The purpose of the article is to analyze the research and practical activities of the Ukrainian historian and cooperator I. I. Vytanovych, who in exile studied the problems of history, the formation of the national economic complex, cooperation and the cooperative movement. Being an active public figure, he was also engaged in the training of highly educated patriots, economists and cooperators, fighters for the creation of an independent democratic Ukraine.

The methodological basis of the research is a set of scientific principles of historicism, objectivity, scientificity, and systematicity. To analyze the problems interdisciplinary approach, combination of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special historical methods (archival and source analysis, personalization and biography) are used. The mentioned and other methods of intellectual biography contributed to obtaining new knowledge about the life and activity of scientists, revealed the personalized dimension of political, economic and social problems of society.

It is proven that Professor I. I. Vytanovych made a significant contribution to the study of the history of the cooperative movement, the analysis of its economic and social sources and causes of its emergence, highlighting the activities of the first Ukrainian cooperators and the functioning of cooperative societies, cooperative educational structures, their successes and shortcomings. The achievements of I. I. Vytanovych are related to public and scientific research work in the field of history, national economy of Ukraine, economy, history of the Ukrainian cooperative movement, theory and practice of cooperation. I. I. Vytanovych's activities were aimed at the formation of national consciousness, awareness among Ukrainians of the essence of the Ukrainian national idea, forms and methods of its implementation.

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