The problem of the “colonial status” of Ukraine under Russia and Austria

Many Ukrainian historians write that Ukraine was Russia’s colony under the tsarist regime. Such writings are usually politically motivated. Statements that Ukraine was Russia’s colony justify in the eyes of these historians Ukraine’s right to be independent from Russia and not be involved in any kind of a union with present-day Russia. These historians write that Russia “soaked blood” from Ukraine. In fact that is not right. Ukraine’s economic development in the 19^th century was amazing. A lot of factories, plants, and railroads were built. Ukraine was turned into a major European industrial base. Investments from England, France, Germany, and other developed European countries poured into Ukraine. The Ukrainians did not have the humiliating status of “inorodtsy” (non-Russians in the empire). Russia considered the Ukrainians as not a separate nation from the Russians but as a branch of the common people which included Russians, Belorussians, and Ukrainians. Ukrainians could occupy the best positions in Russia’s hierarchical system on the ground that they were not “inorodtsy”.[9] Kyiv was considered the “mother of all Russian cities” and Moscow said that it naturally and rightfully inherited Kyiv’s power. The ruling dynasty Riurikovichi was also common to Russia, Ukraine, and Belorussia.

    It is a typical sign of a colony that its people live worse than those of the major part of an empire (metropolia). But Ukrainians in general lived better than Russians. Unfortunately only a few historians in Ukraine write truth about that. All the above mentioned facts testify that Ukraine could not be a Russian colony; it was just an ordinary province. If the Russians had treated Ukraine as a colony the Ukrainians would have felt different from the Russians and demanded independence.

    What about the position of Ukraine in the Austrian Empire? Our historians write in school textbooks that it was an Austrian colony. They say that Austrians mostly built in western Ukraine an industry related to oil and timber, and brought finished products into Ukraine from Austria. But, they probably do not understand that it was natural and rational to build such an industry in western Ukraine which had sufficient reserves of oil and forest. It was a normal result of an ordinary regional specialization or division of labor (to produce different goods in appropriate parts of the country). For example the major industrial base of the Austrian Empire was Czechia. Czechia also was the most developed part of the empire. According to their logic of the “colonial status” Austria could have been Czechia’s colony, but that is absurd. Moreover, Ukraine received most of its finished products not from Austria (as our politically-motivated historians say) but from Czechia (which was also a province of the empire). We cannot say that some small town in Kyiv region is Kyiv’s colony on the ground that finished goods are brought from Kyiv to this town and nobody build factories in this town to satisfy its local needs. For example the town of Kaharlyk in Kyiv region gives diary products to Kyiv and receives factory goods in return. This does not mean that Kaharlyk is Kyiv’s colony. This is just a result of the division of labor in present-day Ukraine. The same practice was applied in the Austrian Empire.

The Ukrainians in the Austrian Empire had the same political rights as the Austrians. Many Ukrainians were members of the Austrian parliament. In fact western Ukraine was an ordinary province of the Austrian Empire, the same as eastern Ukraine was an ordinary province of the Russian Empire. To be someone’s province is also not good and it is a serious reason for struggling for independence.[10] Thus, there is no reason to exaggerate and claim that Ukraine was a colony.

Questions

1. Why was it possible to divide the Commonwealth between three aggressive neighbors at the end of the 18^th century? How did this division influence the mentality of Ukrainians?

2. Describe the activity of Romantics and explain why they were interested in the lifestyle of peasants.

3. Why did the Russian government consider the Brotherhood’s ideas to be dangerous for the empire?

4. Explain the reasons for the wide-scale reforms of Alexander II?

5. Describe Ukraine’s economic development in the second half of the 19^th century. Explain the reasons for the large migration of Russians to Ukraine at this time.

6. Tell about the aims and activities of hromadas. What problems did they face while teaching peasants in Ukrainian?

7. Who were khlopomany?

8. What was the reaction of the Russian government to the growth of hromada movement in the 1860s and 1870s?

9. Did Ukrainians experience discrimination in the Russian Empire? What was the aim of Russification?

10. What similarities can you trace between Polish and Russian nationality policies in Ukraine?

11. Why did the Russian government hinder the development of Ukrainian language and studying of Ukrainian history?

12. Explain why Austrians promoted the development of Ukrainian language and culture. What were the consequences of Austria’s cultural policy in Western Ukraine?

13. What was the aim of Hungarian policy in Transcarpathia?

14. Why do politicians in present-day Ukraine claim that Ukraine was Russian and Austrian colony? What arguments can be used to prove the opposite?

 

 

WORDS AND WORD COMBINATIONS TO TOPIC 4

 

Partition - поділ

Absolutist monarchies – абсолютистські монархії

Nobility – знать, дворянство

Immunity before law - недоторканість

Submit – підкоряти, підкорятися

Fortress - фортеця

Impact - вплив

National revival – національне відродження

Noted - відомий

Autocratic – автократичний, той хто має необмежену владу

Exile - заслання

Lament – стогнати, горювати, плакати

Despise - зневажати

Serfdom - кріпацтво

Consciousness - свідомість

Inspire - надихати

Allied forces – союзні сили

Backwardness - відсталість

Obsolete - застарілий

Steamer - пароплав

Frustrate - розстроювати

Humiliate - принижувати

Defeat - поразка

Wide-scale - широкий

Abolish - скасувати

Obstacle - перешкода

Jury - присяжні

Attorney – повірений, адвокат

Legal proceedings – судочинство

City-dweller – міський мешканець

Ground forces – наземні війська

Navy – воєнний флот

Corporal punishments – тілесні покарання

Impetus – поштовх, імпульс

Output – продукція, випуск, продуктивність

Enhance - збільшити

Dwelling - житло

Descendants – нащадки

Movement - рух

Dedicated to – присвячений

Devoted to – присвячений, відданий

Embroidered shirt - вишиванка

Political demands – політичні вимоги

Internal affairs – внутрішні справи

Temporal extinction – тимчасове зникнення

Reemerged - відновився

Ban – заборона, забороняти

Prohibit - забороняти

Ruthless attempt – безжалісна спроба

Nobles - дворяни

Scholars – вчені-гуманітарії

To staff – забезпечувати персоналом

Clergy - духовенство

Pursue a policy – проводити політику

Eradicate – викорінювати, знищувати

Distinct nationality – окрема національність

Persecute - переслідувати

Uprising - повстання

Benefit from – отримувати вигоду

Self-esteem - самооцінка

Humiliating status – принизливий статус

Inherit - успадкувати

Division of labor – розподіл праці

Appropriate parts – відповідні частини

Exaggerate - перебільшувати

Claim – стверджувати, заявляти

 

[1] Ukraine produced 20 percent of the world’s wheat.

[2] The word comes from Polish khlop, a derogatory name for peasant.

[3] The Austrian government allowed the Ukrainophiles to do it because their activity undermined Russia’s political concept of the Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian unity. Austria was interested in the weakening of Russia.

[4]After the Valuev Decree the Ukrainian intelligentsia published Ukrainian books in Austrian Galicia and imported them to Russian-ruled Ukraine.

[5] In 1881 the government modified the Decree of Ems to allow the publication of dictionaries and music lyrics in Ukrainian, as well as the staging of Ukrainian plays with permission from local authorities.

[6] Mikhail Lomonosov, one of the most outstanding Russian scientists, studied in Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

[7] Studium Ruthenium was part of Lviv University and it had two faculties: philosophical and theologian.

[8] According to Russia’s official view, the Old Rus Nationality was the cradle of the three branches of the same nation: Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.

[9] Several Ukrainians were prime ministers of the Russian Empire.

[10] A nation can achieve its full development only in an independent state.