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Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough
The dramatic series of protests and political events that unfolded in Ukraine in the fall of 2004 —the "Orange Revolution" —were seminal both for Ukrainian history and the history of democratization. Pro-Western presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned with dioxin, an industrial pollutant that left him weakened and horribly disfigured. When this assassination attempt failed, the Kremlin-backed ruling party resorted to voter intimidation and massive electoral fraud to win the runoff election. Supporters of Yushchenko responded with a series of strikes, sit-ins, and marches throughout Ukraine. Thanks in large part to this peaceful revolution, the election results were annulled. In a second runoff, Yushchenko was elected as the new president. Revolution in Orange seeks to explain why and how this nationwide protest movement occurred. Its effects have already been felt from Kyrgyzstan to Lebanon and are likely to travel even further. Yet few predicted or anticipated such a dramatic democratic breakthrough in Ukraine. This volume attempts to distinguish between necessary and facilitating factors in the success of the Orange Revolution. It also discusses the elements that have been commonly assumed to be critical but, in fact, were not instrumental in the movement. Chapters explore the role of former President Kuchma and the oligarchs, societal attitudes, the role of the political opposition and civil society, the importance of the media, and the roles of Russia and the West. Contributors include Nadia Diuk (National Endowment for Democracy), Adrian Karatnycky (Freedom House), Taras Kuzio (George Washington University), Hrihoriy Nemyria (Taras Shevchenko National University, Kiev), Pavol Demes (German Marshall Fund), Nikolai Petrov and Andrey Ryabov (Carnegie Moscow Center), and Olena Prytula (editor, Ukrainskaya Pravda).
216 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 23, 2022
Man, so many things in these essays just made me think, "Oh, sweet summer children, you have no idea what's coming."
To be fair, plenty of people in Ukraine probably weren't all that surprised by putin's invasion. I mean, dude had already invaded a portion of the country in 2014 and wasn't exactly shy about his ultimate goal. (Which, for the record and for the assholes in the GQP who whine about us giving Ukraine aid: putin's aim with this war is that either he gets Ukraine or no one gets Ukraine, that he either takes it all or he razes the whole place to the ground. THAT is why Ukraine needs our help. To fucking survive. You monsters. But I digress.)
I knew a small amount of Ukraine's history, having like many people sought out articles and essays and books on the topic in the past ten months, as well as already having a bit of knowledge before the re-invasion began. But it was interesting to see how the Orange Revolution came about, what it was in their society that drove people to such a thing and fueled its energy. When you learn more about the issues with corruption and such in the early years after the dissolution of the soviet union, you really understand why people would take to the streets to be like, fuck this shit. I also liked learning more about how changes in Ukraine were viewed by and impacted Western countries and governments and leaders. And again...little did many of those leaders know what would eventually transpire.
It's especially interesting to read about shitty past presidents who Ukrainians hated, because you want to go back in time and tell them, don't worry, you're gonna get a damn hero one day. And it's the guy in your favorite comedy movies.
I will say that these essays are mostly written in a rather academic tone and can be a bit dry, and also a bit hard to follow, what with all of the names and laws and such. I would assume these were meant more for a non-Ukrainian audience, yet they were mostly written with the seeming assumption that people would easily understand everything that was referenced. There were definitely times where I felt a little lost and would have liked more explanation, and also just a bit more of an accessible writing and communication style.
So I don't think this would be the book to pick up if you are brand new to learning about Ukraine--I think this would be more useful for people who already know a decent amount. But it's a worthwhile collection, for sure.
To be fair, plenty of people in Ukraine probably weren't all that surprised by putin's invasion. I mean, dude had already invaded a portion of the country in 2014 and wasn't exactly shy about his ultimate goal. (Which, for the record and for the assholes in the GQP who whine about us giving Ukraine aid: putin's aim with this war is that either he gets Ukraine or no one gets Ukraine, that he either takes it all or he razes the whole place to the ground. THAT is why Ukraine needs our help. To fucking survive. You monsters. But I digress.)
I knew a small amount of Ukraine's history, having like many people sought out articles and essays and books on the topic in the past ten months, as well as already having a bit of knowledge before the re-invasion began. But it was interesting to see how the Orange Revolution came about, what it was in their society that drove people to such a thing and fueled its energy. When you learn more about the issues with corruption and such in the early years after the dissolution of the soviet union, you really understand why people would take to the streets to be like, fuck this shit. I also liked learning more about how changes in Ukraine were viewed by and impacted Western countries and governments and leaders. And again...little did many of those leaders know what would eventually transpire.
It's especially interesting to read about shitty past presidents who Ukrainians hated, because you want to go back in time and tell them, don't worry, you're gonna get a damn hero one day. And it's the guy in your favorite comedy movies.
I will say that these essays are mostly written in a rather academic tone and can be a bit dry, and also a bit hard to follow, what with all of the names and laws and such. I would assume these were meant more for a non-Ukrainian audience, yet they were mostly written with the seeming assumption that people would easily understand everything that was referenced. There were definitely times where I felt a little lost and would have liked more explanation, and also just a bit more of an accessible writing and communication style.
So I don't think this would be the book to pick up if you are brand new to learning about Ukraine--I think this would be more useful for people who already know a decent amount. But it's a worthwhile collection, for sure.
November 18, 2007
A collection of writings by various academics about Ukraine's 2004 Orange revolution. A good reference, but I liked Andrew Wilson's "Ukraine's Orange Revolution" better.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews