Thesis for obtaining scientific degree of the candidate of historical sciences by specialty in 07.00.01 - History of Ukraine. The thesis research is devoted to figuring out the actual problem of the National Revolution of 1648-1676 y., namely the transformation of the Cossack elite into a political one. The study of the given process allowed us to reveal its genesis, peculiarities and to develop the periodization, to determinate the characteristic aspects and to define the content of political activity of the Corporate Elite and to determine the social base of its recreating, the degree of consolidation and relations of groups, political views of the members of elitist consciousness. It is established that by the end of the twentieth century, the Cossack elders (with a few exceptions) were not considered to be the political elite. Only since the 90s the study of its formation and its role in the time of the revolution was begun. Despite the existing achievements, a number of issues that require special study still remain. The elaborated source base and the used methodological tools made it possible to achieve the set goal and to fulfill the formulated tasks. Having considered different approaches of scientists to the interpretation of the meaning of the term political elite and having taken into account their weaknesses, the author has proposed his own concept (axiomeritocratic). It presumes that it includes only the ruling upper class of society, which qualitatively implements functions in the sphere of government. As far as, it was in the state of formation during the Revolution, we call it the meta-elite. The genetic series of foundation of proto-elite form the middle of XVI century and up to 1648 and the influence of the frontier on it were elucidated. The period of the highest rise of the elitization was started after rethinking the aim of fighting and formation of the Ukrainian state idea by B. Khmelnytskyi. The most prominent assets of the elite at this time in the sphere of political activity were the development of the political system of Ukraine, effectively operating authorities and the adoption of a qualitatively new model of society. The misjudgments of I. Vyhovsky’s government and the interference of Russia plunged society into the civil war of 1658-1663, which led to a deep crisis of elitism and the destruction of the unitary structure of Ukraine. All states of society served as social sources of elite formation, but the decisive role belonged to the Cossacks. Structurally, it consisted of a governmental, regional, and significant military society. The peculiarities of its circulation and the formation of groups in it, which were marked by a tendency to conformism, frequent change of political preferences, preference for group aspirations over national-state ones, were clarified. The revolution was a powerful impetus for the development of political consciousness. The changes in the development of national consciousness were also massive. The idea of the republic as a form of government dominated over the other ideas of that time. As for the shape of its structure, by the end of the 50s all groups professed the idea of unitary. However, as a result of the civil war, polycentrism was established.
Автореферат дисертації на здобуття наукового ступеня кандидата історичних наук зі спеціальності 07.00.01 - історія України. В дисертації на основі аналізу історіографії й джерельного комплексу та нового інтерпретування його інформаційного змісту представлене цілісне дослідження проблеми трансформації козацької еліти у політичну в епоху Національної революції XVII ст. Прослідковано ґенезу й особливості процесу елітотворення, запропоновано його періодизацію, окреслено специфіку та розкрито зміст політичної діяльності елітарної корпорації, визначено соціальну базу її рекрутування, ступінь консолідації й взаємини угруповань, політичні погляди носіїв елітарної свідомості. Автор запропонував власний пояснювальний концепт, заснований на тому, що політичною елітою варто вважати лише ту правлячу верхівку суспільства, котра якісно реалізує функції у сфері владарювання. Доведена правомірність застосування такого підходу для визначення статусу козацької старшини України, з тим застереженням, що вона перебувала у стані формування, а тому запропоновано іменувати її метаелітою.
