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Ukrainian Voices #4
Ukraine in Histories and Stories: Essays by Ukrainian Intellectuals
This book is a collection of texts by contemporary Ukrainian intellectuals: writers, historians, philosophers, political analysts, opinion leaders.
The texts have been written for the international audience. The collection combines reflections on Ukraine’s history (or histories, in plural), and analysis of the present, conceptual ideas and life stories.
The book presents a multi-faceted image of Ukrainian memory and reality: from the Holodomor to Maidan, from Russian aggression to cultural diversity, from the depth of the past to the complexity of the present.
The PDF of the English-language version: ukraineworld.org/storage/app/media/Uk...
The PDF of the Ukrainian-language version: ukraineworld.org/storage/app/media/uk...
The texts have been written for the international audience. The collection combines reflections on Ukraine’s history (or histories, in plural), and analysis of the present, conceptual ideas and life stories.
The book presents a multi-faceted image of Ukrainian memory and reality: from the Holodomor to Maidan, from Russian aggression to cultural diversity, from the depth of the past to the complexity of the present.
The PDF of the English-language version: ukraineworld.org/storage/app/media/Uk...
The PDF of the Ukrainian-language version: ukraineworld.org/storage/app/media/uk...
304 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2019
About the author
Volodymyr Yermolenko
10 books11 followersVolodymyr Yermolenko is a Ukrainian philosopher, journalist and writer. Doctor of political studies (France), PhD in philosophy (kandydat nauk, Ukraine). Director of Analytics at Internews Ukraine, Chief editor of the multimedia project UkraineWorld.org. Senior lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Book writer, winner of Petro Mohyla Prize (2021), Yurii Sheveliov Prize (2018), Book of the Year prize in Ukraine (2018, 2015) and others.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 5, 2020
Редактори цієї книги на початку пишуть, що вона написана насамперед для іноземної аудиторії. В певному сенсі це справді так. Якщо людина достатньо добре орієнтується в українських реаліях, вона не знайде тут чогось принципово нового (можливо, винятком будуть лише кілька текстів). Назва книги трохи оманлива, бо окрім есеїв у ній теж присутні інтерв'ю. Це у поєднанні з різноманіттям авторів, їх стилів і думок іноді створює враження, що книзі бракує продуманості і цілісності. Наприклад, спершу кілька разів різними авторами стверджувалось, що українці були серед засновників Російської імперії й ідеологічно обґрунтовували імперське правління (насамперед йдеться про Феофана Прокоповича на службі у Петра Першого). Невдовзі після цього Ірена Карпа пише: "Радше цей потяг до свободи й незалежності у людини в крові. І він є, або його немає. В українців точно є - бо яка би fucked up наша геополітична позиція не була усі ці сотні років, дупу жодного царя ми не зацілували до синяків". Поєднання аналітичних і літературних текстів під однією обкладинкою є дуже сумнівним рішенням.
Якщо б хтось з моїх знайомих іноземців попросив мене порадити почитати щось про Україну, я б двічі подумав чи рекомендувати цю книгу. І потім, зрештою, порадив би "Браму Європи" Плохія.
Якщо б хтось з моїх знайомих іноземців попросив мене порадити почитати щось про Україну, я б двічі подумав чи рекомендувати цю книгу. І потім, зрештою, порадив би "Браму Європи" Плохія.
July 31, 2022
Not many of us in the west know very much about Ukraine. We think of it primarily as a former Soviet satellite now desperately fighting to keep the democracy it has so boldly and determinedly fought for. Yet Ukraine has a long and dramatic history. Who the people are, how they think, what makes them tick, these are things we only have vague ideas about.
This book not only brings earlier and recent history into focus, it also gives a portrayal of the people that brings them closer and alive in our minds.
In the following paragraphs, I have put together a paraphrased version of the various authors’ written statements according to theme.
Ukraine’s Relationship with Russia:
Ukraine was a former colony of Russia. “Many Russian citizens…view Ukraine and Belarus as their own territories which have temporarily gone out of control. Russia’s historical matrix is monarchy. People in many countries tried to justify the existence of the aristocracy by claiming that they were descendants of conquering tribes. Russians believed that the tsar was given by God. Ukraine, on the contrary, abandoned the prince-feudal system in favor of the hetman-Cossack system, rejecting all forms of monarchy. Today, by defending itself against Russia, Ukrainians are re-inventing their Cossack myth..This might explain why so many current Ukrinian soldiers in the East even copy the hairstyles and moustaches of Cossacks.
The relationship has always been difficult. The Russians looked down on their neighbor as lesser human beings, as simple peasants who needed to be controlled and who submitted tamely to exploitation. It is probably due to this that Ukrainians became a people who hated anyone telling them what to do and who yearned for, more than anything, independence. This was in direct confrontation with the “Russian model of paternalistic deification of authority- “
The Russian cliché about a typical Ukrainian is that he is cunning and greedy, while they consider themselves open, simple and sometimes passionate. Urkainians imagine themselves as good hosts, while their cliché about Russians is that they are drunkards who neglect their households.
