Publication

This report examines Ukraine's national identity by providing an overview of the country's cultural and philosophical history from the 17th to the 19th century. The author points out that many of the current misunderstandings between Russia and Ukraine are the product of a fundamental clash over the historical role of Ukraine. Many Russians consider Ukraine, both historically and culturally, to be part of Russia. Therefore, Russians usually view the assertion of a distinct Ukrainian identity as betrayal or as foreign intrigue. The aim of the author is therefore to clarify the historical role of Ukraine. According to the author, Ukrainians have developed the idea of a distinct Ukrainian nationhood despite the persecution of Ukrainian culture in both imperial Russia and the Soviet Union.