A Few Remarks on Ukraine’s Struggle (Until 1920) For Its Independence

Kilka uwag na temat zmagań (do roku 1920) Ukrainy o swoją podmiotowość

Abstract

This text addresses several themes that are important to the author in relation to the struggle for Ukrainian sovereignty. The text covers several periods, from the Treaty of Pereyaslav in 1654 to 1920. It is true that Khmelnytsky’s goal was to achieve autonomy, while the Russian Empire’s goal was first to weaken the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in its eastern borderlands. The turning point of this text is the end of the Polish-Bolshevik War and its consequences for Ukraine.

Due to its location and history, for many centuries, today's Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire, along with its inhabitants and culture, and was subjected to Russification, just like other nations that made up Tsarist Russia. A strong shift towards independence came with the outbreak of World War I, followed by a series of revolutions that shook Russia. At this time, we are seeing an intensification of the Ukrainian issue among many Ukrainian groups and politicians. As was the case in 1991, it was decided to take advantage of Russia's involvement in conflicts and the resulting chaos and uncertainty. What certainly helped in this regard was the emergence of political parties and groups. Even if they were short-lived and often represented divergent visions of the future, they were a sign of the vitality of the Ukrainian question. The subsequent Universals that were created were both a reaction to the changing political situation and an attempt to draft a fundamental law that would lay the foundations for the state.  The history of Ukraine is complicated, and gaining independence during the collapse of the USSR is not the end of the process, but another beginning, and the current Ukrainian-Russian conflict shows that the territory of Ukraine is still treated as political spoils to be won.