The Holodomor :
The Second Soviets (1944) took everything away from the Ukrainian peasantry that had not been taken away by the First Soviets (1919) or by the Nazis (1939). Everything was collectivized. Wealthy peasants had to be exterminated according to a plan devised by Lenin. Others were sent to Siberia in exile. Thus came the 1947 famine. Enthusiasts took away all the grain from peasants and shot people for three hidden pieces of wheat. The goal was to get rid of the Ukrainian-speaking peasantry and replace them with Russian-speaking people from the Soviet Union.
The war with Russia began in 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimea and occupied the Donbas as a response to Ukraine’s radical attempt to liberate itself from Russian influence during the Euromaidan of 2013-2014-
The language issue:
In general, there are two formulas for a nation—an ethnic one and a political one. Supporters of the ethnic concept embrace language as the main criterion of national identification. Ukrainian and Russian are different like German is from Dutch. Less similar that Italian is to French. In the large cities, mainly Russian is spoken. Intellectuals and young people tend to speak Russian, the older people and country folk Ukrainian. In the 70’s and 80’s in Kyiv, a child or adult speaking Ukrainian was immediately associated with the peasantry. Switching to Russian was used to obtain the aura of an urban person, to get a job, to be liked. Even during the first years of independence, Ukrainian was associated with peasantry.
While the country is bilingual, Russian is gaining ground, and many consider Russian as the superior language. Others strongly feel that Ukrainian needs to be preserved for cultural identification and an as a national security policy.
It was believed in the Soviet Union that Communism would speak Russian—just as feudalism “spoke” French and capitalism “spoke” English.” Back then, it was normal for the elite and the common people to speak different languages.
The People and their identity:
Since 2014, Ukraine has taken in up to 14 million internally displaced persons from Crimea and Donbas.
There was a large-scale deportation of Jews from Catholic Eruope in the 15th and 16th centures, and many of them found shelter in Ukraine.
Ukrainians did not have:
-the Renaissance
-the Reformation
-the Enlightenment
-the Industrial Revolution
-modernism and modernization
-the Sexual Revolution
Ther are two large groups of people in Ukraine. The one strives for an integral Ukrainian identity, while the second has this split between Ukrainian and Russian identities.
Past and Present:
Ukraine proclaimed its independence in 1991. The first Maidan (uprising) was in 2004, the second in 2014. As this book was written (before the Russian invasion of 2022), more than 70 per cent of Ukrainians pioritized peace with Russia at any price.
Ukraine is a nation born in violence and traumas. It is probably a world champion at survival. Ukrainians to a certain degree feel like victims, because they were throughout history tortured and suppressed. Our country has ended up in the early part of the 21st century broken down, messed up and deformed. One of the most aggressive elements of human nature embodies itself in military campaigns against foreign territories. These campaigns involve annexing territories and capturing women.
But they also have their own history of massacres of Poles in NW Ukraine.
Whatever we say about the past, the past does matter, It is like gravity, which we have to take into consideration when we construct our aerial devices of the future.
The land:
40% of Ukraine is covered by fertile black soil with an unparalled depth of 1.5 meters. Arable land is about 58%, a proportion that can hardly be found anywhere in the world, excepting Canada and the U.S. The image of millions of tons of grain harvested on Ukrainian lands in 1913 acted as a magnet for all superpowers, which started WW1 the following year. Both Lenin and Hitler coveted Ukrainian resources.
Donbas is Ukraine beyond all doubts.
Literature:
Prominent contemporary Ukrainian writer, Yuri Andrukhovych, one of the creators of modern Ukrainian literature. Won many prizes. Contributes in this collection. Andriy Kurkov (Maidan Diaries) probably best well known. Volodymyr Rafeekno, from Donetsk, forced to elave his native city after Russian aggression, never able to return.
Serhif Plokhy (a contributor to this book) is one of the most internationally known Ukrainian historians. Wrote many books, such as “The Gates of Europe.”
Mykola Gogol, “remarkable figure of Ukrainian literature.”
Taras Schevchenko (1814-61), writer and poet, created the myth of Ukraine’s Golden Age. He is revered in Ukraine. He is their “Christmas and Easter”, celebrated by all. Most recognized hero of our time. Should absolutely read poem “My Thoughts,” which has been translated into almost every language.
Movies: Watch “Chernobyl”, a six-part series. You will become an expert on the last days of the USSR. Or “Donbas”, a feature film/doc.
Misc:
Pacifism, which became the norm for post-Nazi Germany, has turned into indriect support for military aggression. Many German politicians are so-called “Putinversteher” or people who think they understand Putin.
“Ukrainr is no longer just a security recipient, but a security provider for Europe.”
“Is it logical to call the biggest country in Europe a buffer zone? More than a thousand kilometers from East to west, with the geographical center of Europe located on its western border, 46 million people—which is far too many for it to be a buffer zone.”
There is a popular opinion that “you cannot fight Russia,” as if we would be poking a bear. But this is simply giving in to the bigger violent aggressor, which no one would agree to on an individual basis. The cops and the law would intervene. Only an aggressor wants war. It is normal to seek negotiations. What is not normal is to appease an aggressor. At the same time western countries and businesses were doing their best to partner with Russia, Moscow considered the West and NATO a danger. While the west is adhering to international principles and norms, Moscow ignores them.
