67 DOI https://doi.org/10.36059/978-966-397-111-7/67-90 TRAGIC AND COMIC IN THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE URBAN POPULATION OF UKRAINE IN 1917-1920 Popov V. Z. INTRODUCTION The daily life of the population of industrial areas in the crisis of 1917-1920 could be characterized by a number of specific features. The existence of residents of large cities and workers' settlements was almost completely depended on the rural areas that were providing food supply. When economic ties were disrupted, the urban population found itself in a vulnerable position, unlike the villages, which had a significant degree of autonomy. The social structure of the urban population was quite diverse, which created the possibility of a comparative consideration of behavioral practices of various segments of the population. Some characteristics of urban life during the period of socio-economic changes were belonging to all groups, regardless of their social status. At the same time, there were specific behaviors inherent to the certain categories of citizens. Frequent change of power, and, as a result, changing of the political course in 1917-1920; economic chaos, the blockade of many cities set the task of physical survival for the urban population, in order to solve it various technologies were undertaken. The person who lived in the city permanently satisfied a wide range of needs. In accordance with the nature of his needs, a functional typology of the urban environment was built, which was including industrial, residential and recreational facilities, systems of public centers, communication nodes. The main functions of open urban spaces were communication, commerce, recreation, information. Closed spaces required, first of all, comfort and safety. Events in 1917-1920 in Ukraine, fundamentally changed the basic characteristics of the urban environment of a person, the content of its functions, which respectively predetermined the daily activities of citizens. Ordinary citizens, forced to fight for existence, repeatedly found themselves in situations that had two sides – the tragic and the comic.