Establishing twinning relations of Kyiv with Chicago and Toronto

The aim of the article is to study prerequisites and formalization process of inter-municipal cooperation of Kyiv with Chicago and Toronto held in July 1991. Methods of research: historical-genetic, comparative historical analysis, historical-biographical, structural-functional. Main results. The Kyiv City Council and its executive committee senior officials regarded the establishment of twinning relations of Kyiv with two North American cities mentioned above as an important component of enhanced cooperation between the Kyiv City Council and the Ukrainian western diaspora. Contacts of Kyiv authorities with representatives of the Ukrainian western diaspora and American and Canadian officials in 1990 along with increasing costs for international links contributed to the intensification of preparations for the process of institutional twinning between Kyiv and two mentioned North American cities held in July 1991. The latter coincided with the 1st anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine and the 100th anniversary of the arrival of first ethnic Ukrainians in Canada. Institutional twinning between Kyiv and Chicago took place in the latter, whereas the same process between Kyiv and Toronto was held in the capital of the Ukrainian SSR; formalization of twinning between Kyiv and the named two North American cities involved Kyiv City authorities who were accompanied by the members of the Ukrainian western diaspora and senior officials representing the USA, Canada and the Ukrainian SSR. The signing of inter-municipal agreements of Kyiv with Chicago and Toronto led to additional meetings with the participation of authorities, highest officials and participants of public organizations of the Ukrainian western diaspora; twinning between Kyiv and Toronto was covered by Ukrainian newspapers better than the same process between Kyiv and Chicago. Practical meaning of the article consists in the possibility of using its conclusions for the further studies of the history of twinning of Ukrainian cities. Originality of the article lies in setting its goal and the combined use of domestic and foreign concrete historical sources. Scientific novelty of the article consists in the attempt of comprehensive investigation of establishment of twinning links of Kyiv with Chicago and Toronto based on a broad range of sources. Type of article: research.