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Pravova derzhava. <span>Scientific articles yearbook</span>
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  5. Some aspects of territorial identity formation in early modern Ukraine

“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 36 (2025), pages 263–272.

DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2025-36-263-272

Bondaruk Vadym
Some aspects of territorial identity formation in early modern Ukraine

Introduction. Sociocultural transformations of Ukrainian lands during the 16th-18th centuries, which occurred under conditions of constant geopolitical challenges and cultural interactions, are generating increasing research interest. It was during this period that the fundamental state and legal practices that today can be attributed to the Ukrainian legal tradition were established. In this context, the study of territorial identity phenomenon is important for understanding collective selfawareness, shared historical memory, cultural codes, and worldview orientations of Ukrainian society. Territorial identity occupies a special place among identities both during the formation of states (from the 16th century) and in view of contemporary challenges, caused particularly by Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of its territories.
The aim of the article. The purpose of the article is to analyze certain aspects of territorial identity formation in Ukrainian lands of the early modern period, to identify key factors and mechanisms of its development, and to determine the role of educational institutions, particularly the Zamość Academy (1594–1784) as an educational and cultural phenomenon.
Results. It was found that territorial identity in early modern Ukraine was formed under the influence of multiple interconnected factors. The presence of Ukrainian lands within various state formations (Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Hetmanate) created a unique sociocultural context characterized by constant political transformations, unstable borders, and permanent cultural exchange between social groups. Identity formation was influenced by religious affiliation, social stratification, linguistic features, educational traditions, and symbolic geography, with a gradual transformation toward a more cohesive ethnocultural identity.
The social elite, especially the nobility of Kyiv region, Volhynia, and Bratslav region, played a significant role in the processes of territorial identity formation. Noble families were carriers of complex cultural codes that combined elements of Orthodox tradition, Polish urban culture, and local customary practices. Ukrainian nobility served as a specific mediator between different cultural worlds, capable of adapting external influences according to local traditions.
Educational institutions, especially the Zamość Academy, served as unique spaces for cultural communication and social integration. According to the Academy’s Album records, over 7,000 individuals from Ukrainian lands received education within its walls, constituting more than 70% of the total recorded number of students. The Academy had a significant impact on the cultural and legal educational-scientific situation in Ukrainian lands, having a powerful law faculty that trained doctors of law and public notaries.
Conclusions. The process of territorial identity formation in early modern Ukraine demonstrates complex sociocultural dynamics, where geopolitical factors, social structure, cultural practices, and educational institutions played important roles. This process clearly established identification relationships that connect the Ukrainian community with its own living space, confirmed by the phenomenon of the Zamość
Academy. Academy graduates, by engaging in the public life of Ukrainian society, not only preserved territorial identity but also acquired a conscious identity with the local community through fraternities, as well as assimilated a pan-European identity. This contributed to the emergence of complex, multi-level forms of self-identification, in which local, regional, and universal coexisted without rigid hierarchy.

Key words: territorial identity, early modern Ukraine, Zamość Academy, student albums, borderlands, social elite, collective identity, legal education, cultural adaptation.

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