Nationalism in Post-Soviet Ukraine
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SEARCHING FOR THE CIVIC STATE: NATIONALISM IN POST-SOVIET UKRAINE by Nicole Heather Ludwig Bachelor of Arts, Simon Fraser University, 1999 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS In the Department of Political Science O Nicole Ludwig 2004 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY February 2004 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: Nicole Ludwig DEGREE: Master of Arts (Political Science) Searching for the Civic State: TITLE OF THESIS: Nationalism in Post-Soviet Ukraine EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Professor Ts yoshi Kawasaki Associat2 rofessor - - Professor Lenard Cohq~~ Senior Supervidor Profess7 dexander Moens Supervisdr Professor Andre Gerolymatos External Examiner Department of History Simon Fraser University DATE APPROVED: PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis: Searching for the Civic State: Nationalism in Post-Soviet Ukraine Author: - (DATE SIGN~D) ABSTRACT This thesis explores the development of Ukrainian nationalism in the post-Soviet era. The central argument of this thesis is that Ukrainian nationalism as it is expressed today does not necessarily fall into the "bad, eastern, ethnic" nationalism that is traditionally associated with Eastern Europe. This malcomprehension of Ukrainian nationalism has resulted in the virtual neglect of this important country in the post-Soviet era. In terms of nationalism, Ukraine has managed to avoid the worst of ethnic cleansing while providing for the forms of inclusion that make a civic state. In the search for a civic state, Ukraine has been more successful than most post-Soviet and, indeed, post- Communist states. Ukraine's present problems of corruption, authoritarian tendencies and a parasitic oligarchy are among the more important problems facing the state today. DEDICATION For my parents, Sandy and Michele. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been completed without the support and assistance of many people over the past two years. The following people deserve my gratitude: To my senior supervisor, Dr. Lenard Cohen, for his time and patient assistance throughout my coursework, proposal preparation and editing processes. To my friend, Karen McKitrick, for her time and effort on the editing process, and for picking me up when I fell. To my other committee members, Dr. Alexander Moens and Dr. Andre Gerolymatos, for taking the time from their schedules to attend my defence. Last, but certainly not least, a thank you to my parents, Sandy and Michele, who not only had the foresight to prepare for a university education, but also provided unquestioning emotional support throughout this journey. TABLE OF CONTENTS .. Approval .............................................................................................................................11 ... Abstract ............................................................................................................................111 Dedication ..........................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................v Table of Contents ..............................................................................................................vi List of Figures ...................................................................................................................ix List of Tables .....................................................................................................................ix List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ...............................................................................x Introduction .......................................................................................................................1 1. The Case Study: Ukraine in Perspective ...................................................................... 2 2 . Overview of the Thesis ................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 1: The Theoretical Dilemmas of Nationalism ..................................................7 1. Theoretical. .Traditions and Recent Issues .................................................................... 7 2 . Temporallzing Nationalism .................................................................................... 15 3 . Regionalizing Nationalism ...................................................................................... 17 4 . A Nation Without a State ........................................................................................... 19 5 . Ukrainian Nationalist Dilemmas and the Civic-Ethnic Dichotomy ........................... 21 Chapter 2: The National Problem in the Pre-Soviet and Early Soviet Period .......... 25 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 25 The Ukrainians to 1917: The Historical Context ........................................................... 26 1. Pre- 1917: Great Russians. White Russians and Little Russians ................................ 27 a . Kievan Rus' and Interpretations of History ............................................................ 27 b . Cult of Suffering: Polish-Lithuanian Rule and Cossack Resurgence .................... 29 c . Of Romanovs and Habsburgs .................................................................................31 2 . From the Bolshevik Revolution to 1945: The New Pre-Communism ....................... 32 a . The Ukrainian People's Republic and the Bolshevik Revolution ..........................32 b . Declarations of Independence and the Rise of Skoropadsky .................................34 c . Interwar Ukraine ....................................................................................................-36 d . Ukraine in the Second World War .........................................................................40 3 . The International Status of the UkSSR: 1945 to 1989............................................... 43 Chapter 3: Nationalism and Nationality Policy in Flux: The Late Stalinist and post-Stalinist Stages .....................................................................................48 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 48 1. Soviet Nationality Policy: Economics and Nationality .............................................. 49 a . Lenin's Nationality Policy ......................................................................................49 b . Language and Symbolism in the USSR .................................................................50 c . The Design and Implementation of Soviet Nationality Policy ............................... 53 2 . The Nationalism-Perestroika Nexus. Part I: The Resurgence of National Consciousness ............................................................................................... 56 a . Background: Ukrainian Nationalism in the Late Cold War Period ........................ 56 b . The Arrival of Gorbachev ...................................................................................... 57 c . Chernobyl and the Green Movement: The Four Pillars of Perestroika in Action ....................................................................................................... -62 3 . The Nationalism-Perestroika Nexus. Part 11: From Sovereignty to Independence................................................................................................. 65 a . The Rise of Rukh .................................................................................................... 65 b . Sovereignty............................................................................................................ 66 c . Referendum. The August Coup and Independence ................................................ 67 Chapter 4: The First Years of Independence 1991-1994 .............................................71 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 71 1. The New Leadership and the New State: "Democracy" and the National Identity .......................................................................................................... 72 a . Kravchuk's Politics: Democracy and Ukrainization .............................................. 72 b . The New National Minority ................................................................................... 76 c . Prospects and Limitations of the New National Identity ........................................ 77 2 . Resurgence of the New Ethnic Nationalism: Ideas of Self and Other ......................