Oligarchs, tapes and oranges: 'Kuchmagate' to the orange revolution

Abstract

Leonid Kuchma's second term in office as president of Ukraine (1999-2004) was characterized by the collapse of the national democrat-centrist alliance, the 'Kuchmagate' crisis, the rise of a non-communist opposition in the 2002 elections and the election of Viktor Yushchenko in the 2004 elections following the protests that sparked the Orange Revolution. This revolution cannot be understood without reference to these earlier developments that turned out to have been the preparatory work. Furthermore, the deep divisions that have become evident under Yushchenko had their origins in Ukraine's regionalism, the 'Kuchmagate' crisis, anti-regime protests and different attitudes to dealing with the past.