The Ukrainians

As in many postcommunist states, politics in Ukraine revolves around the issue of national identity. Ukrainian nationalists see themselves as one of the world’s oldest and most civilised peoples, as “older brothers” to the younger Russian culture. Yet Ukraine became independent only in 1991, and Ukrainians often feel like a minority in their own country, where Russian is still the main language heard on the streets of the capital, Kiev.

The Ukrainians by Andrew Wilson provides a comprehensive guide to modern Ukraine and to the versions of its past propagated by both Russians and Ukrainians. Wilson offers the most acute, informed, and up-to-date account available of the Ukrainians and their country.

Concentrating on the complex relation between Ukraine and Russia, the book begins with the myth of common origin in the early medieval era, then closely examines the Ukrainian experience under the tsars and Soviets, the experience of minorities in the country, and the path to independence in 1991. Wilson also explores the history of Ukraine since 1991 and the continuing disputes over identity, culture, and religion.

He delves into the economic collapse under the first president, Leonid Kravchuk, and the subsequent attempts at recovery under his successor, Leonid Kuchma. Wilson investigates the conflicts within Ukrainian society between the country’s Eurasian roots and its Western aspirations, as well as the significance of the presidential election of November 1999.