The idea of a European Ukraine.

Abstract

In my research, I argue that one of Ukraine’s most prominent problems is the question of national identity. Since obtaining its independence in 1991, the complexity of Ukraine’s nation-building process has been intensified by numerous difficulties, including ethnic and regional differences, a weak political system with conflicting parties, and a stagnating economy. The concept of nationalism has undergone marked changes as a consequence of recent political events. Since EuroMaidan, the notion of a European identity, as contrasted with a Slavic identity, has been rapidly diffusing amongst the Ukrainian population, which puts Ukraine in the midst of its most significant social transformation. I investigate the process by which Ukrainian efforts at nation building and the evolution of a distinct Ukrainian consciousness have evolved over time, while placing an emphasis on the potential development in Ukraine of a European oriented identity.