World War I proved air forces to be a critical driver for warfare outcomes. Mastery of the latest technology appeared to be crucial to the battle’s success. The combat capabilities of airplanes improved manifold due to the increased power of aircraft engines, thus initiating a new era in aeronautics. By July 1917, the aviation of the Russian Empire included 91 air squadrons and 5 units of heavy multi-engine aircraft known as Ilya Muromets. Several enterprises, including the town of Aleksandrovsk, were manufacturing engines for these planes. The origin of engine production in Aleksandrovsk was associated with the establishment of a branch of Petrograd Joint Stock Company of Electromechanical Structures called Deka. The article aims at analyzing the prerequisites and conditions for the foundation of an aircraft engine enterprise in Ukraine. While drafting the article, the authors relied on chronological, historiographical, and other historical methods of research, which have been widely used both in considering the contribution and influence of certain individuals and reviewing the stages of creation and development of separate enterprises, as well as specific industries. Based on the retrospective analysis, the prerequisites and conditions of the foundation of the aircraft engine enterprise in Aleksandrovsk, Ukraine, were considered. There was a severe gap between the Russian Empire and European countries in the development pace of the aviation industry during World War I. This prompted the Russian Empire to raise foreign capital, as well as attract technologies and specialists to develop aircraft engineering and other industries. By 1917, the plant had gained the status of Russia’s largest engine-building enterprise in terms of building area and one of the best in equipment. It is evident that the beginning of aircraft engine production in Aleksandrovsk relates to the establishment of a branch of Petrograd Joint Stock Company of Electromechanical Structures and the plant’s purchase from the Moznaim brothers.

Among the scientists of European greatness, who at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries showed interest to the folklore of Galicia (Halychyna) and Galician Ukrainians, contributed to their national and cultural revival, one of the leading places is occupied by the outstanding Ukrainian scientist Ivan Verkhratskyi (in some other sources – Verkhratsky). He was both naturalist and philologist, as well as folklorist and ethnographer, organizer of scientific work, publisher and popularizer of Ukrainian literature, translator, publicist and famous public figure. I. H. Verkhratskyi was also an outstanding researcher of plants and animals of Eastern Galicia, a connoisseur of insects, especially butterflies, the author of the first school textbooks on natural science written in Ukrainian. The scientist also wrote poetry and translated from foreign languages. The article covers the life and scientific and pedagogical activities of I. H. Verkhratskyi – one of the founders of Ukrainian natural science, who made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian natural terminology and nomenclature, the author of the first textbooks on botany, zoology, mineralogy. The authors believe that I. H. Verkhratskyi can be considered one of the founders of Ukrainian scientific terminology in Natural Science, and today his works in this area remain relevant. These works are also valuable from the historical and cognitive points of view as one of the sources for studying the process of formation of the Ukrainian literary language and scientific and natural terminology. I. H. Verkhratskyi devoted himself to the establishment of the Ukrainian literary language, its scientific and journalistic backgrounds, and made a significant contribution to lexicography, dialectology, and schooling. Based on the scientific publications and memoirs of his colleagues and students, the authors have recreated the main stages of his biography and considered his professional career. His activity in the field of formation of natural science terminology have been considered in detail. Dialectological materials of the scientist and researcher I. H. Verkhratskyi are still actively used to study the Galician and Transcarpathian dialects. His achievements as a scientist, teacher and popularizer of science has been summarized.

The article substantiates the forms and methods of Ukrainian primary school pupils' problem-solving skills formation. The effects caused by the lack or absence of such skills in children are shown. Purpose of the article: to substantiate the forms and methods of primary school pupils' preparation for solving life problems. Purpose of the article: to substantiate the forms and methods of primary school pupils' preparation for solving life problems. The following problems that occur with primary school pupils are classified: cognitive, procedural, related to communication, emotional states, problems of recognition, security. On the basis of tests, questionnaires and conversations with schoolchildren, the difficult situations which frequently happen in children's lives are revealed. The mistakes which pupils have made during testing are identified. The lessons which might help to solve the problems are displayed. Case studies, in relation to interactive technology methods, have been analysed as the effective way to solve pupils' problems. Examples of case situations are given. Diagnostic tools for measuring pupils' awareness of problem-solving skills are identified. Indicators of awareness levels (high, sufficient, initial) are determined. The effectiveness of the proposed forms and methods of work has been proved experimentally. The emphasis is placed on the need to improve the training of future educators in the direction of pupils' problem-solving skills formation.

It is noted that the development of a progressive society is dynamic, with a tendency to constantly accelerate, complicate and change, so the integration of Ukraine into the international educational space is the main task of Ukrainian education in general and preschool education in particular. Preschool education is not only a system of knowledge for its transmission to the younger generation, but also the most important means of creating a successful future for all mankind, and the key goal of education is a mature and educated person. It is noted that private preschools can become an effective alternative to public kindergartens only if the requirements set out in the State Standard for Preschool Education are met. The current state of the network of preschool educational institutions (PEI) of different types and forms of ownership (public, municipal, private, corporate, family) is analysed and regional indicators of the end of 2020 – beginning of 2021 are taken into account. It is determined that private and corporate PEI can help to solve national problems with groups overcrowding, low quality of educational and developmental environment organization (subject-spatial, psychological-didactic, social-communication and motivational-cognitive components), inclusive education organization, implementation of ideas of the best international experience, insufficient number of PEI in Ukraine.