Ukraine between east & west: after a bitterly fought presidential contest, Ukrainians are divided about the future of their country.

For weeks, crowds of Ukrainians had been filling the public areas of Kiev, the nation's capital. Day and night, in bitter-cold weather, their peaceful protests continued. The results of Ukraine's presidential runoff election were fraudulent, they said, and they demanded another vote. Meanwhile, many other Ukrainians were satisfied with the election results, and insisted that their candidate was the rightful winner. As the world looked on, Ukrainians with different hopes for the future sought a solution that would be acceptable to all.

The Orange Revolution

On November 21, this nation of 47.4 million people had gone to the polls to choose between two presidential candidates: Viktor Yushchenko (YOU-shen-koe) and Viktor Yanukovich (ya-noo-KOE-vich).

Yushchenko had promised to strengthen Ukraine's ties to the wealthy countries of Western Europe. His support came mainly from people in the western part of Ukraine (see map, p. 13).

Yanukovich, on the other hand, leaned more toward Russia, Ukraine's powerful neighbor to the east. Mostly people in eastern Ukraine supported him. He also had the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's outgoing President, Leonid Kuchma.

It looked as if Yanukovich had won the vote--until election observers reported widespread cheating in his favor. That is when protesters began pouring into the streets of Kiev. Since so many of them were wearing orange, Yushchenko's campaign color, the growing demonstration became known as the Orange Revolution.

"We All Went on Strike"

Entire families took part in the peaceful protests. Nazar Kovalyk, 12, and his parents drove halfway across the country to join the demonstrations in downtown Kiev. It was Nazar's first time ever in the capital.

The Kovalyks live in Lviv (luh-VEEV), a grand old city in western Ukraine, near the border with Poland. Nazar remembers how teachers at his school began wearing orange after the election. "We all went on strike," he says, "and our school shut down for two weeks."

Normal life was on hold. "Nazar didn't even watch cartoons anymore," says his mother, Liliya. "We were all glued to the TV for news."

A week after the election, Ukraine's parliament (lawmaking body) rejected the election results. The protests continued. In early December, Ukraine's Supreme Court declared the election results invalid and called for a new vote.

The repeat election was held on December 26. That time, Yushchenko clearly won, 52 percent to 44 percent. Yanukovich complained that the balloting hadn't been fair, but the Supreme Court said that his protest was groundless (without merit). Yushchenko was inaugurated President on January 23.

"The most important result of the Orange Revolution is that the new generation saw that people are worth something and have a voice," says Nazar's stepfather, Igor.

Many people now hope that a bright era will start for Ukraine. "Yushchenko is tied to the hopes we have for our son," says Liliya.

Hoping for a Better Life

Not all Ukrainians share the optimism of Nazar's parents, however. In eastern Ukraine, where Yanukovich had the greatest support, people are afraid that the new government will ignore their needs.

Maria Medvedeva, 12, lives with her parents and younger sister in the industrial city of Donetsk, Yanukovich's hometown. Her father, Roman, voted for Yanukovich.

"Some people think that with Yushchenko as President, they'll wake up the next day and live well," he says. "We're hoping it will get better, but I don't believe it."

Roman, who runs his own business, says that he thought Yanukovich would bring more stability to the economy. "We voted for our families," he says. "We're not against democratization."

Like almost everyone in Donetsk, which is close to the border with Russia, Maria speaks Russian at home, in school, and with her friends. "We can speak Ukrainian," she says. "But it's just easier to communicate in Russian because we're used to it."

Ukraine has always had a close relationship with Russia. More than 1,000 years ago, Kiev was the center of Rus, the first Eastern Slavic state. Later, when most of Ukraine became part of the Russian empire, the Czars (Emperors) forced their language and culture on Ukrainians. Even though Donetsk still shows its Russian influence, Maria's father insists that he is Ukrainian, not Russian.

Common Ground

The parents of Nazar and Maria don't see eye to eye on their choice of President, but they still have a lot in common. They agree that Ukraine must carefully balance its relations with the United States and Russia, without tipping too much to one side or the other. They also agree that Ukraine should bring home its 1,600 troops serving with the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. Most important, they have the same basic goal: a better life for their children.

Although the country's economy is already looking up, most Ukrainians still get by on about $100 a month. "We don't work less than other Europeans, and we're not lazier, but our salaries are 10 times smaller," says Nazar's mother.

The main reason for Ukraine's poverty, many people say, is the legacy of 70 years of Communism. After the 1917 Russian Revolution (see "The Last Czar," pp. 14-15), Ukraine experienced a brief period of independence before most of the country was absorbed into the Soviet Union. The new Communist rulers used brutal means to establish power.

Millions of Ukrainians were starved to death or sent to prison camps in Siberia. Millions more suffered when German armies invaded the Soviet Union in World War II.

After the war, the Communist system failed to keep people happy--or even safe. In 1986, Ukraine suffered the world's worst nuclear accident ever when a reactor at a Chernobyl power plant blew its top. Tens of thousands of people fell ill or died from exposure to radiation.

Staying Optimistic 

In 1991, after the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine finally won its independence, many Ukrainians thought that life would get better. Instead, the transition (change) to democracy and a free-market economy has been slow and difficult. Millions of Ukrainians have left home to work illegally in Russia, Western Europe, and the U.S.

To earn a living, Nazar's mother says, "doctors and teachers are going abroad to take care of old people or wash dishes in restaurants. Money isn't everything, though. They don't [get to] see how their kids grow up."

Liliya works as an editor at an online religious-news site, while Igor runs a small trucking company. Nazar hopes to become a lawyer. "We don't want our son to go abroad to work," says Igor. "We want him to work in Ukraine, for Ukraine."

