Interpreting "Nationality" and "Language" in the 2001 Ukrainian Census

Ukraine conducted its first post-Soviet census in December 2001. The author examines the use of the categories "nationality" and "native language" in the census and relates them to fundamental precepts of Soviet nationality and census policies. The enumeration of national and linguistic identities is related to the expression of political preferences. Orientations toward language policies (particularly in Galicia and Crimea), regional autonomy (in Transcarpathia), and territorial belonging (among the younger generation) are analyzed in order to reveal the politics of the 2001 Ukrainian census.