Kyiv Post Podcast Special: 30 years of independent Ukraine

Kyiv Post Podcast Special: 30 years of Independent Ukraine 

Elina Kent: Welcome to the Kyiv Post Podcast, where you can tune in to stories that give you a deeper understanding of Ukraine.

I’m your host Elina Kent. I’m a multimedia producer and lifestyle journalist here at the Kyiv Post. The anniversary of Ukraine’s 30th Independence Day is coming up on August 24, and the Kyiv Post has this week’s print issue dedicated to the holiday. We have 13 great stories covering topics from Ukraine’s fight for independence throughout history to featuring the new generation of successful business people in Ukraine. So be sure to check it out. 

We’ve selected a few of the topics that are featured in the Independence Day issue and sat down with our journalists. Starting with Ukraine’s three major uprisings with Anastasia Lapatina, dominant figures that have shaped Ukraine in the past 30 years with Alexander Query and Max Hunder, debunking common misconceptions about modern Ukraine with Asami Terajima, and how technology improves Ukraine’s image with Daryna Antoniuk. 

Ukraine’s 3 uprisings 

EK: As we are celebrating Ukraine’s 30th year of independence, we cannot forget the efforts it took to get here. Sitting down with us now is Anastasia Lapatina who has more on the topic.

Anastasia Lapatina: Over the last thirty years, Ukraine witnessed three revolutions – The Revolution on Granite in 1990, the Orange Revolution in 2004 to 2005, and the Revolution of Dignity in 2013 to 2014. Basically, we’ve had a revolution every decade. 

In 1990, Ukrainian students launched a mass hunger strike to demand Ukraine’s reversal from the Soviet Union. The students had five demands, but the key ones were to stop the government from signing the new Union Treaty with Moscow and call for new parliamentary elections. Even though not everyone took part in the hunger strike, thousands of students from all over the country joined the protest in their home towns or in Kyiv, and in 16 days the government agreed to accept the strikers’ demands. The Revolution on Granite was significant because it was the first time when the youth stood up for Ukraine’s independence, which was eventually declared just 10 months after the uprising. 

The Orange Revolution began after the rigged presidential election in November of 2004. According to how the government initially announced the results, the pro-Russian candidate Victor Yanukovych was leading against the pro-Western candidate Victor Yuschenko. Local and international observers said there were many violations, and Yuschenko called on his supporters to protest. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets and a month later, the Supreme Court ordered a revote. As expected, Victor Yuschenko ended up winning by about 8%. 

Soundbite: chants and protests from the Revolution of Dignity in central Kyiv

The Revolution of Dignity, also known as Euromaidan, was by far the most transformative uprising Ukraine has had. The protests began in November of 2013, when president Yanukovich refused to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union. The crowds were relatively small until, on Nov. 30, the riot police violently attacked the several hundreds of protesters that camped on Independence Square. Most of them were university students, they sustained heavy injuries, and the next day, a million Ukrainians flooded central Kyiv to protest against the government’s tyranny. But more than anything, Ukrainians wanted to break away from Russia and from its Soviet past. After a long fought three months the Ukrainian people finally won – Yanukovych fled to Russia, and the country began adjusting to a new era, marked by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and war in the East. Because of Euromaidan, Ukrainians have arguably become more patriotic than ever – many people began speaking exclusively Ukrainian, buying locally-produced goods, and supporting Ukrainian artists. The revolution really solidified Ukraine’s pro-Western course and made clear that Ukraine wants to be independent from Russia, both politically and culturally. 

Prominent figures of Ukraine 

EK: As Ukraine transformed itself with its three revolutions, there have always been individuals that have played a role in the country’s progress, or lack thereof. We are joined by business editor Alexander Query and staff writer Max Hunder who picked 30 influential figures that shaped Ukraine as the country it is today. We won’t have time to go over every single one of them, so make sure to read their list in its entirety in the Kyiv Post’s Independence Day issue. 

Now Alex, what figures did you choose to highlight?

Alex Query: So it was hard to pick and I picked Rinat Akhmetov, which is and who is, sorry, Ukraine’s most discreet and richest oligarch. 

