Ukrainian Nationalism in the 1990s: A Minority Faith - Paperback

by Andrew Wilson (Author)

This work examines the impact of nationalism on the politics of Ukraine, arguably the most important of the non-Russian States to emerge from the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Whereas in many other emergent states in Eastern Europe nationalism has filled the ideological vacuum caused by the collapse of communism, to date Ukraine has managed to steer clear of the kind of aggressive ethno-nationalism that has destabilized politics elsewhere in the region. However, an increasingly vocal and frustrated minority may become more and more influential if the economic and/or security situation in the region rapidly deteriorates.

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The complex interrelationship between Russia and Ukraine is arguably the most important single factor in determining the future politics of the Eurasian region. In this book Andrew Wilson examines the phenomenon of Ukrainian nationalism and its influence on the politics of independent Ukraine, arguing that historical, ethnic and linguistic factors limit the appeal of narrow ethno-nationalism, even to many ethnic Ukrainians. Nevertheless, ethno-nationalism has a strong emotive appeal to a minority, who may therefore undermine Ukraine's attempts to construct an open civic state. Ukraine is therefore a fascinating test case for alternative nation-building strategies in countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.