Ukraine vs. Darkness
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Ukraine vs. Darkness by Olexander Scherba
This book draws on the author's experience from 26 years of Ukrainian diplomatic service in, among others, Bonn, Berlin, Washington, and Vienna, and his work as a speechwriter to most Ukrainian foreign ministers for the last two decades. Scherba's captivating essays reflect his views of international affairs from a Ukrainian perspective. His deliberations are presented in uncomplicated, plain language. The articles assembled here have repeatedly caused discussion in Ukraine and abroad.By his opponents, Scherba is often described as being surprisingly undiplomatic and even provocative. For instance, his article "Why nationalism can't be the national idea of a European Ukraine", published on a Ukrainian nationalist website, stirred considerable controversy in Ukraine. Aside from explaining Kyiv's take on some key issues of international relations, these essays provide insights into Ukrainian political thinking since the start of Russia's military aggression in 2014, and into the painful political intramural fights in Ukrainian society ever since.
Es ist eine klare, schnörkellose, deutliche Sprache, der sich Scherba in seinen Texten bedient und die keinen Raum für Interpretationen, Missverständnisse oder gar Zweifel lässtEin zivilisatorisches Bollwerk gegen Putin, ein Lackmustest für Europa. Freiheit oder Unfreiheit, Propaganda oder Wahrheit, Moral oder Gier. In der Ukraine, schreibt Scherba, geht es um uns alle. Es ist kein Buch, das sich per se an Ukraine-Kenner richtet. Vielmehr sei es ihm darum gegangen, die (west-)europäischen Wissenslücken über das größte Flächenland Europas zu füllen, wie er in seinem ersten Kapitel schreibt. Gegen die Mythen und Propaganda anzuschreiben, die sich so hartnäckig halten.Scherba gibt Einblicke in die Komplexität der ukrainischen Identität, die nicht so schablonenhaft verlaufen, wie man glauben könnte oder die russische Propaganda einen glauben machen will. Scherba setzt einen rhetorischen Kontrapunkt in einer öffentlichen Debatte, in der es immer nur darum geht, zu beschwichtigen, zu relativieren, einzuebnen. Eine Debatte, in der es auch im achten Kriegsjahr nicht gelungen ist, die Ukraine-Krise bei ihrem eigentlichen Namen zu nennen: Krieg mit Russland.Simone Brunner. In: Ukraine verstehen. 2021
It is a clear, straightforward, unambiguous language that Scherba uses in his texts and that leaves no room for interpretation, misunderstanding, or even doubt. A civilizational bulwark against Putin, a litmus test for Europe. Freedom or lack of freedom, propaganda or truth, morality or greed. Ukraine, Scherba writes, is about all of us. It is not a book aimed per se at Ukraine experts. Rather, his aim is to fill the gaps in (Western) European knowledge about Europe's largest country, as he writes in his first chapter. Scherba provides insights into the complexity of Ukrainian identity, which is not as stereotyped as one might think - or as Russian propaganda would have one believe. Scherba provides a rhetorical counterpoint in a public debate that is always about appeasing, relativizing, leveling. A debate in which, even in in the eighth year of the war, it is called the "Ukraine crisis", not by its real name: War with Russia. Simone Brunner. In: Ukraine verstehen. 2021
It is a clear, straightforward, unambiguous language that Scherba uses in his texts and that leaves no room for interpretation, misunderstanding, or even doubt. A civilizational bulwark against Putin, a litmus test for Europe. Freedom or lack of freedom, propaganda or truth, morality or greed. Ukraine, Scherba writes, is about all of us. It is not a book aimed per se at Ukraine experts. Rather, his aim is to fill the gaps in (Western) European knowledge about Europe's largest country, as he writes in his first chapter. Scherba provides insights into the complexity of Ukrainian identity, which is not as stereotyped as one might think - or as Russian propaganda would have one believe. Scherba provides a rhetorical counterpoint in a public debate that is always about appeasing, relativizing, leveling. A debate in which, even in in the eighth year of the war, it is called the "Ukraine crisis", not by its real name: War with Russia. Simone Brunner. In: Ukraine verstehen. 2021
Dr. Olexander Scherba studied linguistics and politics at the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. Since 2014, he has been Ukraine's Ambassador to Austria. Previously, Scherba worked as Ambassador-at-Large at Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, advisor to Arseniy Yatseniuk as a candidate in the 2010 presidential elections, counselor at Ukraine's Embassy in Washington, DC, deputy chief of staff for Ukraine's Foreign Minister Anatoliy Zlenko, and junior diplomat at Ukraine's Embassy in Berlin. Scherba is an active publicist, regular contributor to the Kyiv weekly Dzerkalo tyzhnia (Mirror of the Week), and author of, among others, the Ukrainian-language books Against Darkness (2020), Modern Diplomatic Service (2002), New Europe (2018), and The Transformation of the Ukrainian National Idea (2019).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9783838215013 |
| ISBN 10 | 383821501X |
| Title | Ukraine vs. Darkness |
| Author | Olexander Scherba |
| Series | Ukrainian Voices |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | ibidem-Verlag, Jessica Haunschild u Christian Schon |
| Year published | 2021-12-22 |
| Number of pages | 166 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |