Scientific conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of the prominent Ukrainian historian Mykola Kovalskyi (1929-2006)

March 19, 2019

On March 19, the National University of Ostroh Academy hosted the All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference "Actual Problems of Source Studies and Historiography of Ukrainian History" dedicated to the memory of Professor Mykola Kovalskyi (to the 90th anniversary of his birth).

Mykola Kovalskyi is one of the initiators of the revival of the Ostroh Academy. He was known as Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Merited Figure of Science and Technology of Ukraine, member of International Slavic Academy of Sciences (USA), Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of the Ostroh Academy, member of Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences in the USA, head of the Ostroh branch of the Ukrainian Historical Society, head of the Ostroh branch of M. S. Hrushevsky Institute of Ukrainian Archaeography and Source Studies, the founder of the modern source studies scientific school of Ukraine.

The conference began with the greetings of the Rector of the National University of Ostroh Academy, Prof. Igor Pasichnyk:

«The man lives as long as someone remembers him. I am glad that today there are students of Mykola Kovalskyi and his colleagues who will talk about the scientific achievements of the historian, as well as his role in the revival of the Ostroh Academy. Mykola Kovalskyi was the editor-in-chief of the encyclopaedic edition «Ostroh Academy of the 16th - 17th centuries. He was a wonderful scientist, a good leader of the scientific school and just a unique person.»

Also, Oleksandr Undir, the chairman of the Ostroh Regional Literary Association named after Ivan Maievskyi, recalled Mr. Kovalskyi, and read the poem about Ostroh and Mykola Kovalskyi, in particular.

Then, a plenary session began, during which the Doctor of Historical Sciences, Head of the Department of History named after M. Kovalskyi of the NUOA, Professor Volodymyr Trofymovych delivered a report on «They believed in me, and I believed in them». It was dedicated to the peculiarities of the scientific school of Mykola Kovalskyi.

«Mykola Kovalskyi is a Ukrainian historian whose scientific heritage consists of more than five hundred works devoted to the issues of the past of Ukraine, Ostroh, source studies, historiography, and special historical disciplines. We remember him as a thoughtful researcher of the problem of source studies, an expert in types of sources from the 16th-17th centuries. Mykola Kovalskyi was the founder of our Department of History that has the honor to be named after him. One of the most prominent directions where his organizational skills were found is the formation of his own scientific school, which, despite all discussions on the definition, became quite obvious not local, not republican, but much larger,» – comments Volodymyr Trofymovych.

Olexander Melnyk, PhD. in History, Director of Torchyn Historical Museum of Local Lore named after Hryhorii Hurtovyi told about the contribution of Mykola Kovalskyi to the revival of the Ostroh Academy.

After the plenary session, the participants of the conference were able to visit the exhibition «Mykola Pavlovych Kovalskyi. Memoirs about the historian commemorated to the 90th anniversary of his birth». The exhibition is a collection of biographical facts about the childhood, student and family life of the historian, about different periods of his life path, teaching and scientific activities, as well as a selection of his photos. Participants of the conference visited the grave of prof. M. Kovalskyi and placed flowers.

During the breakout sessions, the students and followers of Mykola Kovalskyi, who today are doctors and candidates of historical sciences, delivered reports on the scientific path of prof. M. Kovalskyi and various vexing issues of source studies and historiography of Ukrainian history.

The second part of the conference will be held on March 22 at the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, and professors and graduate students of the Ostroh Academy will attend it.