Racism in Ukraine

Ukraine is a multi-ethnic country that was formerly part of the Soviet Union.^[1][2][3] Valeriy Govgalenko argues that racism and ethnic discrimination has arguably been a largely fringe issue in the past, but has had a climb in social influence due to ultra-nationalist parties gaining attention in recent years.^[4] There have been recorded incidents of violence where the victim's race is widely thought to have played a role, these incidents receive extensive media coverage and are usually condemned by all mainstream political forces.^[5] Human Rights Watch reported that "racism and xenophobia remain entrenched problems in Ukraine".^[6] In 2012 the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) reported that "tolerance towards Jews, Russians and Romani appears to have significantly declined in Ukraine since 2000 and prejudices are also reflected in daily life against other groups, who experience problems in accessing goods and services".^[7] From 2006 to 2008, 184 attacks and 12 racially motivated murders took place.^[8] In 2009, no such murders were recorded, but 40 racial incidents of violence were reported.^[8] It is worth considering that, according to Alexander Feldman, president of the Association of National and Cultural Unions of Ukraine, "People attacked on racial grounds do not report the incidents to the police and police often fail to classify such attacks as racially motivated and often write them off as domestic offence or hooliganism".^[8]

A 2010 poll conducted by the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies [uk] showed that some 70 percent of Ukrainians estimates the nation's attitude towards other ethnical minorities as ‘conflict’ and ‘tense’.^[9]