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June 2019 Newsnet NewsNet News of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies June 2019 v. 59, n. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Who’s Laughing Now?: What Volodymyr Zelensky’s 2 Presidential Win May Mean for Ukraine Studies War on the Academy: The Hungarian Government’s 8 Crackdown on Research Freedom 14 2019 Research Grant Recipients Cohen-Tucker Dissertation 16 Research Fellowship Recipients 21st-Century Approaches to 18 Copyright Law 22 Affiliate Group News 24 Publications 28 Personages 29 In Memoriam 30 Institutional Member News Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) 203C Bellefield Hall, 315 S. Bellefield Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15260-6424 tel.: 412-648-9911 • fax: 412-648-9815 www.aseees.org ASEEES Staff Executive Director: Lynda Park 412-648-9788, [email protected] NewsNet Editor & Program Coordinator: Trevor Erlacher 412-648-7403, [email protected] Communications Coordinator: Mary Arnstein 412-648-9809, [email protected] Membership Coordinator: Sean Caulfield 412-648-9911, [email protected] Convention Manager: Margaret Manges 412-648-4049, [email protected] Financial Support: Roxana Palomino 412-648-4049, [email protected] Who’s Laughing Now?: WHAT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY’S PRESIDENTIAL WIN MAY MEAN FOR UKRAINE STUDIES William Jay Risch GEORGIA COLLEGE It was not supposed to happen this way in Ukraine. Comedian and entertainer Volodymyr Zelensky, a man with no political experience whatsoever, defeated incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, a prominent figure in Ukrainian politics for the past two decades. He won despite Ukraine being five years in a hybrid war with Russia that has cost at least 13,000 lives by late February 2019 and has led to as many as 1.8 million people still being registered as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as of July 2018.1 It was not a defeat. It was a blowout. In the second round of voting held April 21, 2019, Zelensky defeated Poroshenko by an astonishing 73.22 percent to a mere 24.45 percent.2 On the electoral map, Zelensky led in all regions of Ukraine where voting could take place, except for western Ukraine’s Lviv Region.3 Television Crusader Nationwide television had made Zelensky famous. In 2003 he started his television NEWSNETJune 2019 2 company, Kvartal 95 (Block 95), candidates for president, Zelensky’s Kolomoisky gave Zelensky not only which has produced television campaign strategy was bizarre. As air time through the 1+1 channel, but programs, films, and live shows for he began his campaign in January also provided security and logistical not just Ukraine, but the post-Soviet 2019, Zelensky, going by the brand support to Zelensky’s campaign sphere and Eastern Europe. Their name of “Ze,” said idea crowdsourcing team. Andriy Bohdan, Kolomoisky’s television comedy show, Vecherniy and popular referendums would personal lawyer, became Zelensky’s Kvartal (Evening Channel), has been determine his political program.6 legal counsel.7 a hit with audiences since 2008. The Zelensky held few live political rallies. television series Svaty (The In-laws), He did not engage in any ambitious Russian president Vladimir Putin which has completed six seasons, had billboard campaign. Instead, he became Zelensky’s second suspected the highest ratings for three of them performed with his comedy team. puppet master, largely through a in Ukraine. In 2012-14, the Monte His campaign team used the social subtle smear campaign. Euromaidan Carlo Television Festival considered networks and YouTube to broadcast Press claimed that Zelensky’s it among the top three comedy campaign messages. The television campaign program bore an eerie series viewed worldwide, next to network hosting Zelensky’s shows, resemblance to that of the Russian The Big Bang Theory and Desperate 1+1, gave Zelensky a venue for Liberal Democratic Party of Vladimir Housewives.4 appearing as a president on Servant of Zhirinovsky. A website known for the People, narrating a documentary intimidating journalists and political The show that gave Zelensky the on the life of Ronald Reagan (another opponents, Myrotvorets’ (Peacemaker) most political clout was the television actor who became a president), and – called simply a “non-governmental series Sluga Naroda (Servant of greeting viewers with the New Year at organization” by some media – the People), which premiered on midnight, during a spot traditionally claimed that it had intercepted emails Ukrainian television in 2015. Servant reserved for the President of Ukraine. proving that a former pro-Russian of the People is about a struggling high Donbas militant, owner of a crypto- school history teacher in provincial Due to his amorphous campaign currency trading platform, had Ukraine who, frustrated with