National Identity in Ukraine: History and Politics

Abstract

This article studies the historical background that determined the formation of the specific features of Ukrainian, Little Russian, and Russian identities starting from the late 17th century to the present day. It traces the evolution of Ukrainian identity from the notion of “a single Slavic-Russian people” to the current radicalization and consolidation of anti-Russian sentiment as its dominant element. At different stages of nation-building, intellectual elites molded different constructs of this identity. At times these constructs existed in parallel and independently of each other, and at other times they confronted one another. The notion of a single people (or different peoples) constantly changed. The article highlights the key distinctions of nation-building, which amid the current information war are in the shadows or deliberately ignored, but without which the understanding of the modern Ukrainian national identity will be incomplete. The current military-political crisis may result in the rejection of Ukrainians by Russian society as aliens, which can have a serious impact on Russian national identity.