Historian on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and the Russian Question | Serhii Plokhy and Lex Fridman

Summary

The discussion revolves around the 'Russian question' as articulated by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, focusing on his vision of uniting Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians into a single nation-state. This concept, rooted in opposition to communism and driven by Russian nationalism, highlights the tragedy of the 20th century: the division of Russians across different states. The video script transitions into the 'Ukrainian question', emphasizing Ukraine's struggle for sovereignty and independence amidst Russian assertions of a shared identity. It raises concerns about the potential shift towards authoritarianism in Ukraine due to prolonged conflict, yet underscores the strong historical currents of pluralism and democracy that define Ukrainian society.

Takeaways

• 📝 The 'Russian question', first articulated by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in 1994, concerns the division of ethnic Russians and the loss of Russian statehood post-Soviet Union.
• 🇷🇺 Solzhenitsyn, half Ukrainian, identified as a Russian nationalist, opposing communism as detrimental to Russia and advocating for a unified nation state of Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.
• 🔥 Post-Soviet collapse, Solzhenitsyn proposed Plan B, focusing on Russia's annexation of regions like Donbas, Crimea, and Southern Ukraine, now reflected in the Russian Constitution.
• 🇺🇦 The 'Ukrainian question' today shifts from establishing to maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty, amid claims by Russia that Ukrainians and Russians are the same people.
• 🤴 The ongoing war in Ukraine risks pushing the country towards authoritarianism, potentially influenced by far-right ideologies, though this goes against Ukraine's democratic and pluralistic history.
• 👊 Ukraine has evolved as a pluralistic state with embedded democratic elements over the last 30 years, making a shift to radical nationalism unlikely despite current challenges.
• 📈 Ukrainian nationalism, historically a 'minority faith', suggests a societal foundation resistant to the adoption of extreme nationalist ideologies.
• 🛡️ The war's duration increases the likelihood of significant political shifts in Ukraine, yet historical context and societal values may safeguard its democratic trajectory.
• 🚨 Solzhenitsyn's vision influences current tensions, embodying a historical and ideological backdrop to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with roots in broader questions of national identity and statehood.
• 📚 The discourse around the 'Russian question' and 'Ukrainian question' highlights complex interplays of history, nationalism, and the struggle for sovereignty in post-Soviet space.

Q & A

What is the 'Russian question' as described in the transcript?

The 'Russian question' refers to the division of ethnic Russians and the loss of statehood, resulting in Russians being spread across different states. It's seen as a major tragedy of the 20th century.

How did Solzhenitsyn envision restructuring Russia?

Solzhenitsyn's vision for restructuring Russia involved getting rid of the Baltics, Central Asia, and Caucasus, and creating a single nation-state for Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians, including those living in northern Kazakhstan.

What was Solzhenitsyn's Plan B after the Soviet Union's collapse?

Solzhenitsyn's Plan B, influenced by the events following the Soviet Union's collapse, involved Russia taking over Donbas, Crimea, and Southern Ukraine, areas now included in the Russian Constitution.

What is the 'Ukrainian question' as it stands today?

The 'Ukrainian question' is incomplete and needs to be finished here.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Russian Question: Historical Perspectives and National Identity

This segment discusses the 'Russian question' as first articulated by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in 1994, who, despite his mixed heritage, identified strongly with Russian nationalism. The 'Russian question' is rooted in the tragedy of the 20th century—specifically, the division of ethnic Russians and the dissolution of statehood across multiple states following the Soviet Union's collapse. Solzhenitsyn viewed communism as detrimental to Russia, advocating for a restructured Russian nation-state that would include Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians, excluding the Baltics, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. His initial plans were unfulfilled with the Soviet Union's dissolution, leading to a 'Plan B' that aimed at Russia taking over Donbas, Crimea, and Southern Ukraine—regions now included in the Russian Constitution. This discourse is pivotal for understanding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as it embodies a vision that has historical and intellectual roots, significantly influencing contemporary geopolitical dynamics.

05:01

🌍 The Ukrainian Question: Sovereignty and National Identity Amid Conflict

The 'Ukrainian question' today revolves around the maintenance of the nation's sovereignty and independence, a shift from the historical focus on acquiring statehood. This is challenged by perspectives that view Ukrainians and Russians as a singular people, undermining Ukrainian statehood and identity. The ongoing war poses the risk of pushing Ukraine towards a more authoritarian regime, potentially influenced by far-right ideologies. However, the likelihood of such a transition contradicts the pluralistic and democratic trajectory Ukraine has followed over the last 30 years. Ukrainian society has historically leaned away from radical nationalism, suggesting that despite the possibilities war brings, a significant departure from democratic values remains improbable.

