Ukraine: A Nation Without Heroes

Abstract

Ukraine's creation of national heroes reflects the challenges of nation-building after the fall of the Soviet Union. Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has attempted to "rehabilitate" controversial political figures into national heroes in order to create a united national history. Nations have always depended on symbols and perhaps one of the most important symbols is that of a national hero. A person who fought and possibly died fighting for a national cause can unite and inspire future generations while legitimizing the necessity of the state. Along with inspiring faith and courage, the focus on national heroes manifests norms, goals, and are a medium for imposing those beliefs upon a society. While Ukraine has literary heroes, political figures are controversial. My research has focused on five figures: Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, Ivan Mazepa, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Symon Petliura, and Stepan Bandera due to their attempts to build an independent state in Ukrainian history.