his rhetoric and his past comedy acts, organized the transfer of cash from country’s political system, delivers an Zelensky seemed like a clown, Russia’s FSB to the Zelensky campaign. impromptu speech against corruption someone else’s puppet. One suspected Euromaidan Press reported this news, that a student films in class. The puppet master was Ihor Kolomoisky, while being unable to verify the student’s video goes viral on YouTube a prominent oligarch who supported information completely.8 Yet at least and gets Zelensky’s character, Vasyl the Euromaidan protests and, some suggested, rightly, that this kind Holoborodko, elected president. after Russia’s military intervention, of Russian support was negligible, Servant of the People is about more funded volunteer battalions to given the enormous resources than just a novice president battling defend Ukraine. While this led to Kolomoisky and his 1+1 television corruption. The series portrays him becoming governor of the channel provided.9 ordinary Ukrainian citizens complicit Dnipropetrovsk Region in Ukraine’s in this culture of corruption, from southeast in 2014, his relations with Still, experts warned that Zelensky’s housewives urging their husbands President Poroshenko soured, and victory would doom Ukraine because to accept bribes so that they can buy he was out of office the next year. Putin would take advantage of his fur coats to neighbors who abuse one The owner of 1+1, Privatbank, and lack of political experience. Alexander another yet will go out of their way to other assets, Kolomoisky allegedly Motyl claimed that Servant of the please government ministers.5 embezzled some $5 billion from People episodes suggested Zelensky Privatbank, causing the Poroshenko was “dangerously pro-Russian.” He Zelensky Hysteria administration to nationalize the argued that Zelensky’s show treats bank in 2016. Kolomoisky left Ukrainian nationalists, not Russia, At first it looked like Zelensky had Ukraine and claimed that the forced as the main threat to the country. no chance of winning. Out of 40 nationalization of his bank was illegal. Zelensky, if elected, may make all kinds NEWSNET June 2019 3 of concessions to Putin, including at all levels of state administration, not students, pensioners, mothers ceding the country’s sovereignty.10 it perpetuated it. A 2018 Gallup on maternity leave, or those disabled Such experts stressed the importance poll found 91 percent of Ukrainians and unable to work) left Ukraine for of Poroshenko winning reelection. claimed government corruption employment abroad.15 The sharp Adrian Karatnycky of the Atlantic was widespread. Ukraine’s national drop in Ukrainians’ living standards, Council said this would protect government was the least trusted in made worse by austerity, has hardly Ukraine from Russian interference the world (9 percent), far below the been the prosperity of the “European running rampant during the median for former Soviet republics dream” shared by Euromaidan elections, and would keep it safe from (48 percent) and the global average activists and their supporters more further Russian military aggression. (56 percent). Even the Yanukovych than five years ago. Quoting Ukrainian historian and administration, overthrown by public intellectual Yaroslav Hrytsak, protests in February 2014, did not Ukraine’s cultural and intellectual Karatnycky concluded that it was have such a low rating, though establishment, while grumbling just a matter of time before Ukraine’s admittedly confidence in thatabout such corruption and educated elite backed Poroshenko government was also extremely weak economic hardships, chose to and thus guaranteed his victory at (no higher than 24 percent).12 Rather side with Poroshenko to the end. the polls: “The main decision for than overcoming the arbitrariness Poroshenko’s presidency reinforced liberals today is whether to support and lawlessness of past regimes, myths they shared and perpetuated Poroshenko in the first round or wait Poroshenko’s encouraged a “culture (sometimes with Western help) until the second.”11 of impunity” where crimes remained about the Euromaidan protests unpunished or uninvestigated, and Ukraine’s war with Russia. The Day of Reckoning security organs detained and Euromaidan protests were about tortured citizens, and far-right a civilizational choice. They were Hrytsak’s liberals did not determine vigilante groups freely intimidated a contest of wills between the the outcome of the presidential race. and assaulted their opponents.13 “tolerant ones” (tolerasty), those Zelensky’s electoral victory was a In late February 2019, investigative who adhered to human rights, rule direct indictment of them and the journalists claimed the son of one of of law, democracy, and European view of Ukraine that they and their Poroshenko’s close business partners
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