The phenomenon of postcolonialism in the context of modern ukrainian realities

Abstract

Researchers define the situation in the political, socio-economic, cultural spheres of modern Ukraine as caused by post-colonial factors. Their origin lies in Ukraine's almost four-hundred-year dependence on Russia. The essentially colonial dependence on the ideological level was presented as "friendship between peoples". However, in practice this was embodied in the model of relations between the metropolis (Russia) and the colony (Ukraine). The peculiarities of colonial policy became the desire to denationalize Ukrainians, to instill an inferiority complex, to deprive them of the right to their own language, culture, elite, to national dignity, to force them to assimilate into the titular majority, etc. The purpose of these actions of the imperial power was to ensure the existence of the empire as a pole of power to counter Western European-North American influences. Under the influence of objective factors, the empire is collapsing. However, these processes are accompanied, on the one hand, by acts of resistance on the part of the metropolis: from military actions to secret sabotage. On the other hand, the consequences of the colonial past are manifested in the realities of life in Ukraine - a country fighting for its own freedom and independence - at the level of blurred self-identification of the population and an unstable value system, in disputes about language, religious affiliation, cultural codes, etc. Overcoming post-colonial consequences is an important challenge for our country on the way to victory over the enemy and European integration. This is not possible without the liberation of consciousness from post-imperial manipulative practices and the formation of national identity, humanistic values, national-cultural-centric education of the population.