This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the human factor as a central catalyst for the transformation of Ukraine’s food industry during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It examines how the socio-economic reforms of the 1860s, particularly the abolition of serfdom, stimulated entrepreneurial growth among various social groups – from landowners and merchants to artisans, wealthy peasants, and former serfs. The research investigates the impact of entrepreneurial activity on the development of key food industry sectors – sugar, flour milling, distilling, brewing – and the formation of regional production hubs in the Kyiv, Podillia, and Volhynia governorates. Special attention is given to the Tereshchenko, Symyrenko, and Yakhnenko dynasties, who implemented advanced European technologies, modernized production capacities, improved product quality, and expanded output to millions of poods annually. Their influence extended beyond economics – they funded hospitals, educational institutions, and cultural establishments, promoted vocational and technical training, and created conditions for the preparation of skilled engineering and technical personnel. The article also highlights the role of fair trade networks and transport infrastructure (railways, river routes) in expanding markets, integrating Ukrainian products into the imperial and international economy. It emphasizes the strong link between the food industry and the agricultural sector, which provided a raw material base and stimulated related industries. The study concludes that the combination of entrepreneurial initiative, labor mobility, socio-cultural adaptation, and innovation became the foundation for the sustainable growth, competitiveness, and further industrialization of the food industry in the 20th century, while shaping a new industrial work culture and fostering social mobility.

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