Theoretical and Methodological Basis of the Kultur-Lige Research as a Phenomenon of Jewish Cultural and Educational Life in Kyiv in 1918–1931

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical and methodological basis of researching the activities of the Kultur-Lige as an integral historical and cultural phenomenon. The research issue is to study the Kultur-Lige as a social and cultural formation with its worldview, motivation, and cultural activities. The specific areas of activity of the comrade, in particular the organization of Jewish schools, the publication of textbooks and literary works, the creation of musical, artistic and theatrical studios, reveal various spheres of application of these ideological principles of the Kultur-Lige. These elements were not accidental; each sphere of activity reflected the desire for the modernization and secularization of Jewish culture, emphasizing its originality and at the same time openness to pan-European intellectual and cultural trends.

The article represents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Kultur-Lige, based on the concepts of the Karl Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge (in particular, the concepts of Weltanschauung, definition of interests and generational affiliation), theoretical concepts of the Annales school (the Roger Chartier`s method of the history of mentalities) and Volodymyr Potulnytsky`s comparative model of “idea – territory – alternatives”.

As a research outcome, the Kultur-Lige is presented as a deliberately organized cultural community that influenced a Jewish worldview of that period based on a shared long-term interest. Through intergenerational collaboration and cross-party engagement, the organization actively promoted a new secular Yiddish culture among various segments of the Jewish community. The concepts of Karl Mannheim, Roger Chartier, and Volodymyr Potulnytsky made it possible to identify the inner logic of the Kultur-Lige’s activities, its adaptive strategies, and transformative potential. The proposed methodological concepts expand the analytical framework for understanding the Kultur-Lige as a cultural-educational phenomenon and a complex system of educational and artistic initiatives.