Abstract

The essence of social movements as a result of complicated social differentiation is considered. The evolution of social movements in Ukraine since the middle of the 19th century till today is analyzed. A special attention is paid to civil movements of the Soviet times and their future in independent Ukraine. The development of political movements is divided into five periods according to the history of Ukraine. The author underlines that civil movements in Ukraine have always engaged different groups of society, not only nobility and bourgeoisie, but also professors, merchants, workers and even peasants. The division of Ukrainian lands between different states was a destructive factor for social self-organization, but political leaders managed to mobilize citizens even within the conditions of wars and repressions. The social movements of the past made possible the existence of Ukrainian nation as an ethnic and political commonwealth. The purpose of the article is to describe the main tendencies of the development of Ukrainian civil movements. The ethnic, economic, religious and political dimensions of movements are considered. The author pays attention to the development of political movements in Ukrainian lands under foreign occupation: Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Romanian. The reaction of the authorities is also analyzed. A special attention is paid to political activity during the Second World War, when Ukrainian citizens organized themselves to defend their lives and civil rights. The information support of social movements is considered. The propaganda policy and mass communication of Ukrainian movements in different times is described. Modern social movements often succeed the Soviet ones. Some of them transform to political parties, like Narodnyi Rukh and Pora. Some movements are free from politics and are formed to defend nature or special groups of citizens. In the article the role of mass media and Internet in modern social activity is underlined. According to the article, civil movements use Internet to multiply their support. The legislative aspects of civil movements` functioning are considered. The author concludes that Ukrainian civil movements have made a great deal in obtaining independence by our country.