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A review by eldaaurora97
The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution by Marci Shore
“Revolution should abolish self-alienation by creating truly human society and truly human man.” Gajo Petrovic
The very idea of a revolution, a theme repeated throughout the Ukrainian Night, takes on a semi-divine experience amongst the population who participated in it. What started out as a protest against Viktor Yanukovich's decision to not join an association agreement with the European Union catalyzed into a movement in launching Ukraine into the future, towards democracy, state of law, and their own identity. However, just because they got Yanukovich to flee to Russia, doesn't mean the whole thing was over. Another war rose in the east, with Russia annexing Crimea and unleashing a war which saw two eastern provinces seeking autonomy. In that chaos, that's where the main battle lies.
Marci Shore does a good job in finding her sources, ranging from Slava Vakarchuk, the lead singer of the rock band Okean Elzy; to writers, scholars, and people who are worried about their families. She interviews Juroko Porchasko, a Ukrainian translator and essayist who takes a keen interest in Galicia; but also interviews Polina, who believed that the revolution wasn't as great as it is supposed to be. Despite getting a wide variety of perspectives, they all end up muddied together in the chapters they are in, a kaleidoscope which conveys no meaning.
Shore briefly explains the history of Ukraine in the early chapters, divided between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian tsardom in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and how it configures itself through the World Wars and when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Today, "twenty-first century Ukraine was heir to the grandeur of these intentions, to daring experiments" (7). It plays to Ukraine's very name, which means "borderland". Anybody who wants to know about Ukrainian history in a nutshell should focus on this segment, as it defines how people view their country. If you want something more in-depth, then something else may be better for you.
Shore focuses on the very essence of the Maidan as a meeting place, without romanticizing it too much. "This was also the premise of revolution itself: at any moment everything could change...Temporality took on a new form. It was essential to act in real time, even as the present felt so fugitive is to be imperceptible" (71). Based on the interviews she presented, it took on this view, but this almost philosophical take on the protests almost takes away the substance of it.
If you want something that reflects the politics of their time and the people talking about it, tue Ukrainian Night is your call. Just be prepared to open to a bunch of stories. (6.5/10)
The very idea of a revolution, a theme repeated throughout the Ukrainian Night, takes on a semi-divine experience amongst the population who participated in it. What started out as a protest against Viktor Yanukovich's decision to not join an association agreement with the European Union catalyzed into a movement in launching Ukraine into the future, towards democracy, state of law, and their own identity. However, just because they got Yanukovich to flee to Russia, doesn't mean the whole thing was over. Another war rose in the east, with Russia annexing Crimea and unleashing a war which saw two eastern provinces seeking autonomy. In that chaos, that's where the main battle lies.
Marci Shore does a good job in finding her sources, ranging from Slava Vakarchuk, the lead singer of the rock band Okean Elzy; to writers, scholars, and people who are worried about their families. She interviews Juroko Porchasko, a Ukrainian translator and essayist who takes a keen interest in Galicia; but also interviews Polina, who believed that the revolution wasn't as great as it is supposed to be. Despite getting a wide variety of perspectives, they all end up muddied together in the chapters they are in, a kaleidoscope which conveys no meaning.
Shore briefly explains the history of Ukraine in the early chapters, divided between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian tsardom in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and how it configures itself through the World Wars and when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Today, "twenty-first century Ukraine was heir to the grandeur of these intentions, to daring experiments" (7). It plays to Ukraine's very name, which means "borderland". Anybody who wants to know about Ukrainian history in a nutshell should focus on this segment, as it defines how people view their country. If you want something more in-depth, then something else may be better for you.
Shore focuses on the very essence of the Maidan as a meeting place, without romanticizing it too much. "This was also the premise of revolution itself: at any moment everything could change...Temporality took on a new form. It was essential to act in real time, even as the present felt so fugitive is to be imperceptible" (71). Based on the interviews she presented, it took on this view, but this almost philosophical take on the protests almost takes away the substance of it.
If you want something that reflects the politics of their time and the people talking about it, tue Ukrainian Night is your call. Just be prepared to open to a bunch of stories. (6.5/10)