UKRAINIAN COSSACK MOVEMENT FROM THE LATE 1980S TO THE EARLY 2020S AS A MANIFESTATION OF CIVIC INITIATIVE

Abstract

The article addresses the contemporary Cossack movement that emerged in the late 1980s. Attention is given to the nature of this sociocultural phenomenon, which arose due to the initiative of citizens of the former Ukrainian SSR, and later, of the independent state of Ukraine. The role of the state itself in the further development of the Cossacks proved to be minimal, in fact limited to the legal registration of new organizational initiatives. The Cossack movement in Ukraine from the late 1980s to the early 2020s was characterized by a considerable number of participants, an emphasis on historical traditions, volunteer activity, and contributions to nationalpatriotic education. At the same time, it was marked by the fragmentation of established structures, ineffective management (weakness of elites), and difficulties in (self-)financing. The article comprehensively traces the circumstances of the emergence and evolution of the Cossack movement, noting its advantages and disadvantages. It is emphasized that its shortcomings had an exceptionally profound (fundamental) nature, as they reflected the very essence of civic initiative as such. In the historical realities of the late 1980s to the early 2020s, this initiative was closely linked to the Soviet legacy. While references to the traditions of the early modern era were largely symbolic and ceremonial, the recent communist past – formally renounced – continued to manifest itself mentally from time to time. It is concluded that the key challenge for the preservation and revitalization of the Cossack movement lies in the further development of civil society. In this context, the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity can be fully regarded as manifestations of the Cossack spirit of Ukrainians. The author pays tribute to the participants of the Cossack movement, who voluntarily engaged in numerous civic initiatives, devoting their time, energy, and financial resources. This history requires further systematic study.