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History
Although it is one of the youngest countries in the world, Ukraine can trace its roots all the way back to Rus principality, which existed in the 11th and 12th centuries and contained what is still known today as “the Mother of Russian cities" (15). In the 14th century, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia began annexing portions of the region, setting the tone for a conflict that has defined Ukrainian culture ever since: a struggle for independence.
For 70 years, Ukraine existed as a member state of the Soviet Union, quickly becoming one of the most important members of the USSR. Its fertile farmland made it the “breadbasket” of the entire region. Soviet rule was difficult, however, and millions of Ukrainians died as a result of rebellion against it. One of the most famous consequences was Stalin’s forced famine in 1932, which resulted in the death of over 7 million people.
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| Leonid Kuchma served as President in Ukraine from 1994-2004. His presidency was characterized by corruption and restriction of media freedoms. |
It wasn’t until 1991 that Ukraine emerged as an independent nation, amidst the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ukraine immediately began taking steps to distance itself from its Soviet past and join the rest of the developed world, starting with the creation of political and media freedom. Leonid Kravchuk was elected as the nation’s first president, and “masterfully managed the breakaway from the Soviet Union" (9). He abolished media censorship in 1991, removed the media monopoly held by the Communist party. In 1992, Ukrainian Parliament passed legislation to privatize the media sector, and effort overseen by then-Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma.
In 1994, Kuchma was elected President. He helped continue Ukraine’s development, creating a period of economic and media reform. In 1995, TV broadcast signals were taken away from Russia and put under Ukrainian control. Two of the three national TV stations were privatized. They became 1+1 and Inter, and still remain Ukraine’s two most popular channels.
After years of debate, Ukraine’s Constitution was ratified in 1996, another major step for a nation trying to lay the groundwork for a successful future. The media remained an important topic. In the Constitution are four separate articles dealing with free speech and media which guarantee freedom of speech and place a general ban on state censorship (14). The creation of the Constitution capped what had been a period of rapid nation building. Ukraine had clearly made it a mission to establish a stable infrastructure and media environment.
Unfortunately for Ukraine, the next several years presented numerous challenges. Although beneficial media legislation was put into place, “the Ukrainian media were in financial disarray, suffering from the general economic decline" (9). As a result, oligarchs began to dominate the media market, many of whom were friendly with Kuchma. The President, who originally seemed promising, began to curtail media freedom. A low point for Ukrainian media prospects was the discovery of journalist Georgy Gongadze’s body 75 miles outside of Kiev in 2000. Kuchma was later implicated in the murder. His war with the media continued, however. In 2002 he introduced a new form of media censorship: unofficial instructions for event coverage called temnyky.
It was at this time that Kuchma’s rule in Ukraine became a source of resentment among the people. Mass protests demanded his resignation, accusing him of corruption and misrule. Kuchma resisted, however, continuing to make political appointments and inhibit media freedom. It wasn’t until 2004 that Ukraine made a resurgence towards the type of future that was hinted at in the early years of independence.