Lands of Cossacks. Lands of wheat. Lands of possibilities. Lands of Freedom

How has the understanding of what Ukraine is and, therefore, its image changed through the centuries? What did the word ‘Ukraine’ mean in the Middle Ages, the early modern times, or in the twentieth century? Even during the last four decades, this image has transformed dramatically, and the first association with it in the minds of ordinary people is no longer the part of the Soviet Union ‘where Chernobyl is’ but rather the state that has the courage to confront the nuclear power of Russia. The changes in the ways Ukraine was perceived not only reflect its subjectivity in the international arena: in the times of countering Russian aggression, this positive and heroic image could literally determine Ukraine’s future...