DANYLIW RESEARCH SEMINAR ON CONTEMPORARY UKRAINE

The lack of clarity and analytical reductionism of existing accounts has led to a wide misunderstanding and a resulting lack of viable solutions to the war in eastern Ukraine. This book investigates the origins of the tensions in Ukraine and sheds light on some of the more complex dynamics that have made the armed conflict possible. The author identifies the social forces – domestic and foreign –that have led to the (un)making of contemporary Ukraine, historicising their relationships and their changing positioning in the system of production and social reproduction. This study of Ukraine’s political economic restructuring brings together accounts of Ukraine’s post-soviet transition, nation building, geopolitical positioning, post-imperial legacy, culture, and politics. The book maintains a primary focus on historicising the process of class formation in the post-Soviet era by emphasizing the emergence of the ruling class and historic blocs while highlighting their agency in the country’s decision-making processes.