Keywords

💡Russian Question

The 'Russian Question' refers to the historical and political issue concerning the identity and statehood of ethnic Russians, particularly in relation to the former Soviet Union and its successor states. In the video, it is discussed as a concept introduced by Solzhenitsyn, who saw the division of Russians among different states as a tragedy and proposed a unified nation-state for Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. This concept is contrasted with the current situation in Ukraine, where the Russian Question is seen as an attempt to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty by claiming that Russians and Ukrainians are the same people.

💡Solzhenitsyn

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, historian, and dissident who is best known for his work 'The Gulag Archipelago,' which exposed the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system. In the context of the video, Solzhenitsyn's views on the Russian Question are highlighted, emphasizing his Russian nationalism and his vision for a restructured Russia that would include Ukrainians and Belarusians, reflecting his broader concerns about the fate of ethnic Russians post-Soviet Union.

💡Ukrainian Question

The 'Ukrainian Question' pertains to the challenges faced by Ukraine in maintaining its sovereignty and nation-state status amidst historical, political, and cultural complexities. The video discusses how the Ukrainian Question has evolved from the acquisition of a nation-state to the maintenance of a sovereign state, especially in the face of Russian claims that Ukrainians and Russians are the same people. This question is central to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

💡Nation-State

A nation-state is a state where the great majority shares a common culture, language, and history. In the video, the concept is used to describe Ukraine's struggle to maintain its existence as an independent nation-state, which is being challenged by Russia's actions and narratives that seek to erase the distinct identity of Ukrainians.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty refers to the full right and power of a governing body to govern itself without any interference from outside sources or bodies. The video emphasizes the importance of Ukraine's sovereignty in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, where Ukraine's ability to retain its independent governance is at stake.

💡Democratic Western Style Nation

This phrase describes a political system that is characterized by democracy, with Western-style institutions and values such as individual freedoms, rule of law, and a system of checks and balances. The video raises the possibility that the prolonged war in Ukraine could lead to a shift away from this model, potentially towards a more authoritarian regime, which would be a departure from Ukraine's recent historical trajectory.

💡Authoritarian

An authoritarian regime is characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms. The video speculates that the prolonged conflict could lead to a change in Ukraine's political landscape, with the potential for an authoritarian shift, which would be a significant departure from Ukraine's recent history of developing democratic institutions.

💡Far Right Influence

This term refers to the influence of political ideologies that are extreme in their nationalism and often advocate for strict social and political order. The video suggests that the impact of the war could lead to an increase in far-right influence in Ukraine, which could shape the country's political direction and policies.

💡Pluralistic State

A pluralistic state is one that embraces and accommodates a variety of cultural, ethnic, and political groups. The video highlights Ukraine's emergence as a pluralistic state, with a history of building democratic elements, which is at odds with the potential authoritarian direction that could arise from the prolonged conflict.

💡Ukrainian Nationalism

Ukrainian nationalism refers to the political and cultural movement that seeks to promote the interests and identity of Ukrainians as a distinct nation. The video mentions that while Ukrainian nationalism has been a minority faith, it has been a part of the country's political landscape, and its future role in Ukraine's political identity is uncertain amidst the ongoing conflict.

💡Radical Nationalism

Radical nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism that often advocates for radical changes to achieve national goals, sometimes through exclusionary or aggressive means. The video notes that radical nationalism has been a minority faith in Ukraine, indicating that while it exists, it has not been the dominant political force in the country's recent history.

Highlights

The Russian Question, as articulated by Solzhenitsyn, is a central theme in the book 'Frontline Essays on Ukraine's Past and Present'.

Solzhenitsyn, a Russian nationalist and author of 'The Gulag Archipelago', opposed the Communist regime and believed communism was detrimental to Russia.

The Russian Question refers to the division of ethnic Russians and the loss of statehood, which Solzhenitsyn considered the biggest tragedy of the 20th century.

Solzhenitsyn's original plan for restructuring Russia involved creating a single nation-state for Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians, excluding the Baltics, Central Asia, and Caucasus.

After the Soviet Union's collapse, Solzhenitsyn's Plan B was adopted, which included the annexation of Donbas, Crimea, and Southern Ukraine by Russia.

