Mykola Ryabchuk discusses paradoxes of post-Soviet transition in Ukraine (04/25/04)

Mykola Ryabchuk discusses paradoxes of post-Soviet transition in Ukraine

by Bohdan Klid

EDMONTON - When the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became an independent state in 1991, it appeared that the decaying authoritarian order represented by the Soviet state had been defeated by a nascent civil society, which had first emerged under the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev. Yet, as we approach the date of Ukraine's next presidential election, it is clear that the final outcome of that struggle is still not predictable, although the oligarchic system of semi-authoritarian power set up by Ukraine's current president, Leonid Kuchma, is being strongly challenged by the democratic opposition led by Viktor Yushchenko.

Following the Soviet Union's collapse, to maintain power, the post-Soviet nomenklatura created what can be characterized as a "blackmail state," where the law and organs of the state, such as the tax police and prosecutors, are used selectively and arbitrarily to repress political opponents of the regime and maintain loyalty.

These are some of the main conclusions reached by Mykola Ryabchuk, who delivered this year's Taras Shevchenko lecture, "From 'Dysfunctional' to 'Blackmail' State: Paradoxes of the Post-Soviet Transition," on March 12 at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. The annual Shevchenko Lecture is sponsored by the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Edmonton and organized by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS).

Much of Mr. Ryabchuk's talk focused on defining, describing and analyzing the "blackmail state," particularly in Ukraine, which appeared following the demise of the Soviet Union in some of the post-Soviet republics. While Ukraine has adopted the trappings of democracy, including regular elections, Mr. Ryabchuk noted that the political process and amount of liberty allowed is highly manipulated to ensure that the regime and its supporters remain in power.

The corrupt relationship that exists between business and government is one of the pillars of support and means of control within the country. This is why the regime cannot be counted on to effectively fight corruption or other white-collar crimes, like money laundering. Furthermore, the regime's interests as well as those of its supporters, he pointed out, lie in stemming or arresting the development of civil society and democracy, the entrenchment of which threatens the existence of the "blackmail state" and the power of those who benefit from and are tied to its existence.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Ryabchuk commented on the critical role the West could play in pressuring Ukraine and other post-Soviet states. The noticeable slide towards authoritarianism in the post-Soviet states, including Ukraine, should be at the top of the West's agenda, he noted. Enduring political stability, he stressed, would come only with legitimate governments and democratic institutions, not governing bodies or political systems built on corrupt clans or individuals. Because of the existence of a large pro-reform electorate and a popular opposition leader in Ukraine, the country would benefit from the close scrutiny of Western powers to ensure that the pro-Kuchma camp does not overly intimidate opponents and steal the vote.

The West, he concluded, had to keep up the pressure on Kyiv, especially in the critical months leading up to the presidential elections.

Mr. Ryabchuk's talk was followed by a lively and lengthy discussion period, which was moderated by the CIUS director, Dr. Zenon Kohut, who had also introduced the speaker and opened the evening event. Following the discussion period, the president of the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Edmonton, Marko Levytsky, thanked the presenter.

Mr. Ryabchuk is a prominent political commentator, editor and journalist who lives in Kyiv. He is the author of numerous articles on contemporary Ukrainian politics and culture, and the Ukrainian-language books "Dilemmas of the Ukrainian Faust: Civil Society and State Building" and "From 'Little Russia' to Ukraine: Paradoxes of Delayed Nation Building." The latter work has been translated into Polish, Serbian, Belarusian and French, and received first prize in one of the categories of Book of the Year in Ukraine. His most recent book is "Two Ukraines: Real Borders and Virtual Wars."

In Ukraine, Mr. Ryabchuk has served on the country's most prestigious and serious Ukrainian-language journals, such as the journal of literature in translation The Universe, and the current affairs and culture journal The Contemporary. He was co-founder and deputy editor-in-chief of the book review publication Krytyka (Criticism) in 1997-2000, and remains a member of its editorial board.

Mykola Ryabchuk has also written poetry and literary criticism. His collection of poems, "Winter in Lviv," containing poems written in the '70s and '80s, was published in Kyiv in 1989, during the perestroika period. His collection of short stories, also written in the 1970s and 80s, "Elsewhere, But Not Here," was published in 2002. These two collections contain works written while he was a member of a group of non-conformist and dissident students and young intellectuals in Lviv. They were circulated in typescript among friends and often read at unofficial gatherings

Mr. Ryabchuk completed his formal education in Moscow, at the Gorky Literary Institute, where he received a Candidate of Science degree in the theory of literature in 1988. Today, he is affiliated with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, where he is a research associate at the European Humanities Research Center.

Mr. Ryabchuk has received numerous awards and fellowships, most recently the Antonovych Prize, and has often lectured outside Ukraine, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland and Hungary. He is the most recent recipient of the John Kolasky Memorial Fellowship and is visiting professor of the department of modern languages and cultural studies, University of Alberta.

Mr. Ryabchuk's talk is available online at the CIUS website (view it in the "Media Releases" section under the News and Events heading at http://www.cius.ca)

| Home Page |