The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Second edition [Paperback]

Dr. Andrew Wilson (Author), Andrew Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Nota Bene | Publication Date: June 1, 2002

An account of Ukraine and its people. Andrew Wilson focuses on the complex relations between Ukraine and Russia and explains the different versions of the past propagated by Ukrainians and Russians. He also examines the continuing debates over identity, culture, and religion in Ukraine since its independence in 1991. This second edition is updated and includes coverage of the Yushchenko government and the "Gongadze affair".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Since the 1990s, journalists, academics, politicians and the public have groped for some sense of the history, culture and politics of emerging, post-communist independent statesACroatia, Macedonia, Slovakia, Belarus, Slovenia and the like. In 1991 Ukraine joined the ranks of these new states and emerged as a pivotal player in the new alignment of Eurasian politics. Wilson, a lecturer in Ukrainian studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies of University College in London, provides a comprehensive overview (more scholarly than popular) of Ukraine's history, focusing on questions of national identity and describing Ukraine as a recent invention as a nation. For Ukraine, he suggests, national identity revolves around the complex and fluctuating relation between Ukraine and Russia, from the contested views of medieval Kievan Rus and its national origins (Ukrainian or Russian or both?), to the troubles faced by a modern Ukraine with a significant Russian and Russian-speaking population. Wilson presents Ukraine as a cultural construct, a creation of both Ukrainian and Russian imagination and politics; as a result, the book will displease those who dismiss poststructuralist views of national identity. Still, thorough, rigorous and informative, Wilson's survey promises to sharpen Westerners' perceptions of the surviving East-West divide along the European and Russian border. Because it is "a vital 'swing' state" in Eastern Europe, Ukraine's past and future, Wilson convincingly argues, should very much concern us. Illus. not seen by PW. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This marvelous work examines Ukrainian history and politics in light of the literature of the country's nationalism. Legends of a heroic past buttress feelings of kinship within national groups, and nationalists, consequently, look to antiquity to rally popular support. Accordingly, Wilson (Ukrainian studies, University Coll., London) surveys the myth of national origin conveyed by Ukraine's supposed biblical origins and the lays (ballads) of ancient Russia. Memories of past grievances, such as subjugation to foreign powers, typically bolster national sentiments. Though Russia dominated the country until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukrainians take pride in their ancient culture, and the widespread use of the Russian language is a daily reminder to the Ukrainians of their traumatic past. Wilson rounds out the study by assessing the country's economic prospects and sketching a future course for Ukrainian geopolitics. As always, the past informs the politics of today. A perfect introduction to a fascinating culture; strongly recommended for all libraries.DJames R. Holmes, Ph.D. candidate, Fletcher Sch. of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts Univ., Medford, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 2 edition (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300093098
• ISBN-13: 978-0300093094
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,187,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cautionary note, October 1, 2003

By 

Alexander Sydorenko (Jonesboro, AR USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Second edition (Paperback)

Clearly, Wilson's book may not be ignored by anyone who who is interested in the pesky "Ukrainian Question." One must admire his scope (from antiquity to the present, post-Soviet Ukraine--one half of the book is dedicated to post 1991 Ukraine)and the depth of his research. Its greatest merit lies in that it offers an "outsider's" perspective to the traditional russocentric or "nationalistic" readings of the Ukrainian history and identity. On the other hand, its explicit agenda to "debunk myths" and to "set the record straight" proves somewhat too facile and, ultimately, unfair. It is not that Ukrainians are devoid of "mythologies" or that the current post-Soviet Ukrainian elites are not prone to create new myths. But so what? Ukraine's "elder brother," Putin's Russia (or, for that matter, George Bush's U.S.A) does not subscribe to persistent national mythologies. Wilson is correct in sending warning salvos against various self-seving interpretations of the Ukrainian by some national historians, but his determination to completely "de-construct" Ukrainian nationality leads to a dead-end. Thus, despite the many details and frequent insights, in the end Wilson fails to resolve the very question which he set to analyze: what is a "Ukrainian?" This is a central issue that goes beyond Wilson's personal academic interest, inasmuch some 300 years of Russian imperial control, cultural and linguistic repressions, and territorial fragmentation still haunt the national Ukrainian psyche. Timely as this book is, it only raises more questions, which the author fails to resolve with such rhetorical stunts as "supposedly," "could" and "should." That is intellectual cheating.

The reader, therefore, should read this book not only with interest but also with great care and not be swayed by its breezy
prose, implied objectivity and casual arrogance. Even those previous reviewers, whose disdain for President Kuchma and his cronies I fully share, should balance Wilson's model of Ukrainian nationhood with alternate narratives. This is a good book, but it should not be considered definitive.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The one book to read about Ukraine, October 1, 2002

By 

Bohdan Hodiak (Lviv, Ukraine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Second edition (Paperback)

I was immensely impressed with Professor Wilson's book on Ukraine. He starts with pre-historic times and ends with the 21st century, showing why this country of 50 million people is important and why it is in a critical period in its history.
Wilson's knowledge is immense, the result of much scholarship, interviews and many visits. His is an objective view that aims to be fair, which means that many members of the Ukrainian political right and left will be displeased with parts of this book.
I found that it filled many gaps in my knowledge and underlined Ukraine's precarious stuation. It is now ruled by a ... elite (read old communist commisars) an elite that has no loyalty to the Ukrainian people. It has tried to plunder the country's resources as quickly as possible. This elite is not interested in the rule of law or fair taxation. ...
So the country has venal oligarchs on the right, supporting Kuchma, and the communist party on the left. It is still powerful in Ukraine's parliament and is oppsed to any real economic reform.
Ukraine needs a miracle or else it will again be swallowed up by Russia, which as Profesor Wilson points out, will not be good for the world. Not onl;y will the attempt mean a civil war but if Russia succeeds it will once again try for empire.
A final note: this is not an entertainment, a fun read, like many books about countries. You have to be seriously interested in understanding modern Ukraine. Look at it more as a textbook. I found it invaluable, especially this new edition which brings it up to 2002.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Impressive Accomplishment, November 24, 2002

By 

Michael Samerdyke (Big Stone Gap, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Second edition (Paperback)

This book tries to do two jobs, and it does them both very well.

The first task is to explain the history of the Ukrainian national idea. It is not really a history of the nation, but more of a history of how the consciousness that there was a people and nation came into existance. (In other words, he does not go into a lot of detail about cossack revolts and wars and the like, but he shows how these affected the way people thought.) Wilson does a trememdous job here.

The second task of the book is to see what the Ukrainians have made of their independence since 1991. This is extremely important, since the American media has generally ignored Ukraine since independence and focused solely on Russia. I had a little trouble following all of Wilson's material here, since I had so little foundation on what has happened in Ukraine recently. However, Wilson presents his facts clearly, and where possible makes useful comparisons to developments in Russia, Czech Rep., Poland, etc., so I could get a handle on things.

In short, this is simply a superb book, one that will take the reader very far in understanding Ukraine and the challenges before it.