sheptytsky, which showed his diplomatic activity, classifying and Ukraine as the only political body. A. Sheptytsky undertook practical measures to acquaint the international community with the Ukrainian problem in 1921-1923. Interwar period showed a Metropolitan attention to international developments, especially those related to Ukrainian lands: the fall of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and the Polish-German conflct. The beginning of the German occupation once again confimed Ukraine A. Sheptytsky vision in the circle of European nations in its democratic dimension. This metropolitan disassociated himself from any manifestation of chauvinism in international and interstate relations.