The origin of Rus’ cities in national scholarly thought of the first quarter of the 20th century: major concepts and debatable issues
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2026.162.17
Keywords:
urbanization of Rus', historiography, hillfort (horodyshche), M. Hrushevskyi, D. Bahaliy, V. Liaskoronskyi, territorial community, genesis of citiesAbstract
Background. The relevance of the study is driven by the need for a critical re-evaluation of the intellectual heritage of the First Quarter 20th century — a period when the fundamental principles of modern urban studies were established. In the context of the contemporary search for national identity and the decolonization of historical narrative, examining the concepts of M. Hrushevsky, D. Bahaliy, and V. Khvoika allows for tracing the formation of the idea of autochthonous Ukrainian town-building and the departure from the imperial "state school." The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of scientific views on the origin and functions of the cities of Rus' in the works of historians and archaeologists of the specified period.
Methods. The methodology is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity, employing historiographical, comparative-historical, and interdisciplinary methods.
Results. The scientific novelty lies in the systematization of the views of various scientific schools on the problem of urbanization in Rus' through the prism of the interaction between historical narrative and the first large-scale archaeological verifications. For the first time, a holistic comparison is made between the "territorial" school of M. Hrushevskyi and the model of D. Bahaliy with the results of field research by V. Khvoika, V. Liaskoronskyi, and M. Makarenko. The study further develops the investigation of the transition from a narrow legal interpretation of the city as a residence to a sociological understanding of the "horod" (city) as a self-organizing territorial community. It is substantiated that this period laid the conceptual foundation for the theory of the autochthony of the Slavic city, based on evidence of the continuity of settlement development from pre-state hillforts to chronicled centers. The role of regional studies (L. Padalka, M. Makarenko) in highlighting the specific urbanization patterns of various lands of Rus' is clarified.
Conclusion. Analyzes the transformation of views on the genesis of cities from the "kinship theory" to the territorial-communal model, where the city emerges as a subject of state-building. The multifunctional nature of the centers, which combined defensive, administrative, trade, and craft-cultural roles, is highlighted. It is proven that the archaeological discoveries of the early 20th century overcame positivist limitations in interpreting the city and laid the groundwork for the modern urbanistic tradition.
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