Moscow’s Attitude to Ukraine

The incorporation of Ukraine into the Russian empire stimulated Russia’s cultural development. (In the 17^th century Ukraine as a Polish province had much more developed culture than Russia). Many educated Ukrainians were offered high official posts in Russia. Sons of Russian nobles studied in Ukrainian secondary schools and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.[6] Ukrainian scholars founded and staffed the first institution of higher education in Russia – The Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy (1685) in Moscow as well as various secondary schools (especially for training the clergy) in Russian cities. In the 17^th – 18^th centuries Ukrainians filled the highest hierarchical positions in the Russian Orthodox Church including the major one (the head of Holy Synod).

Russia throughout its history has always been a very centralized state. So it looks quite natural that Russia pursued a centralization policy in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church lost its independence and became part of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1686. The Greek Catholic Church was also transformed into the Russian Orthodox after western Ukraine became part of the Russian Empire. The Orthodox Church in Ukraine became an instrument of Russification and a major propagandist of the official imperial ideology. Ukrainian publishing houses were forbidden to print books in Ukrainian. The Ukrainian language was denied the status of a distinct language from Russian. It was considered as merely a dialect of Russian and it was not allowed to publish and teach in it. The teaching of Ukrainian history was also forbidden as it could stimulate the development of national consciousness. As to the Ukrainian nation it was considered as a branch of the Russian people. (It is interesting to note that many influential politicians in present-day Russia still consider the Ukrainians a branch of the Russian people). The very name “Ukraine” was forbidden by Moscow. The country was called Little Russia (Malorossiia) or Southern Russia (Iuzhno-Russkii krai). Russian tsars encouraged intermarriages between Russians and Ukrainians. Thus, Russia’s policy toward Ukraine was aimed at assimilation of the Ukrainian people and culture. By eradicating Ukrainian national consciousness Russia planned to secure the state’s stability.

    It should be noted however that Ukrainians in the Russian Empire were not discriminated against for jobs because of their nationality. All careers were opened for Ukrainians in the empire and many Ukrainians achieved the highest positions (including prime-minister) in the Russian hierarchical system. There could not be any discrimination as the official point of view in Russia denied the existence of Ukrainians as a nation. The Ukrainians were considered to be the Russians who had been artificially separated from Russia in the 13^th century and got first under Mongol, and later under Lithuanian and Polish control. As a result of these foreign influences the “Russians” in Ukraine were slightly changed in their language and mentality and “became” the Ukrainians. In the 17^th century, according to the Russian imperial viewpoint, Ukraine naturally reunited with its homeland – Russia.