Ungleiche Brüder. Russen und Ukrainer vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart

Russians and Ukrainians have referred to themselves as brother nations for centuries, with the Russians seeing themselves in the role of the big brother. This book tells the story of these unequal brothers as an interplay of interdependence and separation. Not least, it contributes to an understanding of the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The Russian annexation of Crimea and the subsequent occupation of the industrial region in south-eastern Ukraine by Russian-controlled militias in the spring of 2014 triggered a military conflict between these states that continues to this day. Since the 18th century, an increasing asymmetry has become apparent in the relationship between these closely connected peoples. It culminated in Russia’s refusal in the 19th century to recognise the ‘Little Russians’, as the Ukrainians were officially called at the time, as an independent nation with a history separate from Russia. This view has persisted in Russia to this day and is also widespread in the West.