Rinat Akhmetov’s fortune was valued at $7.6 billion in May 2021. Akhmetov, raised in a working-class family near Donetsk, used this industrial region and background to build his empire and become Ukraine’s wealthiest man.

His holding company, System Capital Management, includes over 100 businesses in metals, mining, banking, telecommunications, media and real estate. Akhmetov’s company DTEK is the largest electricity producer in Ukraine, while Metinvest is the biggest producer of coal and iron in the country.

He owns London’s most expensive property, a luxury apartment at One Hyde Park and a palace on the French Riviera, formerly owned by King Leopold II of Belgium. He also reportedly has several dozen lawmakers in his pocket, an accusation he denies.

I picked Akhmetov because he is a driving force in this country. And in 2014 as we like it or not he did help Ukraine’s government to be more stable in Eastern Ukraine, because he sided with the interim government at the time. He basically helped support Mariupol at least economically against Russian backed separatists. He indeed has a lot of bad from Akhmetov but he is also for me a good example how Oligarchs in this country can be used as a driven force to help stabilize the country rather than to destabilize it. He’s an ambivalent figure, that’s why I chose him and why he’s in a way as interesting if not more than the petulant swearing Kolomoisky or caricature of Putin’s henchmen Medvechuk, or even the caricature oligarch who is Firtash. Akhmetov is I believe a complex figure, and in more complex what we imagine as a cliche of the Oligarch. 

EK: And Max who did you decide to feature from the list?

Max Hunder: My pick from the list is Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of independent Ukraine. Kravchuk used to be a high-level Communist: He ran the Ukrainian communist Party’s propaganda department and was chairman of the Rada. As the Soviet Union started to crumble, he started making efforts to appear as a reformer. He ran against Vyacheslav Chornovil in 1991, and won a landslide victory. That’s significant because Chornovil was a dissident in the 80s, along the lines of those that took power in Poland and the Baltics, whereas Kravchuk was a man of the old system.

To his credit, Kravchuk did preserve Ukraine’s geopolitical sovereignty against Russian encroachment, but also presided over a vast economic failure which caused him to lose his re-election bid in 1994. 

GDP nosedived, inflation hit 10,000%, and many state-owned assets were privatized for a fraction of their value.

A great indictment of the era is the story of the Black Sea Shipping Company, which had the largest commercial fleet in the world in the 80s, but the speed with which the company fell apart completely in the 90s was just astonishing. They were selling these big, magnificent ships for a pittance. They had 255 of them in 1992, by 1995 they had about 70. A few years later, they ended up with six.

Kravchuk lost his re-election bid in 1994, and stayed out of front-line politics after that, although he was affiliated for a while with Viktor Medvedchuk, who is one of the star villains of our list.

In my opinion, Kravchuk’s legacy is the squandering of numerous golden opportunities to enact more radical reforms and put Ukraine on the path that its Western neighbors took after 1991.

Debunking common misconceptions about modern Ukraine

EK: Moving on, we are here with Kyiv Post staff writer Asami Terajima, who has been writing about common misconceptions about modern Ukraine. Welcome Asami.

Asami Terajima: Hi, thank you for having me.

EK: So what are some common misconceptions about Ukraine? 

AT: One of the misconceptions that I hear very often is people referring to Ukraine as “the Ukraine”. So using the definite article “the” is only appropriate when referring to a region in one country. It was usually used when Ukraine belonged to the Soviet Union, but because Ukraine is now an independent nation it’s not appropriate to be referring to it this way. So instead of saying “the Ukraine” people should say Ukraine. 

EK: Even many western leaders slip up and refer to Ukraine as “the” Ukraine. It’s quite easy to just say Ukraine, and you may offend certain Ukrainians if you use the definite article. And on a similar note, referring to Kyiv as Kyiv and not Kiev. With the Ukrainian spelling of K-Y-I-V not the Russian K-I-E-V. 

