As Ukraine reaches its 20th birthday, it can look back on its youth as a time of trials and difficulties, but also of successes. Not only did Ukraine avoid a bloody war for its independence, it preserved some good Soviet things– for example the space and aviation industries.
As Ukraine reaches its 20th birthday, it can look back on its youth as a time of trials and difficulties, but also of successes. Not only did Ukraine avoid a bloody war for its independence, it preserved some good Soviet things – for example the space and aviation industries.
Compared to other former Soviet countries, Ukrainians enjoy a vast amount of freedom – from democratic liberties to religion – and seem to be now heading toward deeper relations with the Europe.
With the help of international experts, the Kyiv Post has put together a list of Ukraine’s 10 greatest achievements.
It has maintained peace with all its neighbors and avoided civil strife and armed conflicts within its borders, whether social or ethnic or religious – for a full 20 years.This is an accomplishment without precedent in all of Ukrainian history.
– Roman Szporluk, professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University
Without bloodshed
Ukraine not only achieved its independence without a bloody conflict, it also kept the peace for 20 years – a long time given the country’s often bloody past.
“It has maintained peace with all its neighbors and avoided civil strife and armed conflicts within its borders, whether social or ethnic or religious – for a full 20 years.This is an accomplishment without precedent in all of Ukrainian history,” said Roman Szporluk, a professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University.
Szporluk also points out that those who compare the performance of independent Ukraine with Baltic nationsor Central European countries overlook the fact that Ukraine had no interwar period of independence between 1918 and 1939: instead it experienced the Holodomor famine and Stalin’s Great Terror.
Space, aviation and arms
Ukraine is one of the world’s few countries with a space industry. The world’s most ecologically-friendly carrier rocket Zenith 3SL, made in Ukraine by the Pivdenmash company, is part of the Sea Launch program, along with firms from the United States, Russia and Norway.
This service launches commercial payloads into space from the sea. Ukraine has also created Mriya and Ruslan, the largest cargo aircrafts in the world.
“Ukraine managed to preserve its space and military industries better than Russia. This is quite an achievement, and it is actually due to your ex-President Leonid Kuchma, who used to be Pivdenmash director,” said Stanislav Belkovsky, a Russian political expert.
The long-range radar system Kolchuga, manufactured in Donetsk and worth approximately $24 million, is one of the world’s best and most in demand, said Valetyn Badrak, a Ukrainian military expert. Moreover, Ukrainian tank and helicopter engines are highly valued on the world market.
“We can be proud that Ukraine is still there as a major global armament player, and even able to compete with NATO countries,” Badrak added.
Democracy
Ukraine is still a “partly free” country, unlike neighbors Russia and Belarus, according to U.S.-based democracy watchdog Freedom House.
“The relatively pro-democratic development of Ukraine has been a major success,” said Andreas Umland, an associate professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Russian analyst Belkovsky forecast that, despite some policy changes made by President Viktor Yanukovych since 2010, Ukraine will never see a Russian-style authoritarian regime because Ukrainian elites are more democracy-friendly.
We can be proud that Ukraine is still there as a major global armament player, and even able to compete with NATO countries.
– Valetyn Badrak, a Ukrainian military expert
Orange Revolution
During the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukrainians stood up for their rights and succeeded in forcing a re-run of fraud-tainted elections – an important step for a maturing society.
“The Orange Revolution – a peaceful one – showed the world that Ukrainians can keep together. And that is what Ukraine is mainly remembered for now in the world,” said Hanne Severinsen, co-rapporteur of the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Religion, free speech
Ukrainians enjoy a vast amount of freedom when it comes to religion and press – and that is drastically different from the Soviet times.
“By looking at some of the neighboring countries who gained their freedom and independence at the same time as Ukraine, we can learn to appreciate some of the accomplishments of Ukraine. Not only religious freedom and tolerance, but in general the level of national and ethnic tolerance and respect are quite an accomplishment,” said Ukraine’s chief rabbi Yakov D. Bleich.
Journalists are now much freer of censorship than in neighboring countries and generally can easily write what they think is right.
It’s another question, experts said, whether religious leaders and society as a whole are mature enough to use that freedom properly and take some responsibility and action in response.
Sports stars
Given the little financing and attention most sports got in Ukraine over the last 20 years, we have some significant achievements.
Ukraine wins at football. Andriy Shevchenko was recognized as the best football player in Europe in 2004, the Ukraine national team made the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2006 and Shakhtar Donetsk football club won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
We are also set to co-host the Euro 2012 soccer tournament next year.
Ukrainian swimmer Yana Klochkova won four Olympic gold medals; the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, now hold all major heavyweight world boxing titles; and Ukraine is also good in smart sports – Ukraine’s men team won the Chess Olympiad in 2010.
The Orange Revolution – a peaceful one – showed the world that Ukrainians can keep together. And that is what Ukraine is mainly remembered for now in the world.
– Hanne Severinsen, co-rapporteur of the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
European integration
By joining the World Trade Organization in 2008, and this year reaching the final stages of negotiations on an association agreement with the European Union, Ukraine has made significant progress toward European integration, said Vasyl Myroshnichenko, partner at CFC Consulting company.
If the free-trade deal with the EU – part of the association agreement – is agreed, it will be Ukraine’s and the EU’s largest foreign treaty, according to Kyiv-Mohyla professor Umland.
“All recent governments have confirmed this basic choice and anchored it in Ukraine’s clear European orientation,” said Martin Raiser, World Bank country director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.
Chornobyl recovery
The Chornobyl nuclear accident in 1986 presented Ukraine with tremendous challenges and a unique experience. Under pressure, the nation built a shelter around the stricken unit and shut down the plant’s last generating unit in 2000.
The nation also raised hundreds of millions from international donors to secure the site’s long-term safety by building a new shelter.
Ukraine still has nuclear power and is now using it safely, avoiding any repeats of Chornobyl, which is a major achievement, according to Viktor Poyarkov, director of the European Center of Technological Safety.
Porarkov said Ukraine’s experience is now being used by Japan, which is now dealing with the aftermath of the nuclear incident at the Fukushima reactor earlier this year.
“I talked to the Japanese for 2 1/2 hours the other day, and they were asking about the radiation protection measures we used. They are now learning from us how to protect people and agriculture,” Poyarkov said.
Winning at Cannes
The world knows very little about Ukrainian art and culture.
The Eurovision song contest victory of Ukrainian singer Ruslana was the only achievement before, in 2005, Ukrainian director Igor Strembitsky won the Cannes Film Festival main prize, the Palme d’Or, for his short film “Podorozhni.” This year we achieved more success when Maryna Vroda received the Palme d’Or for the best short film for her “Kross.”
No nuclear weapons
Ukraine became the world’s first country to voluntarily give up nuclear weapons, inherited from the Soviet Union. The world showed its appreciation by giving financing and security guarantees.
“We actually had no other choice because were not able to service it [the nuclear arsenal],” said Poyarkov. “However, there was still a big temptation to keep it and quietly sell it on the black market, where bomb-grade plutonium and enriched uranium are in great demand,” Poryakov said.
Then we would have had several other Ukrainians in the Forbes’ richest list,” he added.
Kyiv Post staff writer Kateryna Panova can be reached at [email protected]
