Mykhaylo Hrushevsky

Ukrainian historian

Also known as: Mikhail Hrushevsky

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Mykhaylo Hrushevsky was a prominent Ukrainian historian, known for his extensive work on Ukrainian history. He was a key figure in the development of Ukrainian national consciousness and scholarship during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hrushevsky's magnum opus, "A History of Ukraine-Rus'," is a multi-volume work that covers the history of Ukraine from ancient times to the mid-19th century. His scholarship emphasized Ukraine's distinct historical trajectory and cultural identity, challenging prevailing narratives that often marginalized Ukrainian history within broader Russian or Polish contexts. He also played a significant role in Ukrainian politics, serving as the first president of the Ukrainian Central Rada in 1917.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Ukraine
World War I and the struggle for independence
…Ukraine and elected the historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky as its head. The stated goal of the Central Rada was territorial autonomy for Ukraine and the transformation of Russia into a democratic, federative republic. Although the Provisional Government recognized Ukraine’s right to autonomy and the Central Rada as a legitimate representative body,…
Read More
…Ukraine and elected the historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky as its head. The stated goal of the Central Rada was territorial autonomy for Ukraine and the transformation of Russia into a democratic, federative republic. Although the Provisional Government recognized Ukraine’s right to autonomy and the Central Rada as a legitimate representative body,…
Read More

Russian Provisional Government
Nationalist movements and the Provisional Government
…nationalist intellectual figure, the historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky. On March 4 (March 17), 1917, it took the initiative in summoning the Central Rada (“Council”) in Kiev. At first, the Rada’s aims were strictly cultural, but soon it put forward demands for political self-government. During the early summer, congresses of Ukrainian peasants,…
Read More
…nationalist intellectual figure, the historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky. On March 4 (March 17), 1917, it took the initiative in summoning the Central Rada (“Council”) in Kiev. At first, the Rada’s aims were strictly cultural, but soon it put forward demands for political self-government. During the early summer, congresses of Ukrainian peasants,…
Read More

Russia
Russification policies
There the great Ukrainian historian Mikhail Hrushevsky and the socialist writer Mikhail Drahomanov published their works; Ukrainian political literature was smuggled across the border. In the 1890s small illegal groups of Ukrainian democrats and socialists existed on Russian soil.
Read More
There the great Ukrainian historian Mikhail Hrushevsky and the socialist writer Mikhail Drahomanov published their works; Ukrainian political literature was smuggled across the border. In the 1890s small illegal groups of Ukrainian democrats and socialists existed on Russian soil.
Read More