Svitlo i plomin′. Rich Pospolyta, 1733–1795

U knyzhtsi «Svitlo i plomin′. Rich Pospolyta, 1733–1795» brytans′kyy istoryk Richard Battervik rekonstruyuvav ostanni desyatylittya isnuvannya Rechi Pospolytoyi — yevropeys′koyi bahatonatsional′noyi derzhavy, yaku tryvalyy chas vvazhaly slabkoyu ta chvoroyu. Pislya pershoho podilu mizh susidamy vona namahalasya vyyty z-pid rosiys′koho vplyvu ta prodemonstruvala zdatnist′ do politychnoho onovlennya i podolannya sotsial′nych ta relihiynych obmezhen′. Prote pravyl′ni, choch i zapiznili prahnennya Rechi Pospolytoyi do modernizatsiyi ta vidnovlennya suverenitetu superechyly interesam Rosiys′koyi imperiyi, Prussiyi ta Avstriyi, yaki vreshti-resht rozshmatuvaly yiyi. Pislya aneksiyi nayrodyuchishych zemel′ i novoho spalachu oporu Kateryna II nakazala ostatochno likviduvaty derzhavu, zayavyvshy, scho imperiya lyshe «povertaye sobi rosiys′ku spadschynu». «Svitlo i plomin′» rozpovidaye pro maloznanyy z ukrayins′koyi perspektyvy period nashoyi istoriyi — vid mizhkoroliv’ya 1733-ho do tret′oho podilu Rechi Pospolytoyi 1795 roku, yakyy chasto zalyshayet′sya u tini Het′manschyny ta natsiyetvorennya CHICH stolittya. Osoblyvu uvahu Battervik prydilyaye Pravoberezhniy Ukrayini, yaka u XVIII stolitti stala arenoyu reform, demohrafichnoho zrostannya ta sotsial′nych i relihiynych transformatsiy. Dlya ukrayins′koho chytacha tsya knyzhka — sponuka pereosmyslyty Rich Pospolytu yak chastynu vlasnoyi istoriyi. A vreshti zhodna chesna vidpovid′ na zapytannya «CHomu ukrayintsi ne rosiyany?» ne mozhe omynuty nashoho mistsya u tsiy derzhavi.