> in order to forge a new identity
Both Russia and Ukraine trace their identity to the Kievan Rus. If there's a new identity here, it's not Ukraine's.
Russian subjugation under the mongols continued under autocratic Muscovy, the Russian Tsardom, and eventually the Russian Empire, with peasants trapped under serfdom -- while Ukraine experienced the enlightenment and renaissance much more like the rest of Western Europe.
This led to such transformation that, despite Ukraine gradually losing its independence to Russia since 1654, it was still the industrial heart of the USSR 300 years later despite Russian efforts to modernize the rest of the empire and crush the Ukrainian culture and language.
Beyond industrial capacity, one could debate the superiority of Ukraine's enlightenment ideals around intellectualism, humanism, individual rights, etc. I would choose the one that is better for most citizens and enables greater overall prosperity.
Your comment here is the latest propaganda in hundreds of years of efforts to delegitimize and destroy Ukrainian identity. Luckily we still have history books.
Both Russia and Ukraine trace their identity to the Kievan Rus. If there's a new identity here, it's not Ukraine's.
Russian subjugation under the mongols continued under autocratic Muscovy, the Russian Tsardom, and eventually the Russian Empire, with peasants trapped under serfdom -- while Ukraine experienced the enlightenment and renaissance much more like the rest of Western Europe.
This led to such transformation that, despite Ukraine gradually losing its independence to Russia since 1654, it was still the industrial heart of the USSR 300 years later despite Russian efforts to modernize the rest of the empire and crush the Ukrainian culture and language.
Beyond industrial capacity, one could debate the superiority of Ukraine's enlightenment ideals around intellectualism, humanism, individual rights, etc. I would choose the one that is better for most citizens and enables greater overall prosperity.
Your comment here is the latest propaganda in hundreds of years of efforts to delegitimize and destroy Ukrainian identity. Luckily we still have history books.