The aim of this article is to analyse the everyday reality of the Ukrainian village in the 1920s through the lens of correspondence from contributors to the Cabinet of Ukrainian Art, which touches upon daily life, work, cultural practices and the social atmosphere. It has been established that the letters addressed to Kyiv, in particular to Nataliia Kotsiubynska, a staff member of the Cabinet of Ukrainian Art at the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences during the 1920s, represent figures from the provincial intelligentsia – teachers, graduates of teacher-training institutions, and specialists with unique professional experience. Despite their differing social positions, they are united by a shared mindset: a desire for professional fulfilment, education and recognition through their connections with central institutions. The content of teachers’ personal correspondence (for example, from S. Dobroliubova, Y. Klymenko, M. Levytskyi, I. Pustogvar, and M. Yatsulchak) has been analysed. It was found that, in addition to work-related matters, the authors also discussed personal issues in their correspondence. It was noted that teachers quite often engaged in various forms of public work, such as participating in elections, collaborating with newspaper editorial offices, or acting as correspondents for academic institutions with the aim of researching and documenting folk culture. This reflects a typical pattern of survival for intellectuals: versatility, overwork and a lack of financial stability. It has been established that the letters reflect not only the history of cultural activity, but also the psychological state of the rural intelligentsia, which was under considerable pressure and suffered from emotional burnout, characteristic of a significant proportion of the intelligentsia of that time. It is noted that Kyiv is portrayed as a symbol of cultural fulfilment and an unattainable dream, whilst the village is depicted as a place of provincial isolation for the majority of the rural population in the 1920s. At the same time, the letters, influenced by Bolshevik ideology, record the transformation of rural society, religion, folk customs and rituals, although these still held a firm place in the traditional culture of Ukrainians.

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