For the West, Ukraine remains an intellectual desert
For many Europeans, Ukraine continues to be a country without history. Ukrainian philosopher Vladimir Yarmolenko writes about this in the magazine “Kraina”.
He notes that in the poem “Mazeppa” by the English poet Byron, Ukraine appears as a “wild steppe, where there are no signs of “civilization.”
“Why is Byron’s image of Ukraine still relevant? Because in two centuries it has not disappeared. In the minds of many Europeans, Ukraine is no longer a physical desert, but it is often an intellectual desert. Geography without history. A land without people,” the author regrets.
At the same time, he calls for liberating Ukraine from the image of an intellectual desert where nothing has ever existed.
“This image is created by others, and often it is created by enemies. Ukraine, of course, was not a desert either in the time of Byron or in the time of Voltaire. But it’s important not to stop explaining it. Including ourselves,” Yarmolenko comes to the conclusion.
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