The ongoing war in Ukraine is steeped in hundreds of years of interconnectedness, common heritage, and a connection spanning the fall of multiple civilisations, empires, and countries.
While the fall of the Soviet Union and the subsequent split of Ukraine from the Russian Federation are factors at the forefront of the conflict, Ukrainian and Russian history have a common ancestor from centuries ago: the Kievan Rus. Both countries, alongside Belarus, trace their heritage back to this federation established in the 10th Century, from which they derive not only a large part of their culture but also significant amounts of their historical pride. Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, was also the capital of the Kievan Rus, making it exceptionally culturally significant to both Russians and Ukrainians. However, the Kievan Rus lasted only until the mid-13th Century, as it was disbanded mainly due to Mongol invasions.
Since the 1700s, significant parts of historically Ukrainian territory were annexed by the Russian Empire, which eventually became the Soviet Union after the 1917 Russian Revolution. During Ukraine’s time under the Tsars of the Russian Empire, its cultural identity was stifled under fears of separatism; the Ukrainian language was banned from being taught, and Ukrainian language books were later banned as well, both of which were attempts to Russianize Ukraine and its people.
In 1917, towards the beginning of the Russian Revolution, Ukraine declared itself an independent state, the Ukrainian People’s Republic. This formation was followed by the Ukrainian War of Independence, which spanned until 1921, turning the country into a bloody battlefield. These events were further followed by the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which assimilated Ukraine’s lands and people into the newly-established Soviet Union.
As evident in the pages of history, the relationship between Ukraine and Russia is one rife with division and discord, highlighted many times in the past and visible in the present. However, this does not deviate from the gravity of today’s situation. The differences between these two countries stretch much further than the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and viewing today’s circumstances through this lens allows us to understand the situation better.
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