ukraine the story of the “wild east”
DESCRIPTION
Presentation about the background of current problems in Ukraine, as of 22.01.2014TRANSCRIPT
Ukraine The story of the “Wild East”
Urartu
R.I.P.Serhiy Nigoyan is among the first persons who were shot in
Kyiv at the time of their demonstrations
www.pravda.com.ua
Introduction
Part 1 (Current presentation):•What is Ukraine?•Identity formation?– Historical insights
•Post-USSR timesPart 2 (Video conference):•What is happening now in Ukraine?•Questions and Answers
Most known opposition activists/journalists:•Georgiy Gongsdze•Yulia Tymoshenko (nee Yulia Grigyan)•Savik Shuster (Shevelis Shusteris)•Mustafa Nayem•Serhiy Nigiyan Do this names sound Ukrainian?
Map of Europe
Here is Ukraine
wikipedia.org: San Jose (map), Hayden120 (retouch)
Ukraine, let’s compare
Back Sea
Azov Sea
Baltic SeaNord Sea
Odessa
ArmeniaIran
Crimea
KyivIlmenau
Venice
Ukraine GermanyArea 603 km2 357 km2
Population (million) 44.84 80.58GDP (PPP), USD 7 422 40 757GDP (nominal), USD 3 862 45 925 One way bus ticket, EUR 0.2 2.0
Ukraine vs. Germany
UkraineGermany
12 times!!!
What does “Ukraine” mean?Original name: Rus’ (Kyiv Rus’)Internationally: Ruthenia (Red, While, Black)
First time mentioned as “Oukraina” in 1187 – Meaning “Borderland”
People: Ruthenians, Rusyn - later: Cossacks, Ukrainians
Ukraine is mostly flat
www.freeworldmaps.net
Carpathian mountains
Ukraine is mostly flat
www.freeworldmaps.net
Crimean Mountains
Crimean yaila
Crimea
Relict Juniper Forest
Crimea
Typical landscape in Ukraine
Ukraine is mostly flat
www.freeworldmaps.net
Dnipro river
Dnipro (Dnieper) river
The Fortress of Kamyanets-Podilskyi
commons.wikimedia.org: seleonov
Bilhorod-Dnistrovsk Fortress
ukrainaincognita.com: Roman Malenkov
Soviet architectureMother of the Motherland, Kyiv Statue of Lenin, Yalta
Climate of the country
commons.wikipedia.org
Steppe
Climate of the country!
commons.wikipedia.org
What is special about Ukraine?The widely accepted theory of the Proto-Indo-European homeland places it in Eastern UkraineProposed in 1950
Early w:Yamna culture (4000–3500 BC)
About 2500 BC
About 1000 BC
wikipedia.org: Dbachmann
Genetic evidence of this theory
wikipedia.org: User:Hxseek
Evidence of the Proposed Hypothesis found in 1999Frequency distribution of R1a1a adapted from Underhill et al (2009)
What else is special about Ukraine?
It is known for its permanent demonstrations against government
http://www.novayagazeta.ru: Evheniy Feldman
But we will talk about it later
http://www.novayagazeta.ru: Evheniy Feldman
Couple words about the lost identity
• Who is the modern day Ukrainian?
Formation of Ukrainians
commons.wikipedia.org
Traditional Ukrainian Clothes
commons.wikipedia.org
Traditional Ukrainian Clothes/Art/Music
“Cossack Mamai”, XIX century
Serhii Vasylkivsky, “Sotnyk of Uman”“Ukrainian peasant”, 1786
Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kyiv (1037)
commons.wikipedia.org
Ukrainian HeritageOrthodox Church in Kyiv
Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra
commons.wikipedia.org
Traditional Ukrainian House
wikipedia.org: Ievhen
Typical Ukrainian Countryside
The Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans, Chernivtsi
The Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans, Chernivtsi
http://ridersontheglobe.com/stages/270: Unknown
Greek and Roman Heritage
wikipedia.org: Andrei nacu
commons.wikimedia.org: MapMaster
Greek temple in Chersoneses
commons.wikimedia.org: Dmitry A. Mottl
Greek Amphitheatre in Chersoneses
wikipedia.org: Kamelot
Genovese fortress in Sudak
Genovese temple in Sudak
Greeks and Armenians were deported from their homelands in 18th century!
German settlements in Ukraine
Remains of the “Kingdom of Gothia”
German settlements today
German settlements
today
German settlements
today
German settlements
today
German settlements
today
German settlements
today
German settlements today
German settlements today
Germans were deported from their homelands during 20th century!!!
Jewish communities in Ukraine
Jewish population of Eastern Europe, about 1900
Jewish population change after1945
1939 – 2.72 million1945 – 0.84 million2010 – 0.07 million
Jews were killed and the survivors had no chance but to leave their homeland
during 20th century!!!
