ONE OF THEM… IVAN LAHODA, A MEMBER OF THE CHERNIHIV CITY DUMA

   The purpose of the article is to analyses the activities of Ivan Lahoda, the public administration of Chernihiv during 1871–1893, his initiative to solve urgent problems of the local community.

   Research methods are correlated with the stated purpose, based on the principles of historicism and objectivity. They are general: analysis, induction, concretization and special-historical: historical-genetic, historical-comparative, historical-systemic. The scientific novelty of the study is based on the materials of the Chernihiv City Duma, an attempt was made to characterize Ivan Lahoda’s life and work as a member of the City Duma and a member of the Council during this period.

   The processed information allowed us to draw the following conclusions. Ivan Mykolaiovych Lahoda was a typical representative of the Chernihiv educated circles in the second half of the 19th – early 20th c. Having a medical qualification, he practiced and taught at a medical school. Getting respect among citizens, he was repeatedly delegated to the election administration, acting as a member of the City Duma, a member of the Council and Deputy Mayor. Working in this field, he tried to modernize the outer space of the city, to provide comfortable living conditions in it by his own initiatives and work.

   Fascinated by performing arts, he did in the amateur theater, led a musical drama group, financially supported the actors, thereby diversifying the cultural environment of Chernihiv, reviving the reality of the provincial community. In harmony with the then intelligentsia (L. Hlibov, M. Verbytsky, O. Lazarevskyi, S. Nos and others) contributed to the Ukrainian national revival in the second half of the 19th – early 20th c