Lenin had a dream of erasing the difference bewteen ethnic groups and nations.
The word “Rus” comes from the finnish language and means “oarsmen.” Russian surnames end with –ov, -ev, and –in (Putin, Lenin, Stalin) while Ukrainian surnames end with –ko and –uk.
This book not only brings earlier and recent history into focus, it also gives a portrayal of the people that brings them closer and alive in our minds.
In the following paragraphs, I have put together a paraphrased version of the various authors’ written statements according to theme.
Ukraine’s Relationship with Russia:
Ukraine was a former colony of Russia. “Many Russian citizens…view Ukraine and Belarus as their own territories which have temporarily gone out of control. Russia’s historical matrix is monarchy. People in many countries tried to justify the existence of the aristocracy by claiming that they were descendants of conquering tribes. Russians believed that the tsar was given by God. Ukraine, on the contrary, abandoned the prince-feudal system in favor of the hetman-Cossack system, rejecting all forms of monarchy. Today, by defending itself against Russia, Ukrainians are re-inventing their Cossack myth..This might explain why so many current Ukrinian soldiers in the East even copy the hairstyles and moustaches of Cossacks.
The relationship has always been difficult. The Russians looked down on their neighbor as lesser human beings, as simple peasants who needed to be controlled and who submitted tamely to exploitation. It is probably due to this that Ukrainians became a people who hated anyone telling them what to do and who yearned for, more than anything, independence. This was in direct confrontation with the “Russian model of paternalistic deification of authority- “
The Russian cliché about a typical Ukrainian is that he is cunning and greedy, while they consider themselves open, simple and sometimes passionate. Urkainians imagine themselves as good hosts, while their cliché about Russians is that they are drunkards who neglect their households.
The Holodomor :
The Second Soviets (1944) took everything away from the Ukrainian peasantry that had not been taken away by the First Soviets (1919) or by the Nazis (1939). Everything was collectivized. Wealthy peasants had to be exterminated according to a plan devised by Lenin. Others were sent to Siberia in exile. Thus came the 1947 famine. Enthusiasts took away all the grain from peasants and shot people for three hidden pieces of wheat. The goal was to get rid of the Ukrainian-speaking peasantry and replace them with Russian-speaking people from the Soviet Union.
The war with Russia began in 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimea and occupied the Donbas as a response to Ukraine’s radical attempt to liberate itself from Russian influence during the Euromaidan of 2013-2014-
The language issue:
In general, there are two formulas for a nation—an ethnic one and a political one. Supporters of the ethnic concept embrace language as the main criterion of national identification. Ukrainian and Russian are different like German is from Dutch. Less similar that Italian is to French. In the large cities, mainly Russian is spoken. Intellectuals and young people tend to speak Russian, the older people and country folk Ukrainian. In the 70’s and 80’s in Kyiv, a child or adult speaking Ukrainian was immediately associated with the peasantry. Switching to Russian was used to obtain the aura of an urban person, to get a job, to be liked. Even during the first years of independence, Ukrainian was associated with peasantry.
While the country is bilingual, Russian is gaining ground, and many consider Russian as the superior language. Others strongly feel that Ukrainian needs to be preserved for cultural identification and an as a national security policy.
It was believed in the Soviet Union that Communism would speak Russian—just as feudalism “spoke” French and capitalism “spoke” English.” Back then, it was normal for the elite and the common people to speak different languages.
The People and their identity:
Since 2014, Ukraine has taken in up to 14 million internally displaced persons from Crimea and Donbas.
There was a large-scale deportation of Jews from Catholic Eruope in the 15th and 16th centures, and many of them found shelter in Ukraine.
Ukrainians did not have:
-the Renaissance
-the Reformation
-the Enlightenment
-the Industrial Revolution
-modernism and modernization
-the Sexual Revolution
Ther are two large groups of people in Ukraine. The one strives for an integral Ukrainian identity, while the second has this split between Ukrainian and Russian identities.
Past and Present:
Ukraine proclaimed its independence in 1991. The first Maidan (uprising) was in 2004, the second in 2014. As this book was written (before the Russian invasion of 2022), more than 70 per cent of Ukrainians pioritized peace with Russia at any price.
Ukraine is a nation born in violence and traumas. It is probably a world champion at survival. Ukrainians to a certain degree feel like victims, because they were throughout history tortured and suppressed. Our country has ended up in the early part of the 21st century broken down, messed up and deformed. One of the most aggressive elements of human nature embodies itself in military campaigns against foreign territories. These campaigns involve annexing territories and capturing women.
But they also have their own history of massacres of Poles in NW Ukraine.
Whatever we say about the past, the past does matter, It is like gravity, which we have to take into consideration when we construct our aerial devices of the future.
The land:
40% of Ukraine is covered by fertile black soil with an unparalled depth of 1.5 meters. Arable land is about 58%, a proportion that can hardly be found anywhere in the world, excepting Canada and the U.S. The image of millions of tons of grain harvested on Ukrainian lands in 1913 acted as a magnet for all superpowers, which started WW1 the following year. Both Lenin and Hitler coveted Ukrainian resources.
Donbas is Ukraine beyond all doubts.
