The women’s self-help movement is alive and kicking in Ukraine, with a range of group classes designed to get women out of the kitchen and into society. But with women outnumbering men — by 5:1 in popular conscience — is it surprising instruction is largely devoted to ‘catching one’s man’?
The moral case for releasing Yulia Tymoshenko is overwhelming. But her imprisonment might be a blessing in disguise for the Ukrainian opposition, argues Anton Shekhovtsov.
Where the female body - through its societal projections in media, art, politics and religion - has always formed the first port of women's oppression, it is necessary to consider whether attempts to reclaim it through topless protests in the public arena are more likely to defy or to reify existi
In a few months, the EU will decide whether to sign an Association Agreement with Ukraine. President Viktor Yanukovych is, however, focused on a different agenda - how to win a second term in 2015. He's ready to go to any lengths to bring that about, reports Sergii Leshchenko.
The west's contribution to building more democratic and open societies in the post-Soviet region leaves much scope for improvement. Orysia Lutsevych draws lessons and offers recommendations to both public and private donors.
The fate of historic buildings is a global hot topic, but this month activists occupying an old trading complex in Ukraine’s capital to try to stop its redevelopment had to deal with a real fire destroying their ‘Friendly Republic’. Marta Dyczok sees here a metaphor for the country as a whole.
Last October, Ukraine’s ruling Party of the Regions won only a slim election victory, but President Viktor Yanukovych has taken the opportunity to pack his new government with members of his ‘Family’ – and to level new and grave charges at jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Sergii Leshchen
By means fair and foul, the ruling Party of the Regions came out top in Ukraine’s recent parliamentary election. President Yanukovych is far from home and dry, however: to control parliament he needs a majority, and the necessary concessions to other parties will certainly cost him dear, says Serg
The Parliamentary election in Ukraine has, as expected, returned President Yanukovych’s Party of Regions to power. It has also had one less predicted result: the first election to the country’s parliament of MPs from the ultra nationalist far-right. Anton Shekhovtsov looks at the rise of ‘Svoboda’
On 28th October, Ukrainians will elect a new parliament. Their country has moved in the last few years from the forefront of democratic transition in the post-Soviet space to a clan-based authoritarian regime, taking its lead from its neighbour Belarus. Serhiy Leshchenko reports on the state of pl
Neither democracy nor authoritarianism has completely succeeded in Ukraine, though Yanukovych has moved towards breaking the stalemate and establishing his sway. But Ukraine is not Russia and it will be an uphill struggle. In the run-up to the 28 October elections, Igor Torbakov considers the diff
