History / 1. History of Ukraine

Chubina T.D., Doctor of Historical Sciences,

Academy of Fire Safety named after the Heroes of Chernobyl MIA of Ukraine, Cherkasy

Interethnic Relations in Ukraine:

the Present Status and Prospects

Ethnic Ukrainians densely populate central and western regions of Ukraine. Here they share ranges from 80 to 95 % (most monoetnich region – Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk Regions, where the Ukrainian population respectively consists 96.3 and 95 %). Closer to The ethnic composition is more mixed closer to Ukraine's borders, less compact settlements of Ukrainians are there. This is especially considerable in southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. For example, in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea the part of Ukrainians consists 25.8 % of the population, in Odessa region – 54.6 %, and in the eastern regions – Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv – respectively –50.7 %, 51.9 % and 62.8 %.

The dwelling structure of Ukrainian ethnos changed dramatically during the last decade. If in 1970 among the Ukrainian 63.4 % were country dwellers, then in 1990 – it is less than 40 %.

Ukrainian ethnos is also typological heterogeneous. It includes: 1) the main ethnic array, which generally coincides with the formation of the territory of the Ukrainian people and the modern administrative boundaries; 2) Ukrainian ethnic groups outside the main ethnic array (diaspora); 3) subetnich groups – community among Ukrainian people with specific features of culture (hutsul, Lemky, Boyko, Polishchuk etc.). All these communities differ in levels of socio-economic development and other factors.

The numerical relationship between the main ethnic populations of the array and their diaspora’s formations are constantly changing. So, from 1719 to 1989 the part of Ukrainians in the present boundaries of the country fells from 85.6 to 73% and in foreign countries of Europe – from 6.6 to 1.1%. However, at the American continent (from 1897 to 1989) it increased from 0.6 to 3.1%. The total number of Ukrainians in the world since 1719 increased from 5.74 to 46.2 millions.

The second largest ethnic group of Ukraine is Russians – 11.4 millions (22.1 % of the population). Most Russians live in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (67 % of the population) in the south and in the east of the country. In Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions the Russians consist the part from 44.8 to 27.4 % of the population. In central regions, the number of Russians is less: in Zhytomyr – 8 %, Kyiv – 8.7 (in Kyiv – 21 %), Poltava – 10.2 %, Kirovograd – 11.7 %, Dnipropetrovsk regions – 24.2 %. Less Russians live in the west Ukraine (Ternopil region – 2.3 %).

Most Russians, which live in Ukraine, are urban dwellers (88 % total). More than a half of Ukrainian’s Russians (56.7 %) is its native.

The third largest ethnicity in Ukraine is Belarusian, which approximately consist 0.9 % of the total population. The fourth place take Jews, the fifth – Moldovans.

Ukraine also has some problems in interethnic relations, although they are not as acute as in other former Soviet states. Firstly, the relations between the two most numerous ethnic groups that have been described previously, form a climate of international relations in our society.

Recently, the ethnic situation in Ukraine is characterized by the following trends: a shrinking stock of Ukrainian population (up 72.7 % in 1990) and the rising number of ethnic minorities (27.3 %); limited sphere of usage of Ukrainian language, the division of population into three broad groups: Ukrainian Ukrainian (40 %), Russian-Ukrainian (35 %) and Russian-speaking Russians (22 %); difference in the social structure of population of different parts of the language of the state: in the eastern areas in urban areas live 80 – 90 % of the population, in the central and southern areas – 55-65 %, and in western Ukraine dominate the rural population (in Transcarpathia, its share is 85 %); existence of different political sympathies of the population in these regions: the east supporting communist, socialist and farmers parties, and the west – the radical and moderate nationalists and democrats.

Some scientists even use a new term – «the political geography of Ukraine» (for example, during the presidential elections in 1994 Kuchma did not get a majority in any of 12 areas to the west of Chernihiv, Poltava and Kirovograd, and Leonid Kravchuk, in any of the other 12 regions of eastern and southern Ukraine and Crimea, the presidential elections in 1999 also showed that it is in the East concentrates the electorate of leftist political parties).

There is even thought, that all of Ukraine’s population still can not be called the Ukrainian nation, because only part of it can be characterized by features that are significant in the previously cited definition of "nation".

From this point of view we should define such concepts as "ethnic (national) identity" (a deliberate reference to one or another national community, identification with it). This feature is subjective by its nature and this subjectivity is sometimes an argument against its importance. In reality we can speak about the nation, as a real and properly functioning community, only in the case, when objective signs (common territory, language, economic life) are complemented by distinct national identity. While continuing ethnic identity, until there are ethnicities. Otherwise, you can only talk about the ethnic origin of people, not their ethnicity.

There are indicators that confidently allow to determine the level and status of ethnic identity. Among them are: knowledges of the history of his people (historical memory), the attitude to national traditions and holidays, the attitude to the language of his ethnicity, the feeling of national pride etc. However, the principal, perhaps integrating, is self distancination, recognizing the difference between them and other nationalities, on the one hand, and awareness of the indissoluble ties of his "I" with life and destiny of a certain ethnicity.

In the eastern regions of our state in prevails Russian self-consciousness, and in Transcarpathia live a lot of people, which are aware of themselves separate from the Ukrainian ethnic groups – Rusyns.

Interesting data obtained during the research, conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology in December 1997. Among the questioned citizens of Ukraine only 56 % identified themselves with Ukrainian, 11 % called themselves Russians and 26% said that they both belong to the Ukrainian and Russian ethnic groups.

As sociological studies have shown, the population of Ukraine is much more concerned not with the inter-ethnic relations, but with language issues.

Some politicians share the opinion, that the Russian language, like Russian culture, prevents the consolidation of Ukrainian independence, and current and next generation of Ukrainians do not need it.

The investigation of society shows that 40 % of people aged 50-59 years and 56 % of youth (15-20 years) speaks in favor of bilingualism. Many people believe that the Russian language in Ukraine should have official status.

At the present stage of development of the independent Ukrainian state only the full development of civil society, democratization of political systems and the creation of law state are essential prerequisites of a civilized social solving of the national issues.

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