Literature:
Prominent contemporary Ukrainian writer, Yuri Andrukhovych, one of the creators of modern Ukrainian literature. Won many prizes. Contributes in this collection. Andriy Kurkov (Maidan Diaries) probably best well known. Volodymyr Rafeekno, from Donetsk, forced to elave his native city after Russian aggression, never able to return.
Serhif Plokhy (a contributor to this book) is one of the most internationally known Ukrainian historians. Wrote many books, such as “The Gates of Europe.”
Mykola Gogol, “remarkable figure of Ukrainian literature.”
Taras Schevchenko (1814-61), writer and poet, created the myth of Ukraine’s Golden Age. He is revered in Ukraine. He is their “Christmas and Easter”, celebrated by all. Most recognized hero of our time. Should absolutely read poem “My Thoughts,” which has been translated into almost every language.
Movies: Watch “Chernobyl”, a six-part series. You will become an expert on the last days of the USSR. Or “Donbas”, a feature film/doc.
Misc:
Pacifism, which became the norm for post-Nazi Germany, has turned into indriect support for military aggression. Many German politicians are so-called “Putinversteher” or people who think they understand Putin.
“Ukrainr is no longer just a security recipient, but a security provider for Europe.”
“Is it logical to call the biggest country in Europe a buffer zone? More than a thousand kilometers from East to west, with the geographical center of Europe located on its western border, 46 million people—which is far too many for it to be a buffer zone.”
There is a popular opinion that “you cannot fight Russia,” as if we would be poking a bear. But this is simply giving in to the bigger violent aggressor, which no one would agree to on an individual basis. The cops and the law would intervene. Only an aggressor wants war. It is normal to seek negotiations. What is not normal is to appease an aggressor. At the same time western countries and businesses were doing their best to partner with Russia, Moscow considered the West and NATO a danger. While the west is adhering to international principles and norms, Moscow ignores them.
Lenin had a dream of erasing the difference bewteen ethnic groups and nations.
The word “Rus” comes from the finnish language and means “oarsmen.” Russian surnames end with –ov, -ev, and –in (Putin, Lenin, Stalin) while Ukrainian surnames end with –ko and –uk.
March 31, 2022
When I started reading this book Putin was still denying any intention to invade Ukraine. By the time I finished reading it he was bombing civilians and hospitals, while claiming Ukraine should not exist as a country.
That context made reading this collection a unique experience. On the one hand it was fascinating to see what the authors got right and what they misjudged about what would happen if Putin invaded Ukraine. On the other hand, it was incredibly sad to see how much they love their country and know what was going to happen to the places they described.
If you're interested in understanding more about Ukraine and Ukrainian people, this is a great book to start. But the start of the book is not a great place to start. Instead, skip to the Stories section and read Ukraine as a Movie by Irena Karpa. Karpa plays the part of the enthusiastic tour guide and takes the reader through all the things they must know and see in Ukraine. It's moving, evocative, funny and wistful at the same time. It feels like Karpa is writing from some time in the future, as if she's about to finish the chapter by venturing into post-war Ukraine. There are lots of other intriguing insights in this book, but that essay stayed with me long after I finished reading.
That context made reading this collection a unique experience. On the one hand it was fascinating to see what the authors got right and what they misjudged about what would happen if Putin invaded Ukraine. On the other hand, it was incredibly sad to see how much they love their country and know what was going to happen to the places they described.
If you're interested in understanding more about Ukraine and Ukrainian people, this is a great book to start. But the start of the book is not a great place to start. Instead, skip to the Stories section and read Ukraine as a Movie by Irena Karpa. Karpa plays the part of the enthusiastic tour guide and takes the reader through all the things they must know and see in Ukraine. It's moving, evocative, funny and wistful at the same time. It feels like Karpa is writing from some time in the future, as if she's about to finish the chapter by venturing into post-war Ukraine. There are lots of other intriguing insights in this book, but that essay stayed with me long after I finished reading.
June 21, 2022
This was a very good way to get a crash course in contemporary perspectives on Ukrainian culture and nationhood. There are times when the essays and interviews touch on bigger topics without providing context (Wikipedia was my friend here), but the collection explores such a wide variety of experiences that it provides a number of touch-points for readers, depending on their own experiences, knowledge and interests.
I did have two nitpicks: The translation was somewhat clunky at times, and the choice to format some of the actual content as pull quotes was confusing. Those are certainly not reasons to overlook this (free) book, however. Just things I hope they improve in any future installments. And I hope they do have future installments. I would love to read more stories from individuals in a country that has been denied agency and voice by Western audiences for far too long.
I did have two nitpicks: The translation was somewhat clunky at times, and the choice to format some of the actual content as pull quotes was confusing. Those are certainly not reasons to overlook this (free) book, however. Just things I hope they improve in any future installments. And I hope they do have future installments. I would love to read more stories from individuals in a country that has been denied agency and voice by Western audiences for far too long.
April 10, 2022
This was a little dense in places, but overall, I learned a lot from this collection of essays!
August 16, 2022
For many people, Ukraine is still a terra incognita. It remains an unknown land even for Ukrainians themselves, and even more so for our close or distant neighbors. This situation persists despite the fact that tragic and heart-racing developments that took place in recent years brought Ukraine to the forefront of the world’s attention.
