In Ukraine, a clash of two mentalities

Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov discusses the turmoil in Ukraine and what is really dividing the country. Ukraine’s “Euromaidan” revolt is described as the European Union vs. Russia: is that an oversimplification? That’s a cliché many journalists use for a very complex situation. For Ukrainians, Europe doesn’t mean the EU, it means a country without corruption: with rule of law, civil society, civilized life with European standards. What about the propaganda war — Russian-speakers vs. Ukrainian speakers, “fascists” vs. “terrorists?” On language, one example explains everything. About seven to eight million Russian speakers live in Ukraine, and about 50 per cent of the population speaks Russian. About 80 per cent of people in Kyiv speak Russian, but you’ll not find any pro-Russian movement .So what really divides Ukraine? It’s a clash of two mentalities — the post-Soviet collective mentality, where people lack initiative and are taught to depend on the boss or factory owner for perks. And people who start businesses and take responsibility themselves. Read more at http://www.thestar.com