The Concept of Freedom and Independence in Ukraine

Thinking about the history of Ukrainian people, I need to admit that it is a history of people’s desire for freedom and their fight for independence throughout the centuries. Each individual is born with a strong wish to be free, and this is that very feeling that moves people, if they are united, for their national independence. To my mind, Ukraine should be considered as a very old country in terms of its people’s desire to be free from the power of the neighbor –states. However, at the same time, it is a very young state of 20 years old when we speak about its independence.

In order to describe the concept of freedom and independence in Ukraine, it is worth analyzing the history of Ukraine to some extent, the mentality and inner nature of Ukrainian people, and the current status of freedom in Ukraine as an independent state.

Ukrainian history has always been influenced by its reach land, in particular soil, and powerful neighboring states interested in its occupation. In old times, Ukraine was known as Kyiv Rus, which became Christian in 998 AD, had a strong army, separation of powers, and educational institutions, one which is Kyiv Mohyla Academy, which is to my mind, the best one in Ukraine at present time. During the centuries up to 1991, Ukrainian territories were divided between and occupied by its neighbors: Moskoviya (now Russia, that took Ukrainian name “Rus”) and later Soviet Union in the north, east and later in west; Poland, Austria and Hungary in the west and Romania in the south west. There were a lot of attacks of tatars from the south that ruined Ukrainian towns and villages and took Ukrainian people to work as slaves on their territories.

In order to better understand the mentality of people currently living in Ukraine, it is worth remembering how many Ukrainians our country has lost during the time-period between World War I and World War II. People in Eastern Ukraine suffered from famine that was artificially made by Soviet regime. Rich and well educated western Ukrainians were displaced from their home to Syberia, Russia, so that they could not oppose Soviet government any more. Many western Ukrainians died in the concentration camps located in Poland and Germany during the Word War II. As a result, Ukraine has simply lost the best of its people, those people who were strong-willed, loved their country and wanted to work for the prosperity of Ukraine. Some of them immigrated; others were killed or displaced to Russia, others died in prisons. In this way, the Soviet regime made its best to have moral slaves on the territory of Ukraine who could be easily controlled, instead of those who would be able to control the government and change it as soon as it becomes oppressive. The spirit of freedom was totally ruined, especially in Eastern and Southern Ukraine.

At present time, Ukraine is an independent state under its legislative documents. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine was proclaimed on 16 July 1990, and the state’s independence was proclaimed on 24 August 1991. Based on the Constitution of Ukraine we may say that it is a democratic state where rights and freedoms of people are guaranteed. However, it is not the document that defines the status of freedom in the country or measures its independence in general. Only people who feel free to speak Ukrainian language and require that from the government officials, who know their real history and refuse to accept its different versions depending on the governingpolitical party, people who love their country and are proud to be Ukrainians can bring a spirit of freedom to Ukrainian society and make it independent de facto.

Since we have lost the best of Ukrainians who could be working right now for the development of our country, it would certainly take more than twenty years for Ukraine to regenerate its leaders. The best thing what each single Ukrainian should do is to develop a feeling of freedom at his or her home, at work, public places, and teach their children to be proud that they are Ukrainians. Only in this way, Ukraine can bring up its new generation of free people who will respect themselves, respect other nations and who will be respected thereby as well. People having freedom in their mentality make their state independent. There is no other option for Ukrainian people and they will do their best step by step to bring freedom back to their home and be independent once and forever.