“To Express to Soviet Comrades a Friendly Opinion”: Criticism Russification Policy in the Ukrainian SSR by Canadian Left-Wings in the 1960s

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze the circumstances, content, and consequences of criticism of the russification policy in the Ukrainian SSR by the Canadian left-wings.

The methodology of the research is based on the principles of historicism, system approach, scientific objectivity, interdisciplinarity, and critical approach to sources. The system-structural method allowed the ordering of the processed array of source materials. The use of special historical methods (problem-chronological, historical-comparative, historical-systemic) made it possible to identify causal relationships and to organize historical facts in their integrity and historical connection.

The scientific novelty of the work is that, based on archival materials and published documents, the ideological contradictions and significance of the Ukrainian issue in the activities of the left-wings of Canada were explored. It has been established that violations of the national rights of Ukrainians in the Ukrainian SSR provoked intra-party debate and caused a crisis in the environment of the Canadian Communists.

Conclusions. On the basis of various sources, the circumstances, content, and consequences of criticism of the russification policy in the Ukrainian SSR by Canadian left-wings are revealed (in particular, the visit of a delegation of Canadian Communists in 1967 to study the “Soviet experience of solving the national question”. The visit was inspired by a group of Canadian Communists of Ukrainian descent, members of the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, who were concerned about information about the oppression of the Ukrainian language and the creation of artificial barriers for immigrants to visit their homes. It was found that the catalyst for concern was the expulsion in 1965 from the Ukrainian SSR of a Canadian communist of Ukrainian descent, Ivan Kolasky, accused of collecting “harmful materials”. As a result, the Soviet side did not prevent the visit of the delegation of the Canadian Communist Party (albeit in every possible way), as this would have led to the assumption that it had something to hide. It was proved that special working conditions were provided for the Canadian delegation, but this did not affect the overall assessment of what was happening in the Ukrainian SSR. The information gathered confirmed the threatening situation with human rights violations, arrests of dissidents, and a policy of russifi cation. Probably, the Soviet side was certain that the “friendly opinion of comrades” would not cross the “red lines” of party criticism, but it happened other wise. After returning to Canada, the plenum of the local Communist Party approved the “Kyiv Report”, which criticized the national policy in the Ukrainian SSR (russification) and violations of civil rights. Despite Moscow’s later rejection of pressure from the report, public criticism damaged the Soviet system’s reputation and debunked propaganda clichés about the “successful resolution of the national question” in the Soviet Union.