19th century All-Russian nation

although karamzin believed inhabitants of called great, white, , little russia constituted single russian people, 19th century, linguistic , ethnographic research, publication of contemporary descriptions , travel accounts, forcing many scholars realize there were, indeed, considerable differences among various components of so-called 1 russian people, in particular between great russians , little russians, or ukrainians. confirmation of such differences not undermine idea of single russian people, might threaten link between medieval kiev , moscow , render precarious whole framework upon russian imperial conception of history built.

in 19th century territory of ukraine became object of terminological war; in russia referred southwestern or restored lands. favored repressive measures cleanse russian soul of western borderlands alien polish influences in order uncover pure russian nature of population. proponents of triune russian nation saw ukrainian , belarusian languages dialects of russian language; view official , dominated popular opinion in 19th century. in terminological battle, poles called ukrainians ruthenians (rusyny) while (great) russians called muscovites (moskali); stressing ethnic difference between them . in case of galicia, poles insisted on ukrainians (ruthenians) being branch of polish people. meanwhile, in russia, ukrainians known known ruthenians (russiny, double-s stress belonging all-russian unity ) or more commonly little russians (malorossy); great russians known russkiy, term east slavs under common nation.

russian empire census of 1897 showing distribution of principal nationalities of european russia (in native language) including great russian, little russian, belarusian, , russian in general

during first half of 19th century, ukrainianism/little russianism had been favored in russian intellectual circles. old ruthenian , russophile ideologists agreed 3 had recognizable cultural , linguistic differences, whereas russophiles went step further , argued in favor of common self-identification of russian , use of 1 literary language. era can described 1 of competing loyalties towards multiple identities, opposed mutually exclusive identities, many residents of dnieper ukraine normal both little russian , russian, or russian little russia speaking (ukrainian); russophiles galicia saw little russian russians galicia, many others fall pluralist category, including nikolai gogol , nobles of cossack origin. conversely, favored mutually exclusive ukrainian identity on of little russian did in order heighten perceptual differences. in real sense, evolution of 19th century ukrainian national reivival can seen story of conflict between framework of multiple loyalties on 1 hand , 1 of mutually exclusive identities on other.

the pre-romantic understanding of nation of community of nobles united political loyalty, , more importantly excluded membership of peasant class. nationalisms of slavophiles , pan-slavists influenced german philosophical tradition of romanticism. each of these movements (such völkisch movement) conceived of nation in culturalist vein, 1 glorified authenticity of rural life-world , millenary fidelity orthodoxy. second half of 19th century, russian publicists adopted, , transformed, ideology of pan-slavism; convinced of own political superiority [they] argued slavs might merge great russians. ideological concept reciprocated romantic-era poet, alexander pushkin: not slavic streams merge russian sea? national project of western , southwestern russia in late 19th century has been defined alexei i. miller project of great russian nation ; supported , carried out government, meant create 1 modern russian nation out of great, little, , white russians. compared british orientalism, russian gentry felt ukrainian pesantry, virtue of orthodox faith, related language, , history, should included in tripartite russian nation made of east slavs system of all-russian unity debated on 2 models: french model of national assimilation, , british model of regional countries under common nation , identity; project s advocates seeing middle ground between both.

russians , ukrainian intellectuals began delve understanding own national characteristics through research folklore, ethnography, literature, , history; resulting in mutual conclusion distinct peoples. ukrainians made point, in particular, of challenging , undermining idea of unitary rus nation. 19th century ukrainian historian nikolay kostomarov wrote of contrast between little , great russian peoples in acclaimed essay, 2 russian nationalities, spoke of little , great russian peoples constituting 2 russian nationalities , 2 russian languages. in truth rus series, stressed ukrainians constituted unique people; unity of ukrainians , russians seen unity of equal independent parts, , in number of works emphasized federative nature of rus polity. attitude accepted ukrainians equal independent parts last long ukrainians of little russia accepted role members of such imagined rus nation, , after 1840s large number of ukrainian intellectuals began refuse all-russian national identity, while ukrainian nationalists emerged , intervened in polish-russian terminological battle, introducing termsukraine , ukrainians in contemporary meaning. all-russian nationality being empire-driven relied heavily on references slavic culture , historic state of kievan rus , , required cooperation of people inhabited land. rise of ukrainian , belarusian national movements in late 19th century, opposition came not majority of great russians, numerous little russian intellectuals insisted on combined all-russian identity. rejection of ukrainian movement directly connected sustaining belief of triune russian nation, , ukrainian russophiles of mid-19th century abandoned idea of constituting distinct ukrainian (old ruthenian) identity in favor of triune nationality.

following january uprising in 1863 russian government became extremely determined eliminate manifestations of separatism, , claims collective identity separate all-russian identity wholly rejected russian nationalists attempts divide nation. official policy began endorse notion ukrainian (vis-a-vis little russian) language , nationality did not exist. russified inhabitants of white , little russia assimilated triune russian identity not considered inorodtsy (ethnically alien) within predominantly great russian locales of russian empire, differences proper russians not recognized. on personal level, individuals white , little russia willing renounce identity , merge all-russian ethnos never discriminated against on ethnic grounds, however, systematic repression applied individuals upheld distinct ukrainian identity whether in political or in cultural sphere , upward mobility achieved through acquisition of russian language , culture. ems ukase of 1876 forbid publishing of books in little russian dialect, performance of music or theater in language; , historical sources translated russian orthography. education system became primary tool of nationalizing peasantry (which did not adopt little russian identity), , teaching of ukrainian language banned state. done in order make favorable conditions triune russian, russophile identity.

cite error: there <ref group=nb> tags on page, references not show without {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see page).