Published in 2019, this is a collection of works by Ukrainian writers, historians, political analysts, and thought leaders. From the pens of these authors, the collection presents us with a tour and map to Ukraine's variety, uniqueness, and character. The volume is arranged in the following eight sections.
1. Histories — Two historical essays by Yaroslav Hrtsak (Ukraine: A Brief but Global History of Ukrainian Bread) and Serhii Plokhy(Rus’, Cossacks and Ukraine’s Identity). The Hrtsak piece is very readable but the Plokhy interview was quite dry and academic.
... it is impossible to write the history of Ukraine without Cossacks.
2. Identities — Two Ukrainian writers, Yuri Andrukovych (Ukrainian Culture and Literature) and Andriy Kurkov (Ukrainians. From A Historical Matrix to the Present Day).
Since the Cossacks’ era, the Ukrainians stayed very mobile, easily adapting to new conditions. When they move to law–abiding countries they quickly become law–abiding people, according to the host country’s practices. The visa–free regime with Schengen countries has impacted on the Ukrainians’ respect for the law inside Ukraine. Migration has led to the growth of material wellbeing together with an awareness of how people live in a rule–of–law state.
3. Archetypes — Two Ukrainian writers, Andrij Bondar (A Split Heart of Incompleteness) and Volodymyr Yermolenko (Steppe, Empire, and Cruelty). Bondar explains the Ukrainian mentality represented in the concept of the "philosophy of heart". Yermolenko posits an unusual theory of the roles of hedonism and asceticism in Ukrainian cultural development.
This duality between settled and nomadic identities, between root-seeking and un-rootedness, is one of the keys to understanding Ukrainian culture and history.
4. Stories — Two essays by Ukrainian writers, Irena Karpa (Ukraine as a Movie) and Haska Shyyan (You Know It Better Than Me). Both are avant-garde chroniclers whose works here have a fiercely independent quality.
It was “the descent of the Holy Spirit”, as historian Yaroslav Hrytsak described what happened in 2004. In 2014, Michael the Archangel joined the Holy Spirit carrying his fiery sword: we became more united, angry and not like the “kittens” we were back in 2004.
5. Motherland — Texts by writer and lawyer Larysa Denysenko (Majority as a Minority) and Ukrainian-Georgian philosopher Vakhtang Kebuladze (Gaining a Motherland).
What should I be responsible for? What will I not pass on to anyone else? Why do I want to fight not only for my freedom but also for my responsibility?
6. Pains — It contains an essay by Volodymyr Rafeenko, a Ukrainian writer from Donetsk (Donbas—Ukraine, a Life Journey) and an interview with Alim Aliev, a Crimean Tatar activist and the head of Crimean House , a cultural centre in Kyiv (Ukraine and Crimean Tatars).
If you have never visited Donbas in Spring, you probably have no idea what an apricot ocean looks like.
The hard work of a miner or a metallurgist does not facilitate sentimentality or metaphysical quest. These people were not looking for a philosopher’s stone; they were making steel and mining coal instead.
7. Relations — An interview with Ola Hnatiuk, a prominent Polish-Ukrainian scholar (Ukrainian-Polish relations), and an interview with Leonid Finberg, one of the leading figures of Ukrainian Jewish studies(Ukrainians and Jews,).
It is important to be a patriot who recognizes the mistakes of his or her own people.
Yevhen Sverstiuk once said very correctly that if the world had not turned away from the Holodomor, if it had not turned a blind eye to what was happening in Ukraine in the 1930s, then perhaps the Holocaust would have never happened. The Holodomor was a warning to humanity, but humanity buried its head in the sand.
8. Stereotypes — Two essays by historian Andrii Portnov, professor at the European University Viadrina (Neither Admiration Nor Fear: Stereotypes About Ukraine in Germany) and Ukrainian expert in conflict studies Hanna Shelest(Insecure Security of Ukraine).
Freedom is not anarchy. Freedom is also responsibility. When nobody is controlling you, you are not only free to choose, but also responsible for your choices..
Published before the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion by Russia, the views of these individuals pre-invasion evoke a certain nostalgia. Imagine that — it only took two years to reach nostalgia! The cruelty and criminality manifested by Russia against Ukraine is despicable, but you will take heart from these essays that Ukrainians have an indomitable spirit and practical wisdom that will never be defeated. I commend the editor Volodymyr Yermolenko on his selections of authors and stories, which are all stellar. Each one presents a unique perspective and are important pieces in the mosaic that makes up Ukraine.
Ukraine is a nation born in violence and traumas. It is probably a world champion at survival. Ukrainians are now learning to live, not only to survive, and to plan their long-term future, not only to hide their small belongings from nomadic or imperial strangers.
Слава Україні!
Published in 2019, this is a collection of works by Ukrainian writers, historians, political analysts, and thought leaders. From the pens of these authors, the collection presents us with a tour and map to Ukraine's variety, uniqueness, and character. The volume is arranged in the following eight sections.
1. Histories — Two historical essays by Yaroslav Hrtsak (Ukraine: A Brief but Global History of Ukrainian Bread) and Serhii Plokhy(Rus’, Cossacks and Ukraine’s Identity). The Hrtsak piece is very readable but the Plokhy interview was quite dry and academic.
