The Attitude of Nicholas II and his Entourage to the Ukrainian National Movement

Abstract

The article analyzes the attitude of Nicholas II and his entourage, relatives and high-ranking dignitaries, to the Ukrainian national movement. The emperor did not see Ukrainian movement as a threat for Russian people unity. He recognized language and cultural peculiarities of South Western governorates’ population and knew about Ukrainian movement’s existence in Russia, but Little Russian population seemed to him to be undoubtedly Russian, so, he ignored Ukrainian national aspirations. During the World War I, the Ukrainian question escalated in relation to struggle with the Uniate church in Galicia, but the ruler of Russia eliminated from getting to bottom to this question. He solidarized with high bureaucracy and right-conservative circles, whose attitude to the Ukrainian question and the Uniate church was strictly negative.