All-Ukrainian Archeological Committee

All-Ukrainian Archeological Committee (Всеукраїнський археологічний комітет; Vseukrainskyi arkheolohichnyi komitet or ВУАК; VUAK). A scholarly research body formed in 1924 out of the Archeological Commission of the historical-philological division of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. VUAK was active until 1933. It became a separate scholarly institution and the main authority on the preservation of Ukrainian cultural and archeological monuments. VUAK was divided into two departments—archeology and art—and had three special commissions. Most of the archeologists working in Ukraine were associated with it. Its president for many years was the art scholar and academician Oleksii Novytsky. Its vice-president was the archeologist Serhii Hamchenko. Among its members and associates were Mykola Biliashivsky, Danylo Shcherbakivsky, Mykhailo Rudynsky, Fedir Ernst, Mykola O. Makarenko, Petro Kurinny, Ippolit Morgilevsky, Vasyl Liaskoronsky, M. Novytska, and Valeriia Kozlovska. The most important research projects undertaken by VUAK were excavations of the late Neolithic Period burial ground near Mariupol, the Trypillia culture settlements on the Dnipro River and the Dnister River, the Bilohrudivka culture sites near Uman, the Raikiv fortified settlement near Berdychiv, and the monuments of the Antes in Olbia and on the Berezan Island. Its expeditions to new construction sites were important: to the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station (1927–32), led by Dmytro Yavornytsky; to the Southern Buh (Boh River) Hydroelectric Station (1930–2), led by F. Kozubovsky; and to the Mariupol Azovstal Metallurgical Plant (1930–1), led by Makarenko.

Neonila Kordysh-Holovko

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 1 (1984).]