THE FORMATION OF THE EUROPEAN IDENTITY OF UKRAINE: KEY FACTORS AND PRINCIPLES
THE FORMATION OF THE EUROPEAN IDENTITY OF UKRAINE: KEY FACTORS AND PRINCIPLES

Summary/Abstract: This article analyses the main determinants of the formation of the European identity of Ukraine. Using the historical background of the Ukrainian statehood the author focuses on European cultural and political components inherent to the mentality of Ukrainians. It is proved that Ukrainian regionalism does not separate the population into groups with different mentalities but contributes to the realisation of their specific features. The long absence of statehood caused the detraction of importance of some Ukrainian mental traits, which is why it is only nowadays that the Ukrainian population can be considered to be a conscious nation. This article focuses on the main features that unite Ukrainian people with Europeans: individualism, constitutionalism, democratism, etc. It also analyses the geographical component of Ukraine’s identity, and the current trends in the formation of the latter. The author concludes that the formation of the European identity of Ukraine is possible only through the perception of Ukraine as a part of Europe by the European nations.

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