Borders, symbolism and nation-state building: Ukraine and Russia

The Russian-Ukrainian border question always consisted of far more than simply a territorial dispute. It inevitably became bound up with questions of state and nation-building, the creation of new post-Soviet national identities, and the forging of civic nations. These factors involved the revival o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geopolitics and international boundaries 1997-09, Vol.2 (2), p.36-56
Main Author: Kuzio, Taras
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BORDER, BORDER DISPUTE
CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA
STATES
UKRAINE
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Summary:The Russian-Ukrainian border question always consisted of far more than simply a territorial dispute. It inevitably became bound up with questions of state and nation-building, the creation of new post-Soviet national identities, and the forging of civic nations. These factors involved the revival of historical myths and the return to history to 'prove' first settlement. A discourse, couched in such terms, proved to be highly charged because it was one where, 'history matters and contains a direct challenge to the political survival of every fledgling state'.' Russian newspaper commentaries pointed out that the Russian-Ukrainian treaty signed in late May 1997 was more difficult psychologically for Moscow to undertake than the treaties signed with Chechnya and NATO earlier in the same month. This article surveys the roots of the Ukrainian-Russian territorial dispute and how history has been brought into play as a means to argue for the 'right' of first settlement. It then discusses attitudes within Ukraine to its territorial integrity.
ISSN:1362-9379
DOI:10.1080/13629379708407589