Ukraine -- A Point of No Return

by Songül Arslan

Ukraine, a country nestled between Russia, Belorussia, Moldova, Slovakia, Rumania, Hungary and Poland, became independent of the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991. That, of course, was a turning point. Suddenly Ukraine was faced with the necessity of distinguishing itself from its neighbours, especially the giant-like Russia, a task made very difficult because of geographical as well as political divisions.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, existing tensions between the eastern and western parts of the country came to the forefront. Western Ukraine is sometimes referred to as the "heartland" of Ukraine, where Ukrainian was the first language with a strong ethnic and historical sense. In eastern Ukraine, tradional Russian nationalism was stronger. Also adding to the inner conflict were religious differences and an increasingly troubled economy.

Everything that had been criticized and feared about the former Soviet Union seemed to repeat itself in the new independent Ukraine. The country was being run on lies and old-fashioned dictatorship, and the people were left voiceless. Leonid Koetsjma, a man with a Soviet-style mindset, was the president in this early turbulent time, and as his successor he chose Viktor Yanoukovich, a man with similar ideas. When it was time for elections, Yanoukovich's opponent was Viktor Yushchenko, probably most well-known now because of his mysterious skin deformities. It is said that he was poisoned by the opposition (a weapon widely used in Ukraine), but there has as yet been no scientific confirmation of that.

When elections were held at the end of 2004, Yanoukovich was delcared the winner. But then Ukraine came to another turning point. First, Western observers were for the first time more powerful in their criticism of the fraudulent elections, and, more importantly, masses and masses of Ukrainian people gathered in the centre of the capital in Kiev in protest. It was the first time that the people had one voice and understood their power. Courageous and patient, they inhabited the streets in the centre and waited. It was a revolution, but a peaceful one. They called it the Orange Revolution.

To everybody's surprise the High Court declared the elections illegitimate and second elections were planned. On January 23, 2005, Viktor Yuschenko became president of Ukraine. It was a victory for him, but in a larger sense it was a victory of the people.

Now politics has resumed its everyday life and things have returned more or less to normal, but the fact that something incredible happened remains. Through the power of people, Ukraine has embarked on a path from which there is no turning back. I can only wish that people worldwide would realize what kind of power they possess when they put their hands together; then a lot of impossible things would not seem so impossible anymore.