As thousands of demonstrators have laid siege to government buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in protest at the presidential election results a recent research report carried out by the University of Glasgow reveals that Ethnic-Russians in Ukraine are better-educated, more progressive, more cosmopolitan and more internationally-minded than Ukrainian-speakers. But they feel their culture is under pressure from within Ukraine. What's more, externally, they feel more threatened by the USA than by Russia.

Experts able to comment on the current situation in the Ukraine:
Professor Bill Miller, Edward Caird Professor of Politics
Tel: 0141 641 1749/ 0141 330 4680
Email: W.L.Miller@socsci.gla.ac.uk

Dr Jane Duckett , Senior lecturer in Politics
Tel: 0131 662 4023/ 0141 330 2871
Email: J.Duckett@socsci.gla.ac.uk

Report summary
Ukraine is divided both by language and ethnic identities. About one-fifth describe themselves as (ethnically) Russian and almost all of them use that language at home. About half describe themselves as (ethnically) Ukrainian and almost use that language at home - though almost all can also speak Russian. Over a quarter describe themselves as (ethnically) Ukrainian but choose to use Russian at home.

TV images of the current crisis in Ukraine picture the first group as youthful progressive pro-westerners from the capital Kyiv or western Ukraine, and the third as nostalgic pro-Soviets from Donetsk in the east. However, often Social stereotypes are wrong: 37% of ethnic Russians but only 19% of Ukrainian speakers have university degrees. And ethnic Russians are much more likely to have professional jobs. And it is the ethnic Russians who are the most likely to have cosmopolitan attitudes: to speak English, to identify with Europe as well as with Ukraine, to feel Ukraine should join international organizations, to welcome foreign culture and foreign incomers and - ironically in the present situation - to welcome help from foreign protestors.

Similarly ethnic-Russians are more inclined than Ukrainian-speakers to keep American culture out- and more inclined to welcome Russian culture in. They are also slightly more inclined than Ukrainian-speakers to fear territorial threats from the USA and less inclined to fear threats from Russia. So while Ukrainian-speakers fear America and Russia equally, ethnic Russians only fear the USA.

Ethnic-Russians also take a very different view of cultural threats from within Ukraine. Their culture and cultural attitudes are at odds with those of Ukrainian-speakers: 17% of Ukrainian-speakers but none of the ethnic-Russians in our survey are Catholics; more important, 63% of Ukrainian-speakers but only 32% of ethnic-Russians attend religious services more than once a year.

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First published: 26 November 2004