... it is impossible to write the history of Ukraine without Cossacks.
2. Identities — Two Ukrainian writers, Yuri Andrukovych (Ukrainian Culture and Literature) and Andriy Kurkov (Ukrainians. From A Historical Matrix to the Present Day).
Since the Cossacks’ era, the Ukrainians stayed very mobile, easily adapting to new conditions. When they move to law–abiding countries they quickly become law–abiding people, according to the host country’s practices. The visa–free regime with Schengen countries has impacted on the Ukrainians’ respect for the law inside Ukraine. Migration has led to the growth of material wellbeing together with an awareness of how people live in a rule–of–law state.
3. Archetypes — Two Ukrainian writers, Andrij Bondar (A Split Heart of Incompleteness) and Volodymyr Yermolenko (Steppe, Empire, and Cruelty). Bondar explains the Ukrainian mentality represented in the concept of the "philosophy of heart". Yermolenko posits an unusual theory of the roles of hedonism and asceticism in Ukrainian cultural development.
This duality between settled and nomadic identities, between root-seeking and un-rootedness, is one of the keys to understanding Ukrainian culture and history.
4. Stories — Two essays by Ukrainian writers, Irena Karpa (Ukraine as a Movie) and Haska Shyyan (You Know It Better Than Me). Both are avant-garde chroniclers whose works here have a fiercely independent quality.
It was “the descent of the Holy Spirit”, as historian Yaroslav Hrytsak described what happened in 2004. In 2014, Michael the Archangel joined the Holy Spirit carrying his fiery sword: we became more united, angry and not like the “kittens” we were back in 2004.
5. Motherland — Texts by writer and lawyer Larysa Denysenko (Majority as a Minority) and Ukrainian-Georgian philosopher Vakhtang Kebuladze (Gaining a Motherland).
What should I be responsible for? What will I not pass on to anyone else? Why do I want to fight not only for my freedom but also for my responsibility?
6. Pains — It contains an essay by Volodymyr Rafeenko, a Ukrainian writer from Donetsk (Donbas—Ukraine, a Life Journey) and an interview with Alim Aliev, a Crimean Tatar activist and the head of Crimean House , a cultural centre in Kyiv (Ukraine and Crimean Tatars).
If you have never visited Donbas in Spring, you probably have no idea what an apricot ocean looks like.
The hard work of a miner or a metallurgist does not facilitate sentimentality or metaphysical quest. These people were not looking for a philosopher’s stone; they were making steel and mining coal instead.
7. Relations — An interview with Ola Hnatiuk, a prominent Polish-Ukrainian scholar (Ukrainian-Polish relations), and an interview with Leonid Finberg, one of the leading figures of Ukrainian Jewish studies(Ukrainians and Jews,).
It is important to be a patriot who recognizes the mistakes of his or her own people.
Yevhen Sverstiuk once said very correctly that if the world had not turned away from the Holodomor, if it had not turned a blind eye to what was happening in Ukraine in the 1930s, then perhaps the Holocaust would have never happened. The Holodomor was a warning to humanity, but humanity buried its head in the sand.
8. Stereotypes — Two essays by historian Andrii Portnov, professor at the European University Viadrina (Neither Admiration Nor Fear: Stereotypes About Ukraine in Germany) and Ukrainian expert in conflict studies Hanna Shelest(Insecure Security of Ukraine).
Freedom is not anarchy. Freedom is also responsibility. When nobody is controlling you, you are not only free to choose, but also responsible for your choices..
Published before the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion by Russia, the views of these individuals pre-invasion evoke a certain nostalgia. Imagine that — it only took two years to reach nostalgia! The cruelty and criminality manifested by Russia against Ukraine is despicable, but you will take heart from these essays that Ukrainians have an indomitable spirit and practical wisdom that will never be defeated. I commend the editor Volodymyr Yermolenko on his selections of authors and stories, which are all stellar. Each one presents a unique perspective and are important pieces in the mosaic that makes up Ukraine.
Ukraine is a nation born in violence and traumas. It is probably a world champion at survival. Ukrainians are now learning to live, not only to survive, and to plan their long-term future, not only to hide their small belongings from nomadic or imperial strangers.
Слава Україні!
December 20, 2023
I came across a review stating that the essays and stories in this book are incoherent and sometimes even contradictory. I believe that the diversity of standpoints, a combination of essays, stories and interviews create a multicoloured patchwork of voices, which is a perfect representation of Ukraine. It may seem strange to combine all the different narration styles, but it does work! It mirrors communication within the Ukrainian society, where everyone is free to choose their own style of expression. Ukrainian society is not perfect, there are a lot of things that it still needs to work on, but when the worse comes to worst, it unites and fights for its freedom. This is exactly what this book is about.
December 24, 2020
This book will be interesting for everyone, who eagles to better understand Ukraine ans its historical background and geopolitical peculiarities, as well as its culture and current issues. My favorite essays are those by Andriy Kurkov, who explains the crucial differences and clichés about the Russians and the Ukrainians, and by Volodymyr Yermolenko, who depicts the duality between root-seeking and un-rootedness of the Ukrainians.
