Fedir STRYHUN, Art Director, Mariya Zankovetska National Ukrainian Academic Drama Theater, People’s Artiste of Ukraine:
“First, we shouldn’t connect the word nationalist with other words, as people often do. For me a nationalist is a person who loves his or her native country. I believe I am also a nationalist. I like the word. I also like this way of thinking, because those who love their native land always respect others, I’m sincerely convinced.
“We should call Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, Lesia Ukrayinka, and Tobilevych brothers all nationalists, along with Lysenko, Starytsky, Petliura, and Hrushevsky, not to mention earlier periods. Members of the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood also were nationalists. It’s a shame that this word became in a certain period something like a curse. In fact, it is a very noble word.
“And what about the word chauvinism, which is for some reason mostly applied to Ukrainians? This is far from fair. Though, on the other hand, I’m glad they say so, because this means that we are patriots. When we were on tour in Simferopol I saw graffiti, Ukrainian invaders, get out of the Crimea! I’d never expect somebody to call us that. I believe that deep inside everybody serving his/her people is a nationalist. This notion has the same meaning in Ukraine and Russia, Belarus, England, America, France, Japan, or China, though we never call the Japanese or Germans Japanese nationalists or German nationalists. Just don’t connect nationalism with national-fascism, and everything will be fine.”
Oleksandr MALYKHIN, Professor of History, Donetsk State College:
“For me Ukrainian nationalism means primarily our history, the one of politics, spirituality, and literature. No matter what one’s attitude toward the ideas of Ukrainian state system is, I believe they at least should be respected. Along with the Soviet era we had another period, the formation of Ukrainian nation. Many people lost their health or even life in prison for this idea; many had to leave the country. We can’t give it up. Instead of denying the idea of nationalism as such we should probably take something useful from it. The only thing I’d never accept is violence for the sake of the national idea. History demonstrates that such actions always had bad final for their organizers. It is even worse when those having nothing to do with the ideas of nationalism use them as a cover.”
Nadiya SKOROBOHATKO, ecologist:
“For me patriotism is primarily my city, my country... Since I live in Ukraine I care about its future. Though I speak Russian, I don’t think this really matters. The point is not the language of our communication but what we come away with from this communication. I respect Ukrainian nationalists because, in my view, these people have their principles and are able to defend them, even suffer for their sake. The fate of Vyacheslav Chornovil is a graphic example of a true patriot and nationalist in the positive meaning of this word. However, this notion also has a reverse side: for instance, Chechen extremists ready to kill for their nationalistic ideas. This is unacceptable. No ideas can justify bloodshed.”
Vasyl SHKLIAR, writer:
“A Ukrainian nationalist is a person with keen self-respect, meaning that he/she keenly feels his/her being part of a humiliated nation and, consequently, is deeply disappointed with what is going on today. Instead of the promised rights and freedoms, the only thing a Ukrainian nationalist obtained in the last decade was an identification number. In fact, he is a lone wolf misunderstood even by the so-called jingoes. His tragedy becomes more profound with just another confirmation of the correctness of the maxim claiming that a nation, which hasn’t liberated itself before establishing democracy, will never have a chance for freedom. His pain becomes more acute because he is deprived of even the simple joys. He won’t give way to the euphoria about our soccer team’s success. If, say, in the Belgian Brugge one player speaks Ukrainian compared to none on our team, he will support the Belgians. If a Black boxer appears on the ring saying Slava Ukrayini [Long live Ukraine] to our boxer who fails to answer, a nationalist will support the former. Only his inner instincts say that one day he’ll join to bite through somebody’s throat in his fight for freedom.”
Oksana ZABUZHKO, writer:
“We usually treated this notion, suggested by Soviet power and persistently repeated for seventy years, like this: everybody remembering what nation he belongs to is a nationalist and should be immediately liquidated in the GULAG. Thus, I believe that against the background of such historical memory (since older generations remember everything) flag-waving this notion is indecent. I would put a moratorium on this word in Ukraine for at least a decade, until we reach self-comprehension as a contemporary European nation. After that we can speak about standards and pathologies, about normal nationalism that we identify with patriotism, a word that also lacks positive connotations in our country. Nationalism should be identified with the normal civic awareness of a normal citizen who wishes his country prosperity. Today nobody knows how to use this notion. Thus, as I said, I would come back to this subject in ten years.”
