Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1497523
civilize. Why are Kharkiv, Poltava, Odesa, and other cities Russian? As, from the Russian point of view, the Russian empire was the entity that brought the concept of a modern city, education, and infrastructure to this region. And why is it that Russians have a right to Ukraine, as a whole? Because it was the Russian army that was shedding blood over centuries, recapturing these areas and liberating them from „adverse forces", and then protecting them from attempts made to recapture this area. The price paid by the Russians to keep that territory in their hands, allows them to own it. Crimea remains especially important here, as a major part of the Russian identity tied to expansion to the southern, warm seas is connected to the Crimean Peninsula. There is also an association present between Crimea and the Russian fleet's history on those waters. Without Crimea, and the Naval base in Sevastopol, Russia would lose that part of its national myth, and it needs to reconstruct the concept of its nation - but to a lesser extent, than in a scenario in which the whole of Ukraine is lost. A separate matter applies to the Russian claims made concerning Kyiv and central Ukraine. I have already discussed that matter in section 1 - as to why Kyiv remains important for the Russians, symbolically. One should also realize that the Russians perceive Kyiv as separate from Southern and Eastern Ukraine. These matters remain entirely separate, as these areas simply belong to Russia, with Russia shaping them from a scratch, as its own. Kyiv is a root area that Russia lost and then recaptured when consolidating its empire. This is why the Russians often mention the gifts that the communists gave to Ukraine, artificially expanding its territory with the Russian indigenous terrain. Western Ukraine and Zakarpattia also remain different, as these areas have been captured by the Russian Empire, from other Empires. And based on that fact Russia, depending on the international situation, may either claim a right to govern these areas or not. Summing it up, one should understand that when the Russians speak of historical Russian territory, that refers to eastern and southern Ukraine. And the Russians treat those, literally, as Russian areas. The same applies to Omsk, Voronezh, and Volgograd in Russia. Central Ukraine is often referred to as the Cradle of Rus' - and this is the baseline argument for the right to govern those regions. www.fragoutmag.com