The name is Vyacheslav Maksymovich Chornovol – publicist, journalist, 60-year-old, outstanding activist of the human rights movement, political leader during the struggle for Ukrainian statehood, – widely known both in Ukraine and abroad. But the historiography about him is limited to a small number of works, a ten-volume edition of his works was published.

The article highlights the little-known facts of the activities of Vyacheslav Chornovol, connected with the city of Pereyaslav. Vyacheslav Maksymovich began his professional work as a gifted promising journalist. Among his journalistic works is an article devoted to an open-air museum – the first museum-village in Ukraine and one of the first in the USSR to open in Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi.

The young journalist revealed the construction experience, the work of the people involved in the construction of the museum, its concept, features and significance. Comparing this museum with similar ones in European countries, Chornovil determined the great perspective of such ethnographic complexes, which reflect the spirit of the times, give an opportunity to touch history, understand the ethnographic features of Ukrainian architecture, etc.

Unfortunately, the brilliant career of a journalist was interrupted, because V. Chornovil joined the dissident movement and stood in opposition to the Soviet regime. V. Chornovol's further activities are related to the human rights movement and the struggle for Ukrainian statehood.

Began in the 1990s, the revival of Cossack traditions in Ukraine. On October 14, 1991, an all-Ukrainian organization was created – Ukrainian Cossacks, and V. Chornovil was elected hetman.

In 1992, V. Chornovil visited the city of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, where he proclaimed the act of renunciation of the Pereyaslav Act of 1654 on the Reunification Square and took an oath of loyalty to the people of Ukraine. This ideological action had a moral and psychological significance – to debunk the myth about the reunification of Ukraine and Russia, which was created by Russian-Soviet propaganda.

The public and political work, professional activity, literary, journalistic, epistolary heritage of V. Chornovol needs further careful study as a scientist and public and political figure

1. V’iacheslava Chornovil. Vystup na ustanovchomu z’izdi NRU 10 veresnia 1989 roku [Speech at the founding congress of the National People's Republic of Ukraine on September 10, 1989]. In: Ostapenko, P. V. (2008). Usi vydatni postati istorii Ukrainy [All outstanding figures of the history of Ukraine]. Kharkiv, pp. 289-294 [in Ukrainian].
2. Karpenko, H. (1992). Kozatskomu rodu nema perevodu [Cossack family has no translation]. Visnyk Pereiaslavshchyny, June 25, no. 73(8708), p. 1 [in Ukrainian].
3. Kotsiubynska, M. Hrani tvorchoi osobystosti [Faces of creative personality]. In: Chornovil, Valentyna (Eds.). (2002). Chornovil, V. Tvory: U 10-ty t. T. 1. Literaturoznavstvo. Krytyka. Zhurnalistyka [Works: In 10 volumes, Volume 1. Literature. Criticism. Journalism]. Kyiv, pp. 28-35 [in Ukrainian]. Works: In 10 volumes, Volume 1. Literature. Criticism. Journalism
4. Ostapenko, P. V. (2008). Usi vydatni postati istorii Ukrainy [All outstanding figures of the history of Ukraine]. Kharkiv [in Ukrainian].
5. Suchasne ukrainske kozatstvo [Modern Ukrainian Cossacks]. Sait VHO «Spilka veteraniv ta pratsivnykiv sylovykh struktur Ukrainy «ZVYTIaHA». URL: https://zvitiaga.org/catalog/layer/suchastnist1234 [in Ukrainian].
6. Chornovil, V. «Peremahaty mozhna tilky svoieiu vyshchistiu, pravdoiu, i spravedlyvistiu» [«You can win only with your supremacy, truth, and justice»]. In: Chornovil, Valentyna (Eds.). (2007). Chornovil, V. Tvory: U 10-ty t. T. 5. Publitsystyka, dokumenty, materialy «Spravy №196» (1970-1984) [Works: In 10 volumes, Volume 5. Journalism, documents, materials «Cases no. 196» (1970-1984)]. Kyiv, pp. 44-45 [in Ukrainian].
7. Chornovil, V. (2003). Muzei prosto neba [1.09.1965 p.]. [Open Air Museum [1.09.1965 p.]. Peredruk. Visnyk Pereiaslavshchyny, September 23, p. 5 [in Ukrainian].
8. Yaremenko, V. Tak pochynavsia Viacheslav Chornovil [This is how Vyacheslav Chornovil began]. In: Chornovil, Valentyna (Eds.). (2002). Chornovil, V. Tvory: U 10-ty t. T. 1. Literaturoznavstvo. Krytyka. Zhurnalistyka [Works: In 10 volumes, Volume 1. Literature. Criticism. Journalism]. Kyiv, pp. 13-27 [in Ukrainian].