EN
The article deals with the analysis of the M. Maksimovich’ scientific views due to his linguistic researches on the problem of the origin and formation of Ukrainian language, lit in a controversy with the Russian Academician M. Pogodin. It is argued in the article that whereas the then original state (mid XIX cent.) of philological science, scientist still unable to create a coherent and consistent Ukrainian language’ origin theory. However, in his research he analyzed the most significant and most critical aspects of this problem. It is emphasized by the author, that those views expressed the ideas and implications opened the way to future scientific research and new linguistic theories. It is known that the opponents of Ukrainian as the state language in Ukraine often refer to the achievements of linguists and historians, which denied the Ukrainian autochthony in their land, and Ukrainian language is considered as an artificial creation or as a dialect of Russian or Polish, etc. Quite often such scientists use the theory of M. Pogodin, who argued that the Ukrainians came to the side of the Carpathians and the Dnieper took place Tatars devastated after Russians. The author of the article examined the M.Maksymovych argument against this theory, attracted to its refutation data written records, living national language of ethnography. Obtained his findings form the basis of his concept Ukrainian language’ origin theory, based on objective scientific data and respond to a number of particular issues with this problem.