Maria, too, sees her future in her homeland, perhaps as a computer programmer. "I was born here, and I'll live here," she says. "I'm an optimist. That means you always have to be sure you'll succeed in whatever you do."

Words to Know

* Communism: a form of government that abolishes private ownership in an effort to create a more equitable society.

* fraudulent: based on or resulting from cheating; false.

* invalid: having no value, substance, or legal force.

* free-market: based on free and open competition; not controlled by government.

Your Turn

THINK ABOUT IT

Would you move to another country if you thought you could have more economic opportunities there? Why or why not?

RELATED ARTICLE: Ukraine.

Ukraine is Europe's second-largest country in area. (Only Russia is larger.) The Russian empire controlled Ukraine from the late 1700s until 1917. Russia's new Communist government forced Ukraine to become part of the Russian-dominated Soviet Union in 1922. Ukraine regained independence in 1991.

FACTS TO KNOW

AREA: 233,089 square miles; not quite as large as Texas.

POPULATION: 47,400,000; Ukrainian, 77.8%; Russian, 17.3%; other, 4.9%.

GOVERNMENT: Presidential-parliamentary government; President Viktor Yushchenko.

ECONOMY: Ukraine is an industrialized country that also has rich farmland. It must import 85% of its energy needs from Russia. After achieving independence in 1991, Ukraine began to change its government-planned economy to a free-market system, like that of the U.S. But widespread resistance to change has stalled reform efforts.

PER CAPITA (PER PERSON) GDP *: $5,400.

LITERACY: Males, 99%; females, 99%.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: Males, 62 years; females, 74 years.

* The value of all goods and services produced by a country in a year, divided by the population. (GDP stands for gross domestic products; per capita means per person.)

QUESTIONS

1. What is the capital of Ukraine? --

2. Most people in western Ukraine supported which candidate in the December 2004 election? --

3. What disaster occurred near the city of Chernobyl in 1986? --

4. What famous event took place in Yalta in 1945? --

5. Is Yalta on an island, isthmus, or peninsula? --

6. Which mountain chain is in western Ukraine? --

7. Which country borders Ukraine to the east? --

8. Which large body of water borders Ukraine to the south? --

9. Which city is located near 50[degrees]N, 36[degrees]E? --

10. What is the approximate distance in miles between Lviv and Kiev? --

1. Kiev

2. Victor Yushchenko

3. a nuclear power plant explosion

4. a meeting of U.S., U.K., and Soviet leaders to discuss division of Europe after World War II

5. peninsula

6. Carpathian Mountains 

7. Russia

8. Black Sea

9. Kharkov

10. 300 miles

* OBJECTIVE

Students should understand

* Last fall, charges of fraud in the apparent victory of Viktor Yanukovich in Ukraine's presidential election led to massive peaceful demonstrations, new elections, and a victory for Yanukovich's rival, Viktor Yushchenko.

* WORD TO KNOW

democratization: the process of adopting or moving toward a democratic government.

* TEACHING STRATEGY

Ask students what they know about Ukraine. Where is it? Why was it in the news recently?

* BACKGROUND

Leonid Kuchma was Ukraine's President for nearly a decade. His 1999 re-election was sullied by charges of fraud, and he had become increasingly unpopular. In the 2004 presidential race, Kuchma and President Vladimir Putin of Russia supported Viktor Yanukovich against Viktor Yushchenko.

Yushchenko's victory was seen as a symbolic defeat for Putin especially.

* CRITICAL THINKING

CAUSE AND EFFECT: How has geography affected Ukrainian politics? (Eastern Ukraine is heavily influenced by one country, Russia, which borders it to the north and east. Western Ukraine is more a part of Europe, and seeks closer ties with the nations of that continent.)

COMPREHENSION: Why are many Ukrainians seeking work in other countries? (After nearly a century of Communist control, Ukraine's economy is struggling to shift to a free-market system. Well-paying jobs are scarce.)

* ACTIVITY

LEARN MORE: Have students find and share information on the duties and length of term of Ukraine's President. (See the Government of Ukraine Web site, listed at right.) Discuss how they compare with those of the U.S. President.

STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

* Individuals, groups, and institutions: How Ukraine's politics and system of government changed over time.

* Civic ideals and practices: How Ukrainians put ideals of democratic process into action, and how those actions helped bring about change.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Otfinoski, Steve, Ukraine (Nations in Transition series, Facts on File, 2004). Grades 6-8.

* Lerner Geography Dept., Ukraine (Then and Now series, Lerner Publishing Group, 1992). Grades 6-8.

WEB SITES

* Government of Ukraine site ukraineinfo.us/politics /politics.html

* Ukraine history and information infoplease.com/ipa /A0108070.html

* Use a word from this list to correctly complete each sentence.

Communism, Eastern Europe, Kiev, Lviv, Moscow, Nazar Kovalyk, Leonid Kuchma, Maria Medvedeva, Poland, Polish, Vladimir Putin, Russian, Soviet Union, Ukrainian, Western Europe, Viktor Yanukovich, Viktor Yushchenko

6. The candidate first announced as winner of Ukraine's 2004 presidential elections was --.

7. He was supported by Russia's President, --.

8. Most Orange Revolution protests were held in Ukraine's capital, the city of --.

9. The candidate sworn in as President on January 23 promised to strengthen Ukraine's ties to --.

10. Most people in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, speak --.

6. Viktor Yanukovich

7. Vladimir Putin

8. Kiev

9. Western Europe

10. Russian

Lucian Kim in Ukraine