We explore the potential of using magnetic cues as a novel approach to modulating ion channel expression, which could provide an alternative to traditional pharmacological interventions. Ion channels are crucial targets for pharmacological therapies, and ongoing research in this field continues to introduce new methods for treating various diseases. However, the efficacy of ion channel drugs is often compromised by issues such as target selectivity, leading to side effects, toxicity, and complex drug interactions. These challenges, along with problems like drug (...) resistance and difficulties in crossing biological barriers, highlight the need for innovative strategies. In this context, the proposed use of magnetic cues to modulate ion channel expression may offer a promising solution to address these limitations, potentially improving the safety and effectiveness of treatments, particularly for long‐term use. Key developments in this area are reviewed, the relationships between changes in ion channel expression and magnetic fields are summarized, knowledge gaps are identified, and central issues relevant to future research are discussed. (shrink)

Imagine cells that live in a high‐gradient magnetic field (HGMF). Through what mechanisms do the cells sense a non‐uniform magnetic field and how such a field changes the cell fate? We show that magnetic forces generated by HGMFs can be comparable to intracellular forces and therefore may be capable of altering the functionality of an individual cell and tissues in unprecedented ways. We identify the cellular effectors of such fields and propose novel routes in cell biology predicting new biological effects (...) such as magnetic control of cell‐to‐cell communication and vesicle transport, magnetic control of intracellular ROS levels, magnetically induced differentiation of stem cells, magnetically assisted cell division, or prevention of cells from dividing. On the basis of experimental facts and theoretical modeling we reveal timescales of cellular responses to high‐gradient magnetic fields and suggest an explicit dependence of the cell response time on the magnitude of the magnetic field gradient. (shrink)

Purpose This paper aims to develop a system view of the organizational culture, given entropy of theoretical and methodological outlooks on the phenomenon alongside simultaneous growth of number of research reports. -/- Design/methodology/approach Sequential structural and ontological analysis of the Schein’s (2004) point of view on organization culture enabled to form a way of system comprehension of the respective object field on conscious and unconscious levels. -/- Findings Structural ontology of organizational culture represented by the mythopoetic concept of organization, which (...) is a composition of unconscious motives reflecting standard and management peculiarities of functioning characteristic of a certain group. -/- Research limitations/implications The proposed methodological discourse actualizes a hypothesis on organizational unconscious as a specific factor of organizational culture and begets a respective direction of the further researches. -/- Originality/value This is the first methodological concept, that provides a system comprehension of the object field of organizational culture. The concept has important implications for methodological designs of further researches and systematization of already obtained data within the domain. (shrink)

У статті аналізується внутрішній діалог людини з позиції визначення ознак філософського мислення, що здійснюється у станах як кризи, так і щастя. Мета дослідження зумовила вибір тексту, а саме – давньоєгипетського письмового джерела «Розмова розчарованого зі своїм Ба» (ХХІІ–ХХІ ст. до н. е.), в якому зафіксовано внутрішній діалог, і який є одним з перших філософських творів в історії людства. Особлива увага приділяється розумінню рефлексивного мислення античними філософами і сучасними дослідниками. Показано, що повсякденне рефлексивне мислення відрізняється за своїми структурою та властивостями від (...) рефлексивного філософського мислення, яке задає межі рефлексії та ставлення до себе та дійсності. Із виходом з кризи, воно стає звичкою запитування про алгоритм, мотив, призначення та межі застосування отриманих висновків, яка робить відповідь підґрунтям нового питання, що динамічно стверджує людину в набутому стані евдемонії та атараксії. (shrink)

Публикация из научно-популярного цикла: "Структурная онтология познания с доктором Шимко".

