Transformation of Identity in Ukrainian Cultural Space: From the Soviet Model to Ethno-Symbolic Nation-Building

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to examine the transformation of identity within the Ukrainian cultural space, from the concept of the “Soviet person” identity, which functioned as a superstructure over national identity during the Soviet period, to ethno-symbolism, which is currently emerging on the basis of a synthesis of primordialism and constructivism. The methodological framework of the study is grounded in a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of the evolution of Ukrainian identity in the cultural space. Cultural, theoretical-philosophical, and historical-comparative methods are used to analyse changes in Ukrainian identity from the Soviet supranational model to contemporary forms of national and civic self-identification. Methods of analysis and synthesis are used to generalise the main theoretical concepts of primordialism, constructivism, and ethno-symbolism, while the comparative method is applied to contrast modern and postmodern approaches to understanding identity. The study also takes into account such research approaches to the formation of identity in the Ukrainian cultural space as postcolonial studies, deconstructionism, multiculturalism, and methodologically undefined apologetic discourse, which allows the Ukrainian cultural space to be considered as a dynamic system in which historical heritage, national memory, and cultural practices are continuously reinterpreted. The scientific novelty of the article lies in identifying the features of Ukrainian identity transformation under contemporary war and globalisation challenges, and in substantiating ethno-symbolism as a methodological basis for shaping the modern Ukrainian cultural space, which combines ethno-cultural heritage with civic-political consciousness. Conclusions. Contemporary academic discourse demonstrates a gradual shift from an ethnocentric to a civic-political understanding of Ukrainian identity, which has been significantly intensified after the events of 2014 and the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. In this regard, an inclusive model of the nation is emerging in Ukrainian scholarship, where civic position, cultural memory, and conscious choice play a decisive role. In the cultural context, identity is understood as a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon, whose interpretation is based on the combination of relative stability, variability, and dependence on socio-cultural transformations. As a result, the synthesis of primordialism and constructivism serves as a methodological foundation for ethno-symbolism as a contemporary model of Ukrainian identity formation. At the same time, the full-scale war has become a catalyst for societal consolidation, strengthening civic identity, and rethinking cultural and linguistic markers of national unity.