Historical Battle Lines - Why is Russia afraid of a 300-year-old Ukrainian hero?

wsj.com ^ | JULY 9, 2009 | ADRIAN KARATNYCKY and ALEXANDER J. MOTYL

[Tailgunner Joe]

His name was Ivan Mazepa, a Ukrainian Cossack chieftain who allied with Sweden's Charles XII to fight Russia's Czar Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava, 300 years ago this week. ....

The Swedish-Ukrainian alliance suffered a crushing defeat at Poltava. Charles died from a battle wound and Mazepa fled to today's Moldova, where he also died soon after.

Poltava helped shape Europe's geopolitics for three centuries. Russia's emphatic rout of Sweden and its Cossack allies signaled its emergence as a European superpower and ensured Russian dominion over Eastern Ukraine for the bulk of three centuries. Peter constructed a new narrative for his realm. Instead of being Muscovy, it was to be Russia. As such, he and his state could claim lineage with the Kievan state called Rus that had accepted Christianity in 988 and collapsed in the 13th century. In one simple historical revision that complemented his opening to the West, Peter and his realm would be transformed from Asiatic upstarts to a European empire. Kiev would become the "mother of all Russian cities." ....

First, Mazepa and the Cossacks represent a political force that sought autonomy and independence from Russian dominion. Second, Mazepa not only turned against Russia, he made common cause with Sweden, i.e. with Europe and the West. Third, for politicians like Vladimir Putin who lionize the Russian empire and lament the disintegration of the Soviet Union, branding Mazepa a traitor sends a not-so-subtle message that proponents of Ukraine's statehood today are also betraying the cause of Slavic unity.

With Russia adamantly opposed to Ukraine's integration into European structures and with Mr. Putin on record as questioning the permanence of Ukraine's statehood, Russia is investing significant resources on challenging Ukraine's shaping of a separate national identity and history.

[wendy1946]

Tsar Peter saved us all from driving Volvos...

[Daffynition]

Aren't the Russians ridding themselves of all their heroes?

[Pontiac]

Ivan Mazepa on Ukraine 10 Hryvna 1992 front

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks Tailgunner Joe. Poltava helped shape Europe's geopolitics for three centuries. Russia's emphatic rout of Sweden and its Cossack allies signaled its emergence as a European superpower and ensured Russian dominion over Eastern Ukraine for the bulk of three centuries. Peter constructed a new narrative for his realm. Instead of being Muscovy, it was to be Russia. As such, he and his state could claim lineage with the Kievan state called Rus that had accepted Christianity in 988 and collapsed in the 13th century. In one simple historical revision that complemented his opening to the West, Peter and his realm would be transformed from Asiatic upstarts to a European empire. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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