This article is devoted to describing results of conceptualization of the idea of mind at the stage of maturity. Delineated the acquisition by the energy system (mind) of stable morphological characteristics, which associated with such a pivotal formation as the discourse. A qualitative structural and ontological sign of the system transition to this stage is the transformation of the verbal morphology of the mind into a discursive one. The analysis of the poststructuralist understanding of discourse in the context of the (...) dispersion of meanings (Foucault) made it possible to formulate a notion of it as a meaning that is constituted by the relation between the discursive practice and the worldview, regarded as a meta-discourse or a global discursive formation. In consequence of this relationship, a discrete and simultaneous scattering of meanings arises, the procedural side of which is a concrete discourse, and its productive aspect is linked with the creation of a local discursive formation. Based on this view it is proposed a logical formula of discourse, which takes into account the entropy of the language and the entropy of the worldview, as a particular manifestation of the mind entropy. Using this formula and considering the reactive nature of discourse, it was developed a classification, which included such types of discourses as reactive, suggestive, synthetic and creative. In turn, the proposed types of discourses are correlated with the specific characteristics of certain activities, as a psychological category. Also, it was considered the translation of the structure of discourse dissipation from the cognitive plan into the affective sphere because of which it is formed a hierarchy of significances, which performs the sense-forming function. It was analyzed the inverse influence of the hierarchy of significances on the structure of meanings dispersion and for respective account it was introduced a conditional coefficient of the value deviation of the significance of the meanings. This parameter reflects the sense correction of the meaning that occurs in the process of the emergence of discourse from discursive practice. Thus, the discourse is presented as a complex dynamic formation of the mind arising at the maturity stage of the system as a result of the combined effect of entropic dispersion of meanings and the value deviation of their significances. (shrink)

У статті розглянуто роль релігії, як суспільної ідеології, з точки зору християнського реалізму Рейнхольда Нібура. Досліджено вплив релігії на суспільство через зміну системи цінностей окремих індивідів. Встановлено, що суспільна користь релігії визначається проявом духу каяття, який запобігає індивідуальному егоїзму і гордості. Описано роль любові як підсилюючого чинника у близьких суспільних відносинах. Встановлено, що через індивідуалістичний характер відносин між Богом та індивідом релігія має обмежений вплив на суспільство. Причиною обмеженості релігії є більша сила колективного егоїзму, порівняно з індивідуальними чеснотами. Визначено, що (...) ідеалістичні релігійні спільноти у суспільстві демонструють три основні моделі поведінки: індиферентність, поразництво та сентиментальність. Продемонстровано релігійний характер міленіальних та апокаліптичних очікувань у всіх ідеологіях. (shrink)

The narod and the intelligentsia. The intelligentsia and the narod. Is this really an issue, a theoretical question for us who perceive and are conscious of ourselves as Russians? It is a horrible pain, reducing our soul to ashes; it is the sin, the cross, and the redemption of Russia. It is always very difficult to discuss such a topic, since inevitably a sense arises of how incommensurate the unparalleled tragedy of our historical path is with our vain, unending chatter (...) about it. I am more and more often tormented by the thought that we Russians always for some reason have found ourselves below the destiny determined for us from on high, that we were and will continue to be unworthy of our own history among the ranks of the world's destinies. Why it is so, is the judgment of Him Who knows the Purpose, but it is our path, and we must traverse it to the end. (shrink)

Description of the materials of current issue of Sententiae, devoted to Neitzsche's philosophy.

У статті розглядається релігійно-філософська частина "Треносу" (1610) Мелетія Смотрицького, аналізуються джерела середньовічної філософії, які використовує автор. Розділено на групи джерела, використані при написанні твору. Проаналізовано цитування східних і західних отців церкви, схоластів, інших документів. Розбито на групи в історичній послідовності тексти, на які посилається М. Смотрицький у релігійно-філософській частині "Треносу".

У статті розглянуто герменевтичне прочитання гравюри "Чистота аки Девица" XVII ст. На думку автора, вона складається з основних алхімічних символів, що покликані продемонструвати трансмутацію людської душі. На прикладі цієї гравюри продемонстровано прояви духовної алхімії ранньомодерної доби в культурному середовищі православних слов'ян XVI-XVII ст.

In this article, the results of conceptualization of the definition of mind as an object of interdisciplinary applied research are described. The purpose of the theoretical analysis is to generate a methodological discourse suitable for a functional understanding of the mind in the context of the problem of natural language processing as one of the components of developments in the field of artificial intelligence. The conceptual discourse was realized with the help of the author's method of structural-ontological analysis, and developed (...) in the mainstream of the system-methodological tradition of the school of G.P. Shchedrovitsky and intended for descriptive research of subject areas of interdisciplinary objects of scientific study. As a result of the structural and ontological analysis of the super-system, the relevant place and role of the directly studied system (mind) are determined, and its primary process and material are localized and structural and functional connections are described. At the basic level, the mind is conceptualized as an energy process unfolding in a spatio-temporal environment and accompanied by archetypal structuring of neural impulses into images. The genesis of the system is separately analyzed by constructing a structural-ontological matrix that reflects the initial stage of the development of the mind. The primary process is concretized with the help of hetero- and homeostatic dichotomy, and also the most significant features of the consistent transformation of the material of the system and its ascent to verbal morphology are described. The structural-ontological comparison of the functioning of the verbal intelligence with the preverbal level has been carried out. The transformation of neural impulses of needs into words, as verbal units fixing semiotic values is analyzed. Structural-ontological connections that determine the reactive and prospective characteristics of the functioning of the system are disclosed. The position of the chronological primacy of "semiotic readiness" for language with respect to the debut of the latter as an information-sign model of the environment is argued. The hypothesis of domination at the initial stage of the development of the mind of exopsychic functions over endopsychic ones is formulated. The theoretical substantiation of the hypothesis of the inevitability of the ontology of language in the functional understanding of the mind is given, corresponding structural and ontological arguments are given, including those based on the ideas about the information relationship between affects and needs, according to the views of P.V. Simonov. The arguments are presented in favor of the non-alternative methodology of A. Turing in studies of artificial intelligence. (shrink)