The current Ukrainian Question is not about the acquisition of a nation-state but the maintenance of a sovereign state.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is, in part, a realization of the vision formulated by Solzhenitsyn, who was half-Russian and half-Ukrainian.

The possibility of Ukraine moving towards a more authoritarian regime due to the influence of war is discussed, though it is considered unlikely given Ukraine's historical trajectory.

Ukraine's emergence as a pluralistic state with democratic elements over the last 30 years is highlighted as a significant historical development.

The book 'Ukrainian Nationalism and Minority Faith' from the 1990s is mentioned, emphasizing that radical nationalism has remained a minority faith in Ukraine.

The influence of war on the political direction of Ukraine is acknowledged, with the potential for a shift in leadership and ideology.

The Ukrainian Question is compared to other 20th and 21st-century nation-state issues, focusing on the rise and maintenance of new states.

The concept of Ukrainian nationalism as a minority faith is contrasted with the pluralistic and democratic nature of Ukrainian society.

The historical realities of Ukraine's development over the past 30 years are seen as a counterbalance to the potential for authoritarianism.

The discussion emphasizes the complexity of the Russian and Ukrainian Questions and their implications for national identity and sovereignty.

The transcript explores the intellectual and historical roots of the current conflict, providing context for understanding the situation in Ukraine.

The potential for a change in Ukraine's political landscape due to prolonged conflict is considered, though the likelihood is weighed against historical trends.

Transcripts

you wrote in your book titled uh the

Frontline essays on Ukraine's past and

present about the Russian

question uh I guess articulated by soier

niton first in

1994 so jitsen of course is the author

of gag archipelago he's half

Ukrainian what is the Russian question s

clearly identifies himself as Russian

and his opposition to the Communist

Regime was was a position of a Russian

nationalist so his argument was that um

communism was bad for

Russia um and uh for him Russian

question is about the Russians ethnic

Russians but also he was

thinking about Russians in in Puttin

terms or putting things in in Sol's

terms about ukrainians and belarussian

constituting part of that so the Russian

question is the biggest tragedy of the

20th century the division of the

Russians the the loss of the statehood

and division of the Russians between

different different states this is this

is for in Russian question and

his original idea and plan was present

Ed in the essay that he published in

1990 was called how we should

restructure Russia and restructure

Russia meant getting rid of the baltics

Central Asia and

Caucasus and have Russians ukrainians

and Bellar

Russians including those who live in

northern Kazakhstan to create one nation

state so he was a Russian nationalist

but he was thinking about Russian nation

state as the state of Russians

ukrainians and B Russians and once the

Soviet Union collaps and his his idea

was not implemented in the 1990s he

formulated Plan B taken over by Russia

of donbas Crimea and Southern Ukraine

the areas that now are included in the

Russian Constitution so in terms in

historical terms and intellectual terms

what is happening today in in the war

between Russia and

Ukraine is the The

Vision on one level or another level

that was formulated by the noble laurat

alexand s half Russian half

Ukraine if if there is such a thing what

what would you say is the Ukrainian

question as we stand today the Ukrainian

question is very simple it's now now

it's not anymore acquisition of the

nation state but actually or sovereign

state but it's it's it's maintainance so

it's Ukrainian question is like dozens

of other questions in the 20th and 21st

century the rise the rise of the new

state and uh that's that's that's what

is the Ukrainian question whether

whether Ukraine will continue to its

existence as a nation as an independent

state because that exist is being

questioned by stating that Russians and

ukrainians are one and the same people

which the facto saying your guys

Russian and also trying to to destroy

the state is it possible that if the war

in Ukraine continues for many more years

that the next leader that follows

zalinski

would uh take Ukraine away from a sort

of democratic western style Nation

towards a more authoritarian one maybe

even with a far right

influence this kind of Direction because

of the war the influence of War

everything is possible and the longer

the war continues the more likely

scenario like that

becomes but um realization of that

scenario would go against the grain of

largest part of Ukrainian history

where

Ukraine really emerged as a pluralistic

state in which the elements of

democracy were built in the last 30

years would go against the grain of the

Ukrainian Society where as one author

formulated in the 1990s he wrote a book

Ukrainian nationalism and minority Faith

where the nationalism was a minority

faith and radical nationalism Contin

continues to be at least continued to be

in 2019 a minority faith during the last

elections so possible but unlikely given

the historical realities of the last 30

plus

years