The article explores the relationship between the concepts of “statehood” and “state” in Ukrainian legal science. It is shown that despite the frequent identification of these categories in academic sources, their content differs significantly. Based on the analysis of works by Ukrainian intellectuals (A. Sheptytskyi, V. Vynnychenko) and modern scholars (V. Hrechenko, V. Selivanov, I. Boiko, I. Terliuk), it is substantiated that statehood is the foundation and prerequisite of a state, can exist even in the absence of a formal sovereign organization, and its essence lies in the continuity and sequence of Ukrainian state-building from the unions of East Slavic tribes to modern independent Ukraine. The state is defined as a sovereign political-territorial organization of society, the main features of which are: territory, population, public authority, sovereignty, legal system, tax system, and official state symbols. Meanwhile, the essence of statehood is much richer than that of the state, as it encompasses over a thousand years of history, culture, and legal heritage, the mentality of the people, and their desire for self-determination. The following properties of Ukrainian statehood are distinguished: historical continuity; the tradition of unbroken continuity; state-building; political, economic, legal, historical, cultural, social, mythological, and religious factors of statehood. The article proves that the content of statehood is significantly broader compared to the concept of “state”. Statehood is a kind of foundation, the roots of a state, while the latter, in turn, is one of its components – a kind of crown of statehood.

Authored books

1. Vynnychenko V, Zapovit bortsiam za vyzvolennia (Krynytsia 1991) (in Ukrainian).

2. Mytropolyt Andrei Sheptytskyi, Nasha Derzhavnist. Yak buduvaty Ridnu Khatu (Artos 2010) (in Ukrainian).

3. Selivanov V, Pravo i vlada suverennoi Ukrainy. Metodolohichni aspekty (In Yure 2002) (in Ukrainian).

Edited books

4. Ukrainska derzhavnist: istoryko-pravnychi narysy (V Smolii (zah red), 2-he vyd., dopovn., Pravo Ukrainy 2021) (in Ukrainian).

Journal articles

5. Boiko I, ‘Vstupne slovo [Aktualna tema nomera: “Istoryko-pravova doktryna ukrainskoi derzhavnosti”’] [2020] 1 Pravo Ukrainy 12 (in Ukrainian).

6. Hrechenko V, ‘Do pytannia pro sutnist poniattia “derzhavnist”’ [2002] 20 Visnyk Kharkivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu vnutrishnikh sprav 245 (in Ukrainian).

7. Terliuk I, ‘“Derzhava” i “derzhavnist”: do problemy teoretyko-pravovoho ta istoryko- pravovoho zmistu poniat v konteksti ukrainskoho (natsionalnoho) derzhavotvorennia’ [2021] 23 Див.: Українська державність: історико-правничі нариси (н 1) 49. 1(29)8 Visnyk Natsionalnoho universytetu “Lvivska politekhnika”. Seriia: “Iurydychni nauky” 19 https://doi.org/10.23939/law2021.29.017 (in Ukrainian).

8. Terliuk I, ‘Ukrainska derzhavnist: kontseptualni zasady, sutnisnyi zmist i vzaiemozviazok iz derzhavoiu’ [2025] 1–2 Ukrainska derzhavnist 14–19 (in Ukrainian).

Newspaper articles

9. “Skarbnytsia pamiatok ukrainskoho prava” – pravova spadshchyna ukrainskoi derzhavnosti: [do 100-richchia vokniazhinnia Ya. Mudroho] (Holos Ukrainy. 2019. 13 lystop. № 217) 1, 5–11 (accessed 27.06.2026) (in Ukrainian).

Encyclopaedias

10. Velykyi entsyklopedychnyi yurydychnyi slovnyk (Iu Shemshuchenko (red), 2-he vyd., pererobl. i dopovn., Yurydychna dumka 2012) 187 (in Ukrainian).

Websites

11. Skarbnytsia pamiatok ukrainskoho prava. Natsionalnyi proiekt (Iurydychne vydavnytstvo “Pravo Ukrainy”, 2019) 33 (accessed 27.06.2026) (in Ukrainian).