Purpose. This article is devoted to the case study of relevant linguacultural stereotypes of the particular organization’s managerial culture and based on corresponding results the inquiry of the discourses formation features associated with the lexico-semantic meanings dispersion of (Foucault). -/- Methods and Procedure of Research. Top managers of a large Ukrainian enterprise (67 respondents) were asked to arbitrarily describe the following concepts – “manager”, “subordinate”, “managerial style”. Each concept was differentiated according to the principle of the lexico-semantic opposition (“productive – (...) counterproductive”). The obtained set of texts was lemmatized and a frequency analysis of the lemmas was carried out as well. Collocations were also evaluated, in particular, repeated n-grams were identified. In the further analysis were used all detected n-grams and those lemmas, the observed frequencies of which statistically significantly exceeded the expected ones. -/- Results. Discourse formation features are determined by the paradigmatic relations of lexico-semantic units (words) and their semantic linear compatibility. The paradigmatic dispersion of a discourse is represented by the quality of connections between lemmas according to the criterion of the paradigm types to be found. Also informative is the assessment of the lemmas number (granularity of the discourse) and the spectrum diversity of paradigmatic relations in the discourse. These parameters reflect the properties of homogeneity/complexity of discourse meanings dispersion. The syntagmatic dissemination of discourse is manifested by the features of the words semantic linear interrelationship in each n-gram. This parameter reflects the quality of rationalizations (verbal-logical chains) associated with the corresponding discourses. The length of n-grams (the number of words) is also indicative – the higher n, the more differentiated the discourse is and vice versa. Matching the words semantics in n-grams with lemmas allows one to draw a conclusion regarding the internal consistency (integration) of the discourse. -/- Conclusions. Psycholinguistic tools can be effectively used in an organizational phenomena study. In particular, the frequency analysis of lemmas, their lexico-semantic evaluation, as well as the qualitative analysis of n-grams in the problem-targeted texts of respondents allows one to solve applied research issues related to the assessment of current linguacultural trends in an organization and understanding their possible causes. Managerial culture, as a linguacultural phenomenon, is represented by a set of stably reproduced discourses in the process of the organization’s functioning. At the same time, discourses are constituted by the dispersion of meanings (words), which is being realized in two linguistic dimensions – paradigmatic and syntagmatic ones. (shrink)

Публикация (#2) из научно-популярного цикла: "Структурная онтология познания с доктором Шимко".

B a c k g r o u n d. Sinicized Marxism involves the utilization of Marxist theory to address issues specific to China and the transformation of China's rich practical experience into theory, combined with Chinese history and traditional culture. This can be observed in the context of the exploration of philosophical-anthropological issues. M e t h o d s. The key methods employed to address the outlined tasks were comparative and dialectical. The use of the comparative method allowed (...) for the identification of commonalities and differences in the understanding of the human problem in Western European and contemporary Chinese philosophy. The inclusion of the dialectical method helped reveal contradictions in the explication of the nature and meaning of human existence by various contemporary Chinese thinkers. R e s u l t s. It has been found that contemporary Chinese thinkers perceive a dichotomy in human nature–social and natural. Considering not only Karl Marx's works but also those of other Western philosophers, particularly Immanuel Kant, Marxist philosophers in China emphasize the social component of human nature, which is crucial to individuality. C o n c l u s i o n s. It is argued that Sinicized Marxism, like its Soviet counterpart, also incorporates the concept of the "new man" whose life's purpose is to exist exclusively based on the principles and values of Marxist philosophy. The formation and functioning of this concept are influenced by extensive discussions regarding the role of humans in history. Sinicized Marxism emphasizes that each individual, living in society, pursues their own specific values and, guided by them, acts to achieve their realization. Although these goals and actions are diverse, varied, and contradictory, there is a common essence underlying this mass of individual goals and actions. Accordingly, contemporary Chinese thinkers assert that within a specific historical society, people are integrated independently of their will and desire into a unique system of material relations that constitutes their social existence. As a result, they are in a certain way connected within each formation and with the means of production. Production relations organize people, stimulate their activities, generate certain relationships and dependencies among social groups. Common interests, reflected in consciousness, more or less consciously, unite people, motivating them to strive for the realization of certain social goals. The thesis is substantiated that although Sinicized Marxism emphasizes the social goal of human life, it also encompasses considerations about the existential aspect, manifested in living for self-improvement and for the sake of others. (shrink)