Another one that I hear very often is how people think Ukraine is part of Russia. I can’t count how many times I had to explain that when I say that I’m going back to Ukraine people would ask where in Russia is that? This happened to me when I lived in the US  and visited japan. 

I’ve also heard a lot of people justify Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea by saying that “well, to be fair, Crimea always belonged to Russia.” This is a dangerous misconception that has unfortunately spread to a lot of places around the world. While the Russian leadership sends out a narrative to the world that Crimea has always belonged to Russia, the reality is, less than 6% of Crimea’s written history from the 9th century BC to today is actually tied to Russia. 

EK: So when Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, the peninsula only belonged to Russia for a total of 168 years. Crimea was part of the Ottoman empire for twice that. 

So many of the misconceptions arise because many people around the world don’t know much about Ukraine. So when they hear things like “Crimea had always belonged to Russia” or other misconceptions, they are more likely to believe it and pass them on to other people. 

Since Ukraine is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, I thought it was about time to leave these misconceptions behind and let people know what kind of country Ukraine is. 

Technology improves Ukraine’s image

EK: We’ve covered revolutions, corrupt officials, and debunked some misconceptions about Ukraine. We are now at our final segment with tech and business staff writer Daryna Antoniuk about something that puts Ukraine in the spotlight. How technology has improved Ukraine’s global image. 

DA: For many years, foreigners dubbed Ukraine a corrupt and bureaucratic country, but now they view it as a technology hub with thousands of skilled tech specialists and favorable taxation for technology firms.

International tech giants like Samsung, Google and Viber open their research and development centers in the country and hire Ukrainian techies. 

Some Ukrainian innovations, like digital documents and the popularity of online payments, are even better than in the rest of the world.

EK: Why did Ukraine’s tech become successful? 

DA: Experts call it “a digital leap,” a phenomenon when a country skips several development stages and embraces innovations at an early stage.

Take for instance online payments. Ukraine is among the world leaders in the number of contactless payments. Half of Ukrainians are ready to completely abandon cash in the next five years and pay with credit cards, mobile phones, smartwatches and fitness bracelets.

Historically, Ukrainians loved cash — it allowed them to pay “envelope salaries” and avoid taxes. But as smartphones and mobile internet become more accessible and e-commerce is booming, the financial habits of many Ukrainians will continue to change.

EK: What about Ukraine’s plan to become a ‘State in a Smartphone’? 

DA: Actually, we are confidently moving forward to accomplish this goal. Over six million people are using the state mobile app Diia.

Ukraine has become the world’s first country that legalized digital passports. Starting in August, all Ukrainian institutions are obliged to accept them. Over 70 state services are now available online and Ukraine plans to digitize all government services by 2024.

It’s great news for Ukrainians, but also for investors and businesses because it will reduce bureaucracy and corruption in the country.

EK: What do you think will be the next big milestones for the Ukrainian tech industry?

In my opinion, Ukraine’s blockchain industry will boom in the next few years. Ukraine leads the world in cryptocurrency use and has one of the largest communities of blockchain developers.

Ukraine still does not recognize cryptocurrency as an asset, property, or as a valid payment tool, but the government introduced several laws aiming to de-shadow the crypto market and encourage foreign investment in Ukraine.

Another milestone is the development of artificial intelligence. We already have many companies that use AI. For example, the proofreading service Grammarly uses AI to help people become better writers, while People.ai, another startup, uses AI to forecast sales.

Considering that the market of artificial intelligence is growing globally, we expect that more AI-driven companies will emerge in the future.

EK: Corruption, revolution, war and innovation. It’s been a long and tumultuous journey for Ukraine the past 30 years to get to where it is today. It’s exciting to see what the future has in store for this wonderful nation, and where Ukraine will be in another three decades from now. Make sure to check out the Kyiv Post’s Independence Day issue for a more in-depth look on the stories highlighted during this podcast special, and the other wonderful articles including where us journalists share what we love and don’t love about Ukraine. You can read it all on our website, kyivpost.com. Make sure to check out our other podcast episodes that are available on all streaming platforms. Stay safe, Slava Ukraina and subscribe to the Kyiv Post!