July 6, 2022
A quickly but beautifully curated collection of views of Ukraine.
June 13, 2022
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about national identity and what connects people to where they live this year. It’s a very generic second generation immigrant take to say I’m in an increasingly disconnected stage in my life and not sure what makes a place feel like home, but that’s where I was at when I heard about this book in an episode of the Ezra Klein show. Watching the invasion of Ukraine unfold has been an incredibly humbling experience and I’ve felt very overwhelmed seeing people from all sorts of places refer to grand narratives and the sense of compulsion they feel to act in the name of their ideals.
This collection of essays and interviews was put together in the aftermath of the 2014 invasion but it is still (and perhaps even more so) an essential reading for the international community. It’s an enlightening exploration of how Ukrainians define their nationhood.
Ukraine as a Movie was one of the most moving essays in this collection for me, so I’ll leave you with this quote that has been bouncing around my head since reading it:
“I doubt that I would ever be able to describe everything that happened to us because the last Ukrainian overthrow of dictatorship was too intimate, emotional and personal for me. Yet I can tell you one thing: I am externally grateful to the age I was born in for the privilege of being part of that incredible historical solidarity.”
This collection of essays and interviews was put together in the aftermath of the 2014 invasion but it is still (and perhaps even more so) an essential reading for the international community. It’s an enlightening exploration of how Ukrainians define their nationhood.
Ukraine as a Movie was one of the most moving essays in this collection for me, so I’ll leave you with this quote that has been bouncing around my head since reading it:
“I doubt that I would ever be able to describe everything that happened to us because the last Ukrainian overthrow of dictatorship was too intimate, emotional and personal for me. Yet I can tell you one thing: I am externally grateful to the age I was born in for the privilege of being part of that incredible historical solidarity.”
November 6, 2019
Ідею множинності закладено вже в назві й самій концепції збірника: «історії» як histories i stories тут фігурують у множині аж ніяк не випадково. В кожному з восьми розділів – «Історії» (в обох значеннях), «Ідентичності», «Архетипи», «Батьківщини», «Болі», «Зв’язки» або «Взаємини» (Relations), «Стереотипи» – представлено по двоє авторів, а відтак щонайменше дві різні точки зору на одну й ту ж «тему» (пишу в лапках, бо насправді н��зва розділу стає лише вихідною точкою для міркувань, тож часом тексти не лише дуже відрізняються і стилістично, і тематично, а й, так би мовити, рухаються в різних напрямках). Ба більше, частину авторів представлено не власними есеями, а через інтерв’ю з ними, що, на жаль, не у всіх випадках спрацьовує якнайкраще. Наважуся навіть припустити, що цільовою аудиторією принаймні частини цього збірника є читачі, що вже мають бодай базові уявлення про Україну і в історичному, й сучасному вимірах.
Більше - тут: http://litakcent.com/2019/11/01/pro-b...
Більше - тут: http://litakcent.com/2019/11/01/pro-b...
July 19, 2022
Deap look into Ukraine and reasons of freedom drive.
Assesment of german view towards Ukraine is very accurate in my eyes. I hope this perspective will change.
Assesment of german view towards Ukraine is very accurate in my eyes. I hope this perspective will change.
March 6, 2022
This collection of 16 essays (and interview transcriptions) by various authors is broken down into a set of themes, exploring the identities, culture, history, language, politics etc of Ukraine. It's frequently fascinating, especially with the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war unfolding in the background. Together the essays form a powerful statement: that Ukraine is and should be allowed to be.
June 4, 2022
fascinating way to learn about Ukraine
Like many I have been reading about Ukraine. This book is a fascinating insight into the modern Ukrainian ideas about itself and it's place in Europe. Wonderful read.
Like many I have been reading about Ukraine. This book is a fascinating insight into the modern Ukrainian ideas about itself and it's place in Europe. Wonderful read.
November 12, 2023
Take your time to read each essay - there is a lot of info and it takes time to digest.
May 7, 2022
Definitely not an entry point on the current situation in Ukraine but an amalgam of crucial information directed at a foreign (mostly European) reader.
April 2, 2024
I started this book knowing very little about Ukraine, despite having read quite a bit about Russia and the Soviet Union. A large part of this book's mission, in fact, is to question that 'despite' in my opening sentence: to define Ukraine on its own terms instead of in Russian terms, while also acknowledging the enormous impact Russia has had on the region across all its known history, especially today.
This is not a book that will explain or define everything for the reader. It is at times dry and academic, at other times full of passionate rhetoric, and you will more than once come across a list of names with little to no context, and have to decide whether you are going to take a three-hour sidebar into Wikipedia, or continue forth in ignorance. Some chapters work better than others as an introduction to their subjects; my favourite chapters were the meditations on the meaning of Ukrainian identity, especially 'A Split Heart of Incompleteness' and 'Gaining a Motherland'. Another review recommended starting with the chapter 'Ukraine as a Movie' but I found this one vestigial, just random stories of everyday life without much to say.