The text comments and explains the Ukrainian translation of Max Gorkheimer's paper “History and Psychology”.

The appearance of the first Hermes Trismegistus’ texts in cultural space «Slavia Orthodoxa» falls on XV century: in Serbian literature Konstantin Filozof’s «Žitije despota Stefana Lazarevića» and in old Ukrainian “Palais Krekhivsky” described by Ivan Franko. Serbian version contains only few lines, but Ukrainian includes individual and very complete section on Hermes Trismegistus’ life. It provides the information on the origin of Hermes, on the story of his father, and on his studying of secret alchemical knowledge in Egypt. Separately is (...) Hermes understanding of the Trinity divine nature allocated. Orthodox literature of XV century is mostly apophatic. Following the Christian thought of first centuries, which in the face of pseudo-Dionysius Aeropahit stated, that the description accuracy of God is in denial terms only and that our language is not developed enough to express the divine essence. Such statements can be found in the Slavic texts of Hermes. God’s Hermes nature is also stated in apophatic style that is consistent to intellectual atmosphere of Orthodox Slavs. So the scribes were able to tailor the Hermetism founder’s image to their needs, concerning questions on the nature of the Holy Trinity being. In general, it did not contradict to Hermetism, which believes that the more there are meanings contradict to each other, the more obscure the words are used, the more expressed is shown in confusing characters, the more they are suitable to describe the Absolute. (shrink)

This paper is dedicated to the mind-body problem. My aim is to show that not only consciousness resists to reductive explanation, but also that the latter itself is a big, complex and yet unsolved problem.And if there is a gap between conscious phenomenal experience and other psychical processes as dualists think I will show that similar gaps exist between different facts of such sciences as psychology (intentions, desires etc.) and neurophysiology (activation of nervous system). And the very fact of existence (...) of such gaps is compatible with physicalism. I also aim to show that resistance of consciousness's reduction to the physical processes is compatible with the doctrine of physicalism.The well-known argument in the defense of dualism belongs to the philosopher David Chalmers which is often also called “the zombie-argument". This argument tries to demonstrate that consciousness is irreducible to the physical facts. Zombie- argument grounds on the two premises: 1) reducibility of physical facts and 2) the possibility of complete physics. The former means that conjunction of all microphysical facts is sufficient for inference of the only one conjunction of macrophysical facts. I will try to show that we can infer from the very same conjunction of microphysical facts to different conjunctions of macrophysical facts even if the whole system would be identical in its own behaviour. Thereafter if my arguments are sound it would demonstrate that irreducibility of consciousness isn't enough for conclusion that physicalism is wrong. (shrink)

The article proposes systematisation and development of the discourse of the East European methodological traditions regarding application of the systematic approach as a way of subject localisation in psychological research. In particular, the author’s version of systematic localisation of psychological research subjects by means of structural and ontological visualisations has been developed. The procedure proposed for systematic localisation of the researched subject includes four subsequent stages: 1) fixation of the borders and structure of the ontological field which is being studied; (...) 2) segment analysis of the obtained structure; 3) study of specifics and contents of structural and functional ties; 4) visual mapping of genesis of the core processes. The article describes specifics of application of systematic localisation of the subject of research at the example of such researched object as personal socialisation. (shrink)

Публикация (#1) из научно-популярного цикла: "Структурная онтология познания с доктором Шимко".

