The article deals with the social and cultural activities of Volodymyr Naumenko (1852 – 1919), a prominent representative of the Ukrainian progressive intellectuals of the late 19th – early 20th centuries, teacher and methodologist, editor and publisher, scholar and politician, educator and active public figure. Some aspects of V. Naumenko's creative activity aimed at reviving the national consciousness of the Ukrainian people through the construction of an educational system on a democratic, national basis, the preparation and publishing of textbooks in the native language, the training of teaching staff for public schools are highlighted. The results of the active participation of a figure in such educational societies of the specified period as "Hromada", "Prosvita", "Society for promotion of primary education", "Kyiv Literacy Society" are presented. V. Naumenko's views on the process and features of teacher training for public schools are characterized.