Ukrainian National Identity
National identity is a collective sense of belonging to a nation that is produced through shared meanings (stories, symbols, memories, norms, practices) and what distinguishes “us” from “others.” Triandafyllidou (1998) says “national identity is defined and/or re-defined through the influence of ‘significant others’, namely, other nations or ethnic groups that are perceived to threaten the ingroup’s distinctive identity and/or independence” (p. 594). The national identity of Ukraine centers on its religion, language, unique culture, and ethnicity. Yet much of its identity also formed and continue to form through struggles with Russia. Religion Religion has been vital in shaping Ukrainian national identity. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine developed as a marker of cultural and political autonomy that allowed Ukrainians to distinguish themselves from Russian Orthodoxy. As Burgess (2025) notes, “national identity became inseparable from Orthodox identity” (p. 22). In a time when...