Ukraine in the “Gray Zone”

As a result of the transformations which have taken place in the territory of the former USSR, Ukraine has entered—according to Thomas Carothers—a “gray zone.” In the Ukrainian case, it is a zone of ambivalence between evolution toward the Russian model of the political system and transformation toward a West European democracy. It appears that the latter variant is quite likely. This is evidenced by the events connected with the “Orange Revolution” and the social reaction to President Yanukovych’s decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union. The integration of this country into the Euro-Atlantic area clearly calls into question the possibility of Moscow returning to the role of sole hegemonic leader in post-Soviet territory. Over the past several years, Moscow’s policy toward Ukraine has been legitimized by the idea of a civilizational community—the “Russkiy Mir.” This is based on the assumption that, allegedly, a cultural and spiritual unity exists among the “Orthodox nations.” Their consolidation would underwrite—among other things—a civilizational clash with the West. This article aims to answer the question of how the idea of the Russkiy Mir is perceived in Ukraine. It appears that the idea of constructing an Orthodox civilizational community clashing with the West is not compatible with the core unarticulated knowledge which shapes the rules of contemporary social and political life in Ukraine.