The contemporary Russian-Ukrainian war in the light of postcolonialism

Abstract

This article argues that the contemporary Russian-Ukrainian war is postcolonial in nature and is caused by the imperial syndrome of present-day Russia. The knotty problems of Ukraine's enslaved position in the Russian Empire and the USSR, in particular, the complex configurations of dependence are considered. Emphasis is placed on the adaptation of the old imperial legacy in the Soviet state-political project. The peculiarity of the Western reception of history in the light of postcolonial studies is noted. Russian discourse of justification of modern war in the context of imperial and Soviet heritage is analyzed. It is noted that Russia's war against Ukraine has a revanchist and anti-globalist character, as it is focused on the restoration of the dependent position of the post-Soviet space and the revision of the world order after the collapse of the USSR. It is noted that for Ukrainians the war is existential, as modern Russia de facto does not recognize either Ukraine as a state or Ukrainian identity.