Who are Ukrainians? Are they Ukrainian speakers? Are they
Russian speakers? Maybe they’re speakers of Surzhyk, a Ukrainian/Russian hybrid
language, most prevalently spoken in a wide swath of central Ukraine. Or maybe
Ukrainians can’t be defined based on their language as easily as the maps
presented in newscasts would have us believe.
Ukraine is also culturally diverse: some eastern Ukrainians
identify with Russia, while others consider themselves Ukrainian. In Crimea
there is a sizable population of Muslim Tatars. (They were actually a majority
of Crimea’s population until Stalin sent most of them to Central Asia in the
1940s.) In western Ukraine there are Hutsuls, Boikos and Lemkos, distinct
ethnic groups living in the Carpathian Mountains. There are also sizable
populations of Romanians, Moldovans, Hungarians, and Bulgarians living in areas
along the western borders of the country. So Ukraine is a bit of a melting pot.
Perhaps Ukraine draws strength from its diversity the same way we do in the
United States?
Who Ukrainians are, or who Ukrainians think they are, was
put on display beginning November 21, 2013. Ukraine was supposed to sign an
“Association Agreement” with the European Union. This agreement would have strengthened
political and economic ties between Ukraine and the European Union, and it
would have been an important milestone marking the work that many Ukrainians
have been undertaking to improve their country.
Instead, President Yanukovitch backed out of the agreement
at the last minute. People streamed in from across Ukraine to protest. In the
weeks after the government spurned the Association Agreement, hundreds of
thousands of Ukrainians stood in Independence Square in central Kyiv, known locally
as the Maidan, to protest the decision their government had made. One Sunday an
estimated one million people showed up in downtown Kyiv to voice their
displeasure with their government and show solidarity with their countrymen. (For
a breathtaking areal view of the size of protests, watch this YouTube video.)
Ukraine’s population is around 46 million, so a similarly-sized demonstration
in the US would include over six million people!
Protesters have included students, grandmothers, veterans,
families, Orthodox clergy, Jews, nationalists, Russian speakers, business
owners, famous musicians, and lawyers. Even some of Ukraine’s notorious
oligarchs supported the protests. In short, a broad cross section of Ukrainians
from every social and economic class has been involved in demanding a better
future for Ukraine. This is certainly not the rabble composed of terrorists,
extremists and fascists claimed by some world leaders.
Many protesters have stood on the Maidan day and night,
weathering the frigid Ukrainian winter. They stood on the Maidan even after
being attacked by riot police in November. And December. And January. And again
in February. The protesters continued to stand on the square in peaceful
dignity, pushing back only enough to continue the protests. They even stood in
the cold wearing colanders on their heads to protest against laws passed limiting
free speech and peaceful protest (which, among other things, made it illegal to
wear bicycle helmets). The words Слава Україні! (Glory to Ukraine!) echoed across
Kyiv, even as they froze in the icy night air enveloping the Maidan.
When snipers began shooting protesters last February, Ukrainians
stood as one, refusing to be cowed into submission so the government could steal
more of the country’s riches. As protesters were picked off one by one (the
youngest was 17 and had only been on the Maidan for an hour) the crowd roared
with one voice: “Слава Україні! Героям слава! (Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the
heroes!). And what began as a whisper in the night swelled to a roar that has
reverberated across the globe: You won’t steal our money, our lives nor our
dignity! We are Ukrainians, and we demand responsible government and a better
life!
As Americans we can surely identify with these ideals and
the demand for a government that is answerable to the people it governs. The
Founding Fathers enshrined them in the Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution.
This is what Ukraine has taught me: quiet strength, patience,
perseverance and tolerance give a country the strength its needs to stand up to
seemingly insurmountable obstacles and tragic challenges. I hope that my
efforts as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine have given something to my
community, but in my heart, I know that what Ukrainians gave me in return was
so much more.
Thank you, Ukraine.
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
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