Let’s hit the play button and start from where we left off; from the groovy sixties we fast-forward to 1986, and those of you who watch HBO shows regularly probably can guess what I’m leading to. On the 26th of April, a routine test of the fourth nuclear reactor was taking place, except this one lead to one of the most catastrophic nuclear disasters in human history. I have a feeling most of you are somewhat familiar with this topic, and although I’m not a nuclear physicist who can explain the intricate details of the meltdown itself (it’s also not very relevant to this historic crash course anyhow), what I will focus on is the way it was handled by the government. Spoiler alert – it was not good.
When a nuclear meltdown happens, there are several things you can do. Option one – spread the news of the disaster, explain to people how to stay safe (closing windows, deep cleaning and washing hair every day, leaving the area) as well as evacuating people and limiting their exposure to radiation (which is deadly, by the way). Or option two – tell no one and let children play under radioactive rain, make people clean up the aftermath without proper equipment, let people get radiation disease, and all because your ego cannot afford the world knowing that something went wrong. Now, what option sounds better? One, hopefully. So, the government chose option one, right? No. The USSR couldn’t afford to show weakness, so they didn’t shout “DANGER!” from the rooftops; the only way people found out about the massive risk to their health, is through others in the know. This meant that millions of people were exposed to radiation, without knowing it, because the parade for the 9th of May – which was showered with radioactive rain – was more important.
You might ask me why I went on this tangent and how it’s relevant to Ukrainian culture. You are correct, it’s not Ukrainian culture to be the host of nuclear meltdowns, however this illustrates the environment that Ukrainians lived in under the soviet rule. It was a dark time, when the government didn’t care about people’s welfare, and only cared for the workforce they were made to be.
Today, the site of this disaster, Pripyat, is occupied by the Russian army. A smart and strategic move by Putin, said no one ever, because the area is still highly radioactive. There is a protective sarcophagus around the 4th reactor, installed in 1986 and updated in 2017, but it is still incredibly dangerous. I might remind you, dear reader, that the Russian army also thought it was a bright idea to shoot at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is several times more powerful than Chernobyl ever was, once again showing how USSR’s attitude towards human life persevered, hauled into the 21st century by Putin.
Let’s close this dark chapter and jump five years into the future. The 90s – time to get the ‘Rachel’ haircut, listen to the Spice girls and read the first Harry Potter book. Many good things begun in the 90s, but they also brought the collapse of the USSR. In August 1991, Ukrainian officials declared themselves independent, yet only in December, when USSR was dissolved, as an independent country. Ukrainian people chose to be independent and live in their own country in a referendum, with over 90% of citizens voting for it. So, Ukraine definitely was not created by Russia – Putin really should read a history book, because his facts aren’t facts but more of a delusion.
An economic recession, lasting eight years, commenced after the fall of the USSR. And let me tell you, these are never fun, because people didn’t have enough money for living normally, with salaries were low and prices – high. This also led to corruption, because if you had money when no one else did, you could buy yourself out of trouble
During the 31 years that Ukraine existed as an independent sovereign nation, Ukrainians have exercised their right for a representative government, by a constant and reliable change in power – be it through elections or revolutions. So, in this time Ukraine had seven presidents (be that with varying rates of approval) from different political parties, in contrast to Russia, where Putin came to power in 2000 and superglued himself to the authoritarian throne that is his presidency. In fairness to history, Dmitry Medvedev, the current PM, was the president from 2008-2013, but I must stress the fact that Putin was then his PM. Plus, they belong to the same political party – United Russia. This contrast of change in power is one of the best illustrations of the difference between these two cultures, as Ukrainians are used to having a voice in the way their country is run, yet in Russia it’s prohibited, because protests need to have permission from the government within the law.
Now my dear reader, let’s waltz a couple years to the revolutions I mentioned. There are two: one is called the Orange Revolution and the other – the Revolution of Dignity or Maidan (great names, if you ask me). In November 2004, the Orange Revolution had started, sparked by the recent presidential election, which was thought to be fraudulent, as well as the overall public desire for social, political, and economic reform. Ten years later, Ukrainians took to the streets again, with the goal to remove Viktor Yanukovych from power. It all started with his decision not to sign a free trade association with the EU and align closer with Russia, an unpopular move to say the least, which caused several months of large-scale protests in the Freedom Square in the centre of Kyiv. For three months they were peaceful, with famous Ukrainians showing solidarity and live music performances. This came to be known as Euromaidan. However, the last couple days were very different, resulting in the deaths of over 100 young protestors, because the then-president thought it right to use armed security forces against them. But the protestors succeeded, and on the 22nd of February Yanukovych fled to hide in Russia, where he remains to this day.
This is where I leave you, my dear reader. A rollercoaster of a ride, I know, but this paints the background for what is happening today, and without these snapshots of history, it is impossible to understand what this conflict truly means to Ukrainians. So, farewell, and until the next one.
P.S. It will be a bit happier, I promise.
