Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Alexander J. Motyl: Here’s why more Ukrainians admire nationalists
Ukraine's national poet Taras Shevchenko spent his youth as a serf in huts in the villages of Moryntsi and Shevchenkove (pictured). There are many reasons for Shevchenko's canonical status. His poetry is outstanding, his art is impressive, and his commitment to freedom and justice is remarkable. But what may appeal most to many Ukrainians is that Shevchenko never gave up. He never buckled under, refusing to submit to his tragic fate like the slave he was.
Here's a suggestion that will strike you as either painfully obvious or unnecessarily cumbersome. If you really want to understand contemporary Ukraine and Ukrainians, you need to know Ukrainian. If you accept that point, then discard all the writings by linguistically challenged analysts incapable of delving deeper into the Ukrainian psyche—and then go see two plays in Kyiv and visit two villages south of Kyiv.
