Samuel Huntington's seminal work, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, posits that in the post-Cold War era, global conflicts would primarily arise from cultural differences rather than ideological or economic ones. He specifically identified Ukraine as a "cleft country," divided along cultural and historical lines, with Western Ukraine leaning toward Europe and its democratic values, while Eastern Ukraine and Crimea align more closely with Orthodox Russia24. Huntington warned that such divisions could lead to fragmentation or conflict, a prediction that appears prescient given the current war. He argued that Ukraine's internal cultural split—between a European-oriented west and a Russian-influenced east—makes it a flashpoint for broader civilizational tensions between Western and Orthodox civilizations24.
This cultural divide is not merely theoretical. Historically, Ukraine's borders and identity have been shaped by Soviet political decisions rather than cultural coherence, exacerbating internal divisions. Eastern Ukraine, with its significant Russian-speaking population and historical ties to Russia, contrasts with Western Ukraine's push for integration with Europe, evident in events like the 2014 Maidan Revolution, which ousted a pro-Russian president4. Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk further underscored these fault lines, as Moscow claimed to protect Russian speakers and cultural kin4.
From Russia's perspective, the war is framed as a defense of a shared "Russian world," a concept of civilizational unity encompassing Russians and those who identify with Russian culture, history, and spirituality, as articulated by President Vladimir Putin in his war speeches4. This vision seeks to create a self-contained Orthodox bloc, distinct from and often in opposition to Western values, reflecting Russia's identity crisis as it defines itself against the West4. Scholars note that Russia's actions are driven by a fear of losing cultural influence over Ukraine, which it historically views as part of its sphere, and by a desire to counter Western normative systems4.
Russia's approach also involves cultural erasure, as seen in occupied territories where Ukrainian language books were replaced with Russian ones, and curricula were altered to promote the narrative that Ukrainians and Russians are "one people"5. This cultural aggression is part of a broader strategy to dominate not just territory but identity, with reports indicating that Russia aims to eradicate Ukrainian culture to solidify control57.
Conversely, Ukraine's response to the invasion has been a profound cultural awakening and rejection of Russian influence. Since 2022, there has been a grassroots movement to distance Ukrainian society from Russian culture, exemplified by initiatives like recycling Russian-language books into Ukrainian texts in Kyiv bookstores5. This shift is not merely symbolic; it reflects a broader desire to affirm a distinct Ukrainian identity, particularly in the face of Russian attempts to suppress it56. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has noted that Russia's actions have accelerated this "de-Russification," pushing even Russian-speaking Ukrainians to embrace their national identity over linguistic ties5.
Cultural preservation has become a form of resistance, with Ukrainian leaders and citizens emphasizing the protection of their heritage—art, literature, and language—as evidence of their existence and right to sovereignty6. However, this process is not without internal conflict. In cities like Odesa, debates over cultural heritage and the removal of Russian imperial symbols reveal tensions between nationalist drives for "decolonization" and cosmopolitan views that value historical diversity6. Laws enacted since 2015 for "de-communization" and, more recently, "decolonization" in 2023, aim to sever ties with Russian and Soviet legacies, but they also spark discussions about balancing heritage with modern identity6.
Beyond the immediate conflict, the war in Ukraine represents a cultural battleground with global implications. It tests Europe's values of openness and freedom against Russia's authoritarian vision, positioning Ukraine at the crossroads of competing civilizational narratives9. Experts argue that Russia's invasion is not just territorial but an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, making culture a frontline in this war57. Meanwhile, Ukraine's fight is as much about preserving its cultural distinctiveness as it is about defending its borders, with the invasion ironically strengthening national unity even in historically Russian-leaning regions5.
In conclusion, the war in Ukraine is deeply driven by a clash of cultures, manifesting in historical divisions within Ukraine, Russia's imperial cultural ambitions, and Ukraine's assertive push for a distinct identity. This conflict, as Huntington foresaw, lies along civilizational fault lines, where cultural identity and geopolitical interests collide, shaping not only the future of Ukraine but also the broader dynamics between East and West24.
Citations:
- https://www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=ukraine-and-the-clash-of-civilisation-theory-an-interview-with-oliver-roy
- https://peacediplomacy.org/2022/03/09/william-s-smith-in-the-national-interest-ukraine-and-the-clash-of-civilizations/
- https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/content/russia-ukraine-war-through-lens-strategic-culture-implications-south-asia
- https://stratheia.com/russian-ukraine-conflict-is-there-a-clash-of-civilizations/
- https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-ukraine-conflict-cultural-war/story?id=97332345
- https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/02/23/culture-ukraine-s-other-existential-battle_6738479_4.html
- https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2023/06/03/russia-s-war-in-ukraine-is-also-a-culture-war_6028932_23.html
- https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-crossroads-europe-and-russia
- https://ecfr.eu/publication/culture-clash-russia-ukraine-and-the-fight-for-the-european-public/
- https://c2cjournal.ca/2022/12/the-russo-ukrainian-war-and-the-global-clash-of-civilizations/
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