Purpose. An empirical verification of the Hemingway’s “sad hypothesis” and study of some individual characteristics of a discourse formation in a process of short texts understanding. -/- Methods and procedure of research. The study was based on the principle of a standardized interview, which was carried out on a random sample (103 respondents) using the questionnaire. The subjects interpreted two proverbs and the short story by Hemingway (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn”). In each case, it was proposed to choose (...) one of the six ready-made interpretations or to create an original one. Proverb explications were classified by experts as “normative” or “deviating”, and interpretations of the story were evaluated into “sad” or “pragmatic” ones. Also, a “normativity index” was calculated for each respondent, reflecting the number of normative renditions of proverbs. The Psychogeometric test was used, and such socio-demographic characteristics were recorded as: gender, age, having children. -/- Results. This study refutes the “sad hypothesis” regarding Hemingway’s six-word story affect. The prevalence of pragmatic type interpretation over sentimental one is statistically significant. The type of interpretation turned out to be not directly related to any of the considered socio-demographic characteristics. It was found that the sad interpretation of the story reliably corresponds to a high normativity of the proverbs explications. Conversely, respondents with deviating interpretations of proverbs were significantly more likely to interpret Hemingway’s story in a pragmatic way. Differential psychological features, which were distinguished using the Psychogeometric test, turned out to be an insignificant predictor of the six-word story interpretations. -/- Conclusions. The analysis of the research results made it possible to argue the thesis that the differences in the formation of individual discourses are directly related to a worldview and indirectly determined by other factors in turn influencing the outlook. The interaction of the worldview with discursive practice that arises in the process of short texts understanding is carried out according to differential scenarios. These scenarios are conditioned by such individual characteristics as discursive conformity and discursive lability, which, in turn, correspond with high and low normativity, respectively. Above features are cognitive in nature. Their ontological localization coincides with the I-language (Chomsky). (shrink)

Objective. Study of the validity and reliability of the discourse approach for the psycholinguistic understanding of the nature, structure, and features of the linguistic consciousness functioning. -/- Materials & Methods. This paper analyzes artificial neural network models built on the corpus of texts, which were obtained in the process of experimental research of the coronavirus quarantine concept as a new category of linguistic consciousness. The methodology of feedforward artificial neural networks (multilayer perceptron) was used in order to assess the possibility (...) of predicting the leading texts semantics based on the discourses ranks and their place in the respective linear sequence. Same baseline parameters were used to predict respondents' self-assessments of changes in their psychological well-being and in daily life routine during the quarantine, as well as to predict their preferences of the quarantine strategies. The study relied on basic ideas about discourse as a meaning constituted by the dispersion of other meanings (Foucault). The same dispersion mechanism realizes itself in interdiscourse interaction, forming a discursive formation at a higher level. The method of T-units (Hunt) was used to identify and count discourses in the texts. The ranking of discourses was provided based on the criterion of their semantic-syntactic autonomy. -/- Results. The conducted neural network modeling revealed a high accuracy in predicting the work of the linguistic consciousness functions associated with retrospective self-assessment and anticipatory imagination of the respondents. Another result of this modeling is a partial confirmation of the assumption concerning existence a relationship between the structural parameters of the discursive field (the rank of the discourses and their place in the respective linear sequence) and the leading semantics of the text. -/- Conclusions. A discourse approach to the study of linguistic consciousness, understanding of its structure and functioning features seems to be reasonably appropriate. The implementation of the approach presupposes the need to form a base of linguistic corpora with the inclusion in each text markup of such parameters as: the presence of specific discourses, their ranks, positions in the linear sequence of discourses. (shrink)

Description of the materials of current issue of Sententiae, devoted to Kant's philosophy.

In this article, advertising is considered in line with the anthropological approach. Advertising is presented as a special anthropological reality, which simultaneously reflects and forms the essential characteristics of human. In this reality, modern human is able to socialize, self-identify, consume and transmit information. The transformation of advertising is heterogeneous and depends on many social factors. Transformation is considered in the course of the panopticon. The panopticon was especially mentioned in the second half of the 20th century, when universal surveillance (...) and observation began to become commonplace, and 21st century life is difficult to imagine without the digital and electronic gadgets that meet us at every turn. From an anthropological point of view, the essence of advertising reflects the social and cultural code of society, which reduces the level of negative feedback and increases the level of acceptance in the mass consciousness. The process of transformation of advertising is ongoing. Given the widespread use of advertising in various spheres of human life, advertising is becoming one of the most important forms of communication. Creating an information field, advertising draws attention to the pragmatic aspects of life, which creates a worldview and attitude to the world around. Advertising ideas reflect the communicative level and development of human and society, which is an indicator of the development of society at a certain stage. Understanding human advertising is a perception of a separate information and communication reality. Extending to the global level, it creates a large communication space for certain groups of people. The author concludes that, in terms of anthropological approach, human is not only an object but also a real subject of advertising. Advertising is a specific way of creative human self-realization, in which there is a design, translation and perception of advertising images. (shrink)

