Change

There was almost unanimous agreement among interviewees that major changes had occurred over the preceding two years. Most felt that Ukrai­nians had made a step toward consolidating themselves as a political nation, and that a wide range of people were now committed to active participation in socio-political life.

However, there were notable differences in emphasis. Some stressed the involvement of young, politically engaged intellectuals, who were developing strategies for change (in various “think tanks”) after the Orange Revolution of 2004, or highlighted the involvement of the business community (Hrytsak). Others indicated the appearance of a widespread solidarity that was linked to the creation of initiatives from below (Zabuzhko). In different ways, almost all those interviewed sum­marized the major attitudinal shift in term of taking responsibility: “to a significant degree people have started to believe that they themselves can make change happen” (Finberh). A variation on this was the view that many people in Ukraine had “moved beyond the stage of infantile self-awareness and had become adults. The realization that one has to behave as an adult brought with it a sense of responsibility in social and political life” (Stiazhkina). Several individuals commented on a new atti­tude toward Russia and Russians, and felt that war had drawn the coun­try together in defense of the state’s independence (Finberh, Shevchenko, Zakharov).

Almost all interviewees insisted that the major changes were a result of a processes that began earlier and had shifted Ukraine’s geopolitical orienta­tion away from the previous “twenty years of ambivalence” to a commit­ted pro-Western stance. It was pointed out that the Euromaidan provided evidence that a consolidation had occurred across all parts of Ukraine, including the south and east. However, the view was also expressed that change among political leaders had been superficial and that, in any case, political behavior was never completely irreversible (Zhadan, Holovakha). Nonetheless, even the most cautious commentators expressed the view that for most people, there was no going back; the country had been trans­formed by revolution and war. However, in the eastern part of the country, it was felt, only the layer of people most involved in the Euromaidan and the war effort had been affected (Zhadan).

There was some doubt regarding the irreversibility of the “pro-European” attitude (meaning commitment to democratic values, openness, and respect for human rights). The question of whether broad sectors of the elites and general population had changed was considered debatable, and the view expressed that another decade or two would be required for changes in civil society to fully take root in both the elites and masses, particularly with regard to the pro-European attitude (Holovakha).