The cultural foundations of Ukrainian national identity

This article examines the importance of intra- and inter-state cultural comparisons in the construction of national identity in a multi-ethnic country. A theoretical discussion first explores two dimensions of the underdeveloped concept of national identity: content and strength. It is argued that perceptions of cultural similarity among a country's ethnic and ethno-regional groups, and perceptions of both cultural similarity and difference between these groups and the populations of other countries, shape and promote these dimensions of national identity. The argument is evaluated using the case of Ukraine. Qualitative analysis of writings by Ukrainians and quantitative analysis of an elite survey distributed in the cities of Lviv and Donetsk examine how cultural comparisons between Ukraine's main ethno-regions and perceptions of the differences and similarities among European, Russian and Ukrainian culture condition national unity in Ukraine.