Turkish people of Ukraine
Tatar cultural heritage
Tatar cultural heritageMosque in Mariupol, 2010The Big Khan Mosque, 1532
Tatar cultural heritage
Tatar cultural heritagePage from the medieval Koran
Medieval Muslim Cemetery in Crimea
The siege of Ismail, 1790
Crimea Tatars were deported in 1945
On the way to the lost Identity• Deportation of Greeks and Armenians (18 cent.)• Liquidation of Cossacks (18 cent.)• German resettlement (18 cent.)• Serbo-Croatian resettlement (18 cent.)• Deportation of Nogai people (19 cent.)• Holodomor (a man-made famine, 1932-1933)• Holocaust (1941-1943)• Deportation of Crimean Tatar and Germans (1945)• Polish-Ukrainian population exchange (1947)• Return of Crimean Tatars (1989 – now)
• Empty settlements were resettled/colonized by new people (mostly Ukrainians)
• New people had no interest in the past history of their new homelands
• It was during the time of a strong influence of Russian empire/USSR
People have lost their identity and understanding of the homeland
Some statistics and facts
Ukrainian population in Russian Empire, 1897
Wikimedia Commons
The dominant ethnicity by population, 1897
wikipedia.org: User Tovel
The dominant ethnicity in urban areas by population, 1897
wikipedia.org: User Tovel
Nobility in Ukraine, 1897
wikipedia.org: User Tovel
Wikimedia Commons
Modern Ukraine
• Independence from the USSR: 1991– Economical collapse– Cultural recovery
Dilemma of the lost identity• No responsibility corruption
• Three key freedoms:1.Personal freedom2.Economical freedom3.Social responsibility
Freedom 1: Personal freedom
• Achieved • As a result of the collapse of USSR• Cultural recovery, starting from Perestroika
(end of 1980s)– End of political repressions– Return of deported nations (Crimean Tatars)– End of religious and cultural repressions– Freedom of Mass media
Socio-cultural recovery: Ethno-style restaurant in the countryside
Socio-cultural recovery: Ethno-style restaurant in the countryside
Socio-cultural recovery: The Sviatohirsk Lavra
St. Michael's cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine
wikimedia.org/Petar Milošević
Socio-cultural Recovery Crimean-Tatar Marriage, 2013
Socio-cultural recovery: Modern Tatar architecture
Socio-cultural Recovery Catholic Cathedral in Kamyanets Mosque in Donetsk region
wikipedia.org: azastan
Pilgrimage to the founder’s of Chasidism tomb in Uman’
Time of pilgrimage in Uman’
Restoration of the Karaite minority temple
Socio-cultural recovery: Vietnam Buddhist Temple
Socio-cultural recovery: “Donbas Arena”, Donetsk
GdeFon.com
Freedom 2: Economical freedom
• Failed (from 1991 until 2000)• As a result of the collapse of USSR• No state owner no responsibility– Corruption– Mafia and Oligarchs
• No interest in “Freedom 3” as long as life is survival– Need for a “strong” leader 1. Personal freedom
2. Economical freedom3. Social responsibility
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
GDP real annual growth rate since 1990
President Kuchma was selected
• Start of recovery (from 2000 until 2004)• Interest in “Freedom 3” – Life not survival anymore– Need for elimination of corruption– Thoughts about fair future (Western vs. Post
Soviet)
1. Personal freedom2. Economical freedom3. Social responsibility
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
GDP real annual growth rate since 1990
First demonstrations against the President (Kuchma)
President Kuchma was selected Orange revolution
• Recovery failed (from 2005 until 2009)• From 2008 (world economic crisis) – no more
interest in “Freedom 3”– Life is survival again– Need for a strong leader – Yanukovych wins fair presidential elections
1. Personal freedom2. Economical freedom3. Social responsibility
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
GDP real annual growth rate since 1990
First demonstrations against the President (Kuchma)
President Kuchma was selected Orange revolution
President Yanukovych was selected
First demonstrations against Yanukovych
?
• Recovery failed (from 2010 until now)• Economy recovered from the crisis– Interest in “Freedom 3” again– Need for elimination of corruption– Thoughts about fair future (EU vs. Post Soviet)
1. Personal freedom2. Economical freedom3. Social responsibility
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
Freedom 2: Economical freedom (against corruption)
GDP real annual growth rate since 1990
First demonstrations against the President (Kuchma)
President Kuchma was selected Orange revolution
President Yanukovych was selected
?
First demonstrations against Yanukovych
Ukrainian dilemma
Poland
Russia
Belarus
Ukraine
Western Ukraine: life in EU is much better
Eastern Ukraine: life in Custom Union is much better
As a result: Social collapse
Independence of Ukraine
wikipedia.org: LokiiT
Typical sub-urban life in Ukraine
Typical sub-urban life in Ukraine
Typical sub-urban life in Ukraine
Typical sub-urban life in Ukraine
Typical sub-urban life in Ukraine
Typical sub-urban life in Ukraine
End of November Beginning as a peaceful demonstration
Simple demand: EU integration
news.liga.net
November, 30th
The dispersal of protesters by government
www.forbes.ru: AFP/East-News
22.01.2014
www.bbc.co.uk
The response form the government
The response form the government