I experienced this book as an audiobook, where narrating duties were primarily split between two people. The narration was okay, but there was no coordination between the two narrators on the pronunciation of non-English names and places. I was ten chapters in when I decided to look up where exactly the city of "Kyu" was, since it was mentioned so often, only to find that "Kyu" is a pronunciation of "Kyiv" that is in fact closer to how it is spoken in the Ukrainian language. I might have realized that sooner if there weren't other chapters with a different narrator referring to "Keev", which I recognized. Also, one of the narrators (I will not name names) read the word 'Mondegreen', the English neologism for a misheard song lyrics, with a trilled r as if it were a foreign term.
This is not a book that will explain or define everything for the reader. It is at times dry and academic, at other times full of passionate rhetoric, and you will more than once come across a list of names with little to no context, and have to decide whether you are going to take a three-hour sidebar into Wikipedia, or continue forth in ignorance. Some chapters work better than others as an introduction to their subjects; my favourite chapters were the meditations on the meaning of Ukrainian identity, especially 'A Split Heart of Incompleteness' and 'Gaining a Motherland'. Another review recommended starting with the chapter 'Ukraine as a Movie' but I found this one vestigial, just random stories of everyday life without much to say.
I experienced this book as an audiobook, where narrating duties were primarily split between two people. The narration was okay, but there was no coordination between the two narrators on the pronunciation of non-English names and places. I was ten chapters in when I decided to look up where exactly the city of "Kyu" was, since it was mentioned so often, only to find that "Kyu" is a pronunciation of "Kyiv" that is in fact closer to how it is spoken in the Ukrainian language. I might have realized that sooner if there weren't other chapters with a different narrator referring to "Keev", which I recognized. Also, one of the narrators (I will not name names) read the word 'Mondegreen', the English neologism for a misheard song lyrics, with a trilled r as if it were a foreign term.
February 20, 2024
I don't know exactly how to go about reviewing this book. I did find some of the chapters very interesting and well written. I can remember the story of the man who had to run from Donbass, the lady who realized she was a minority, the chapter about the Tartars. Really good stuff. But I'm not sure how much someone who knows nothing at all would manage to put together.
The initiative is definitely worthwhile and the editor managed to bring together some very solid writers. The introduction after the start of the invasion is also touching.
BUT all of the good things were brought to a halt by the terrible quality of the audiobook. Every slavic word is butchered - Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, they are barely recognizable. But not only that, Latin, French words get the same treatment. Basic words like Uzbekistan, Kyiv (for a while I thought they were referring to Kiel), Herzegovina are pronounced completely wrong. I kept on focusing on those instead of the main content. And it's a shame. There is some genuinely good information in the book.
As someone recommended before, The gates of Europe, as well as The Ukrainian night might be better starting points.
The initiative is definitely worthwhile and the editor managed to bring together some very solid writers. The introduction after the start of the invasion is also touching.
BUT all of the good things were brought to a halt by the terrible quality of the audiobook. Every slavic word is butchered - Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, they are barely recognizable. But not only that, Latin, French words get the same treatment. Basic words like Uzbekistan, Kyiv (for a while I thought they were referring to Kiel), Herzegovina are pronounced completely wrong. I kept on focusing on those instead of the main content. And it's a shame. There is some genuinely good information in the book.
As someone recommended before, The gates of Europe, as well as The Ukrainian night might be better starting points.
February 19, 2023
I am used to reading collected conference papers, and this book had a similar feel to it. However, I am to ensure that some recognition goes to the editor, as the essays were ordered in a perfect manner: from a historical overview to anyone who does not know much about Ukraine, to the political background of difficult decisions, all the way to the clear cut reasons as to why today (2022-23) we see Russia waging a war. The feelings of uncertainty, of borders changing, the USSR falling, Ukraine's presence in the World Wars... it was an emotional and chilling read at times. This book is a couple years old and yet it felt like I was reading stories about what is happening now. I can only recommend it if anyone is unclear about what is going on and why everyone should really care and get even involved in ensuring that Ukraine thrives and gains back its separate power. And even if the war ends, and hopefully it does soon, it is still a very educational read.
October 19, 2023
A mixed bag. The best articles being generally by people who have written better elsewhere. And sloppily bundled, with an infuriating font ("ct" and "st" are appear with a bridge over them), careless and inconsistent typesetting, and poor quality translation.
Yet the whole is greater than the sum of the elements, and despite (perhaps, even because of) the manifest anachronism of what's presented here (published in 2020), the overall experience is urgent, powerful, thought-provoking, and highly relevant.
Yet the whole is greater than the sum of the elements, and despite (perhaps, even because of) the manifest anachronism of what's presented here (published in 2020), the overall experience is urgent, powerful, thought-provoking, and highly relevant.
January 25, 2024
This is an extremely useful book if you want to understand the aspirations of Post-Soviet Ukraine. It includes essays from some of Ukraine’s most important writers and thinkers and really covers a lot of ground. Of course it is all pre Feb 2022 and the picture has evolved a good deal since that date. But this book remains a statement of why Ukraine should be independent and proudly so. I learnt a lot.
December 8, 2023
An excellent collection of essays and stories about Ukraine; it's history, culture, and various experiences since the War in Ukraine in 2014 and subsequent escalation in 2022.
An amazing read!
An amazing read!
April 10, 2024
Different perspectives on Ukraine. It’s more nuanced than I had imagined. Like everything.
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