“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 37 (2026), pages 292–299.
DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2026-37-292-299
Bondaruk Тetiana
The idea of law as a fundamental principle in the protection of human rights in conditions of war in the legal understanding of academician Onikiy Malinovsky
ISSN online: 2617-9776 print: 0869-2491
Introduction. The article, based on the emphasis on the essence of the legal understanding of Academician Onikiy Malinovsky, highlights the idea of protecting human rights in war conditions. It is found that the initial principles in the scholar’s legal understanding are the vision of law as a component of culture and their progressive development, in the centre of which is a person, his life and rights. In this context, the scholar also considered the issue of war, which for him — a consistent preacher of the value of human life and an adept of the abolition of the death penalty –was, first of all, a huge social catastrophe.
Results. The scholar’s work “War and Judgment” (1915) is analysed, in which he argues that war is the last means of resolving disputes, which returns us to the times of lynching and revenge, and therefore it is concluded that an illegal or extra-legal, uncivilized phenomenon. Thus, for Malinovsky, war, as an encroachment on human rights, in itself contradicts the evolutionary progress of humanity.
Special attention is paid to the work “On How They Waged in the Old Times and How They Wage Now” (1897) as a kind of anti-war manifesto by O. Malinovsky, which sets out the basic rules and means of waging war, including those regarding the protection of human rights. It is noted that the principles and approaches formulated by him are the basis of today’s International Humanitarian Law.
Conclusion. It is stated that today wars are still an integral part of human life and at least two trends can be distinguished: on the one hand, the further barbarization of war with the devaluation of human life and disregard for established rules, on the other hand, the total pacification of “enlightened” countries with the absolutization (fetishization) of individual rights, when the conscious avoidance of the duty to protect one’s state is justified by the risk to life with such protection. Today it is once again at the point of bifurcation, the passage of which requires significant efforts of “enlightened”, according to Malinowski, states and classes, in order not to embark on the path of regression. And the legacy of many generations of the intellectual elite is a truly powerful weapon in upholding the ideals of law and justice, the appeal to which will always be timely. International humanitarian law is based on these principles and approaches today.
Keywords: Onikiy Malinovsky, legal understanding, war, court, rules and customs of war, human rights.
References
1. Kononenko Yu. S., Dzholos S. V. Absoliutyzatsiia prav liudyny yak zahroza derzhavnosti i dobrobutu suspilstva. URL: https://visnyk-juris-uzhnu.com/wp-content/ uploads/2023/08/78_part-1..pdf (in Ukr.).
2. Usenko I. B. Istoriohrafiia zhyttia i diialnosti O. O. Malynovskoho. Naukova spadshchyna akademika O. O. Malynovskoho i suchasnist: Materialy Vseukrainskoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii (m. Rivne, 4–6 hrudnia 2008 r.). Kyiv: Instytut derzhavy i prava im.V. M. Koretskoho NAN Ukrainy, 2010. S. 5–21 (in Ukr.).
3. Pro pravorozuminnia O. Malynovskoho dyv.: Bondaruk T. I. Pravorozuminnia yak osnova piznannia istorii prava (za pratsiamy O. Malynovskoho Maibutnie nauky v obriiakh prava: zb. nauk. prats. Materialy ІХ mizhnar. nauk.-prakt. konf. molodykh uchenykh (Kyiv, 5 hrudnia 2018 r.). Do 100-richchia Natsionalnoi akademii nauk Ukrainy. Kyiv, 2018 (in Ukr.).
4. Malynovskyi Y. Lektsyy po ystoryy russkoho prava. Rostov-na-Donu, 1918. S. 4 (in Rus.).
5. Malynovskyi I. O. Kurs istorii prava ukrainskoho narodu (Z pryvodu «Lektsii po istorii ukrainskoho prava» R. Lashchenka, profesora Ukr. Universytetu v Prazi). Pratsi komisii dlia vyuchuvannia istorii zakhidnoukrainskoho i ukrainskoho prava. Vyp. 3. Kyiv, 1927. S. 390 (in Ukr.).
6. Malynovskyi Y. A. Voina y sud (po povodu yubyleia sudebnoi reformy 1864 hoda). Varshavskye unyversytetskye yzvestyia. 1915. Ottysk. Varshava: Typohrafyia Varshavskoho Uchebnoho Okruha. 1915 (in Rus.).
7. Detalnishe dyv.: Bondaruk T. I. Ne viina, a sud: arhumenty i spodivannia akademika Onykiia Malynovskoho. Vlada i prava liudyny v umovakh viiny: yurydychni, politychni i istorychni vymiry: Zbirnyk materialiv 2(17) Vseukrainskoi naukovoi konferentsii (Lviv–Kyiv, 25 hrudnia 2025 r.). Ostroh: FOP Svynarchuk M. V., 2025. S. 108–113 (in Ukr.).
8. Malynovskyi Y. A. Voina y sud. S. 16 (in Rus.).
9. Malynovskyi O. Rostovskyi shchodennyk. m. Rostov. Mashynopysna kopiia (1920). IR NBUV. F. 376. Spr. S. 7. Ark. 55 (in Ukr.). 10. Malynovskyi Y. O tom, kak voevaly v starynu y kak teper voiuiut. Kyiv: Typ. Ymp. unyv-ta Sv. Vladymyra, 1897. 36 s. (in Rus.).
Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 28.01.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 03.03.2026
Дата публікації: 24.03.2026