Serhii Plokhy

A History of Ukraine

Gates of Europe

Vivian

“Ukraine has not yet perished.. “ The first line from the Ukrainian national anthem is a somber reflection of the country’s struggling past under invasions, imperialism, and wars. Yet its hope for independence and democracy has been repeatedly derailed by external interference and internal instabilities. Just last week Ukraine was again thrust into international spotlight in face of unlawful Russian invasion. 

“The Gates of Europe is the essential guide to understanding not just Ukraine’s past but also its future.” It was a challenge for me to read as the more distant history of the area was completely unknown to me and there were a lot of knowledge gaps to fill. But the last few chapters starting with the collapse of Soviet Union offer much clarity and insights into the the evolution of Ukraine as an independent nation in the past 30 years and Putin’s ambition to reestablish Russia’s political and military control in the former imperial space long after it was lost. 

Highly recommend to anyone who wants to understand the current situation and learn more about Ukraine’s intertwined history with Russia. The epilogue - the Meanings of History - was especially well written that I can’t stop quoting:

“History has been used and abused more than once in the Ukraine Crisis, informing and inspiring its participants but also justifying violations of international law, human rights, and the right to itself. The Russo-Ukrainian conflict, while arising unexpectedly and taking many of those involved by surprise, has deep historical roots and is replete with historical references and allusions.”

“The collapse of the Soviet Union left Russian elites bitter about their loss of imperial and superpower status, nourishing illusions that what had happened was an accident brought about by the ill will of the West or by politicians like Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin bickering for power. Such a view of the end of the Soviet Union makes it hard to resist the temptation to rewrite history.”

Gates of Europe A History of Ukraine

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