Nietzsche’s metaphorical statements often are used to show the vagueness, contradiction, and radicalism of his ideas. The author of the article proves that Nietzsche's metaphorical style is a part of philosophical tools, and it constitutes the philosopher's methodology of knowledge. The main attention is focused on: (1) a set of factors that shaped Nietzsche's linguistic criticism – ideological motivations of an anti-metaphysical nature, key trends in the comprehension of language, and a fascination with music – and their role in the (...) formation of the philosopher's metaphorical style is shown; (2) instrumental features of Nietzsche's metaphor in the process of cognition. In the first part of the article, the author concludes that the problem of concepts as a key linguistic problem for Nietzsche is the falsity of their content and proves that this was the reason for the philosopher's “search for a new form” of writing and, ultimately, his use of metaphors. In the second part of the article, the author interprets Nietzsche's metaphor as a possibility of “infinite clarification”, which made it possible to substantiate the perspective nature of Nietzsche's cognition. (shrink)

This article provides a detailed analysis of anthropological views of M. Smotrytsky that were outlined in his polemical essay "Trenos". We have analyzed a philosophical treatise of the work to identify a belonging of Ukrainian thinker to the medieval philosophical discourse. We also demonstrated novelty of M. Smotrytsky views against the backdrop of Ukrainian philosophical thought of XVII century. The main focus of the article is made upon the reception of medieval philosophical theories about the origin of life and the (...) human body, which made M. Smotrytsky. In this article we provided a detailed analysis of all presentation logic understanding of the phenomenon of the human body presented by Ukrainian philosopher. (shrink)

The emergence of the Cossack community on the southern border was conditioned by its population growth and the necessity to protect Ukrainian lands from Tatar expansion. The long stay of the Cossacks far from the volosts (rural municipalities) raise the need for uniting into cohesive troops led by an experienced ataman. They built fortified towns and small settlements to defend against Horde attacks and securely store their booty. Russian officials wanted to use the Cossack potential and repeatedly offered the ruler (...) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to build a powerful fortress on the border with the Crimean Khanate in the 20s and 40s of the ХVІ c. However, due to a shortage of resources, Prince Dmytro Vyshnevetskyi was only able to realize this idea later. There are different versions regarding the castle’s location, purpose, and architectural style. However, the idea of identifying Vyshnevetskyi “town” with the so-called “Khortytska Sich” seems doubtful. No direct evidence of the Sich’s functioning in the 50s of the XVI c. has been found in written sources. Only the presence of a “fortress” or “castle” in Zaporizhzhia is recorded. At the same time, a representative of an aristocratic family made great efforts to defend Ukrainian lands, thus contributing to the consolidation of the Cossack community. This marks the outstanding role of Prince-knight Dmytro Vyshnevetskyi in national history. The castle he built on the Kichkaskii cape of the Dnipro River, also documented in the sources as Mala Khortytsia, served as a prototype for fortifications of the Zaporozhian community. This community, established on the island of Tomakivka in the ХVІ с., came to be known as the Zaporozhian Sich. (shrink)

The process of the liquidation of the Hetmanate lasted for decades because of its scale and the constant need of Russia in the Cossack Army. Empress Elizabeth’s regime continued the centralizing policies introduced by Tsar Peter I. In anticipation of the possible consequences of this centralization, in the early 1860s Hetman Kyrylo Rozumovskyi tried to strengthen local governance by reforming his administrative system and judiciary, outlining the justification of his measures in an appeal to Empress Catherine II, entitled “Petition of (...) the Little Russian Nobility and Officers, Together with the Hetman Concerning the Restoration of Various Old Rights of Little Russia.” At the same time, Catherine II’s State Secretary, Grigorii Teplov expressed opposite views to the positions expounded in the “Petition,” in his so-called “Notes on Violations in Little Russia.” The main theses of Teplov’s memorandum were used by the Empress in secret guidelines issued to Petr Rumiantsev in his position as the President of the Second Little Russian Collegium. The reasoning of the above-mentioned documents formed the basis for Rumiantsev for the liquidation of the Ukrainian state. (shrink)