Самогубства в містах Правобережної України напередодні та в роки Першої світової війни

Abstract

A number of factors caused the spreading of suicides in the towns of Rightbank Ukraine at the beginning of XX century are considered in the article. The influence of the First World War on there quantity and feature is realized. The author examines the changes in public consciousness of townspeople depended on the beginning of society transition from traditional stage of development to modern (industrial). One of it’s displays is the decreasing of religion influence on population life, as a result, suicide was not perceived so deeply in the great mass of the population as a terrible sin. At the same time the author came to a conclusion that the wave of suicides was caused by decadent ideas in the society at the beginning of the century speeded up by the revolution 1905 – 1907 and decadent literary men. The most famous representative of this literature was M. Artsybashev, whose popular novel “At the last way” stirred up suicide mood in the society. On the base of periodical press analysis of Right-bank Ukraine of the examined period it is proved that with every coming year before the First World War the number of suicides grew constantly, getting a threatening feature. The most anxious tendency was among students. It’s proved that during the wartime the statistical of suicides decreased. The determinant factor was the forbidden the sale of alcoholic drinks in the region towns. All the same time it is pointed to the cases of suicides because of social-economic situation worsening and discrimination on the national base.