Activities of academician Votchal (1864 – 1937): historical and historiographic sources

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15421/272109

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis and systematization of historical works about the life, scientific-organizational and pedagogical activities of the outstanding botanist and plant physiologist, academician Yevhen Pylypovych Votchal (1864-1937). The relevance of this study is due to the great importance of the academician’s scientific heritage for the national agricultural science and the importance of introducing an array of new and little-known scientific sources into the wide scientific circulation. This study’s purpose is to analyze the historiography of the problem and determine the state of the scientific biography reconstruction of Academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Evgeny Filippovich Votchal. The methodological basis of the publication was formed by general scientific, interdisciplinary and special-historical research methods: analysis, synthesis, classification, typology, problem-chronological, comparative-historical, as well as historiographic and source analysis. The scientific literature on the historiography of the dissertation work topic is analyzed in a comparative historical aspect. It conditionally divided into the three main historiographical periods: the first – the end of the nineteenth century – 1917; the second – the Soviet (1917–1991); the third one – modern (1991 – up to now). In addition, the groups were distinguished according to the subject-thematic principle in all periods. These are, first of all, scientific generalizing works reflecting the organization and functioning of research institutions, societies and administrative-departmental institutions which the scientist’s activities were associated with; literature covering various scientific and organizational achievements and pedagogical activities of E. P. Votchal, his contribution to the development of agriculture and industry; information about the life and creative path of E. P. Votchal. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is caused by the fact that for the first time a comprehensive historiographic analysis of the research topic was carried out. A review of literary sources testifies to the absence in the scientific literature of historical research that would systematize and comprehensively analyze E. P. Votchal’s scientific potential in the context of the historical development of plant physiology in Ukraine.

Published

2021-06-01