The paper examines the idea of statehood as a conceptual foundation in the publicistic works of Mykhailo Demkovych-Dobrianskyi. It is established that Demkovych-Dobrianskyi's worldview was rooted in patriotism, active national consciousness, and an anti-imperial narrative advocating for Ukraine's political independence.

Mykhailo Demkovych-Dobrianskyi was a historian, publicist, editor, and the first head of the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe (1956–1972). He began his publicistic career in the early 1930s in the esteemed Lviv-based journal «Dzvony». There, he promoted the statehood ideas of Viacheslav Lypynskyi and his follower Vasyl Kuchabskyi, and analyzed the political systems of contemporary European nations. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi notably compared the ideas of Italian fascist corporatism with Lypynskyi's concept of classocracy.

After World War II, M. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi continued advocating for Ukrainian independence through the pages of diaspora publications and on the airwaves of Radio Free Europe's Ukrainian Service. He also contributed to the monumental «Encyclopedia of Ukrainian Studies», published in the West in the second half of the 20th century. Among other contributions, he edited key encyclopedia entries such as «nation», «Ukrainian People's Republic in exile» and others. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi authored the preface to UNR figure Oleksandr Lototskyi's work «Symon Petliura: As a Politician and Statesman» (1951), in which he highlighted Petliura's crucial role in shaping Ukraine's state-building tradition.

Under the editorship of M. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi, a major debate began in the Munich journal «Problem»y concerning the issue of Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation in the context of the future formation of independent Ukraine and Poland. M. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi was one of the few scholars in the diaspora who decided to impartially examine the relationship between Ukrainians and Russians over the centuries. The publicist prophetically believed that Ukraine's future as a separate, independent state depended on whether the «Russia-Ukraine» problem could be resolved.

The article employs historical, chronological, biographical, and comparative methods.

1. Kravets, D. (2020). Yevreiskyi ta polskyi dyskursy u seredovyshchi ukrainskoi diaspory v 1940-kh – 1980-kh rr. (za materialamy arkhivu M.Demkovycha-Dobrianskoho) [Jewish and Polish Discourses within the Ukrainian Diaspora in the 1940s–1980s (Based on the Materials of M. Demkovych-Dobriansky's Archive)]. Naukovi zapysky Natsionalnoho universytetu «Ostrozka akademiia». Seriia «Istorychni nauky», no. 31, pp. 157–164 [In Ukrainian].
2. Kuchabskyi, Yu. (2013). Vasyl Kuchabskyi. Dovhe povernennia do ridnoi domivky [Vasyl Kuchabskyi. A long return to the native home]. Lviv [In Ukrainian].
3. Dovidka shchodo peredachi V.Simovychu oryhinalu lysta M. Demkovycha-Dobrianskoho (z Berlina), shchodo V. Lypynskoho. 1932 r. [Certificate regarding the transfer to V. Simovych of the original letter of M. Demkovych-Dobryanskyi (from Berlin), regarding V. Lypynskyi. 1932]. Lvivska natsionalna naukova biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V. Stefanyka. Viddil rukopysiv. Fond 252, file 1095. 1 ark. [In Ukrainian].
4. Komarytsia, M. (2007). Ukrainska «katolytska krytyka»: fenomen 20−30-kh rr. XX st. [Ukrainian «Catholic criticism»: a phenomenon of the 20s and 30s of the 20th century]. Lviv [In Ukrainian].
5. Lyst M. Demkovycha-Dobrianskoho do redaktsii vydannia «Meta». 23.06.1992. [Letter of M. Demkovich-Dobryanskyi to the editors of the «Meta» publication. 23.06.1992.]. Lvivska natsionalna naukova biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V. Stefanyka. Viddil rukopysiv. Fond 298, op. 2, file 344. 1 ark. [In Ukrainian].
6. Komarytsia, M. (1997). Zhurnal «Dzvony» (1931‒1939). Systematychnyi pokazhchyk zmistu [«Dzvony» journal (1931‒1939). Systematic table of contents]. Lviv [In Ukrainian].
7. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi, M. (1936). Vid Kyivskoi Rusy do Viacheslava Lypynskoho [From Kyivan Rus to Vyacheslav Lipinskyi]. Dzvony, no.6‒7, pp. 260‒266 [In Ukrainian].
8. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi, M. (1934). Fashystivskyi korporatyvizm i stanovyi pryntsyp (kliasokratiia) u Lypynskoho [Fascist corporatism and the state principle (classocracy) in Lypinsky’s ideas]. Dzvony, no.12, pp. 564‒572 [In Ukrainian].
9. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi, M. (1936). Ideia vlady v anhliiskii monarkhii [The idea of power in the English monarchy]. Dzvony, no.1‒2, pp. 56‒67 [In Ukrainian].
10. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi, M. (1935). Z pryvodu ukrainskoi knyzhky pro Hitlera [Regarding the Ukrainian book about Hitler]. Dzvony, no.1, pp. 40‒47 [In Ukrainian].
11. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi, M. (1934). Makiavel i makiavellizm [Machiavelli and Maciavelism]. Dzvony, no. 10‒11, pp. 452‒465 [In Ukrainian].
12. Helei, V. (1998). Vasyl Kuchabskyi: vid natsionalnoi idei do derzhavnosti [Vasyl Kuchabsky: from the national idea to statehood.]. Lviv [In Ukrainian].
13. M.Demkovych-Dobrianskyi. Lysty [M. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi. Correspondence]. Biblioteka ta arkhiv Kolumbiiskoho Universytetu (Columbia University Library. Archival Collections). Arkhiv Yu. Shevelova (George Y. Shevelov Papers, 1922−2001). Box 2. Folder 21 [In Ukrainian].
14. Lysty V. Kubiiovycha do M. Demkovycha-Dobrianskoho [Letters of V. Kubiyovych to M. Demkovich-Dobryanskyi]. Lvivska natsionalna naukova biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V. Stefanyka. Viddil rukopysiv. Fomd 298, op.2, file 74. 21 [In Ukrainian].
15. Lahodivskyi, M. Derzhavno-pravovi pidstavy ukrainskoi spravy [State-legal grounds of the Ukrainian case]. Lvivska natsionalna naukova biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V. Stefanyka. Viddil rukopysiv. Fond 298, file 163 [In Ukrainian].
16. Dobrianskyi, M. (1956). Hovoryt Radio Vyzvolennia [Radio Liberty speaking]. New Ulm.
17. Lysty S. Vytvytskoho do M. Demkovycha-Dobrianskoho [Letters of S.Vytvytskyi to M. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi]. Lvivska natsionalna naukova biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V. Stefanyka. Viddil rukopysiv. Fond 298, op. 2, file 433, 6 ark. [In Ukrainian].
18. Lototskyi, O. (1951). Virnist Velykii Idei [Loyalty to the Great Idea]. Preface by M.Dobrianskyi Paris, London. [In Ukrainian].
19. Prychyny nashykh derzhavnytskykh nevdach. Dopovidi M. Demkovycha-Dobrianskoho [The reasons for our state failures. Reports by M.Demkovich-Dobryanskyi]. Lvivska natsionalna naukova biblioteka Ukrainy imeni V. Stefanyka. Viddil rukopysiv. Fond 298, files 38 [In Ukrainian].