Political Police Archives in Ukraine and Georgia: A Research Note

Abstract

After the deluge of archival declassification that took place following the collapse of the Soviet Union, historians of Soviet society, and of the political police in particular, are still denied access to the FSB archives in Russia. However, a combination of political turmoil and military conflict has led to the opening of the entire archives of other Soviet-era political police services. This article will discuss why research into the Soviet political police remains critically important, examine the opening of the archives in Georgia and Ukraine, and explain what these archives contain and how to use them. Finally, possibilities for new areas of research are explored.     

外国政党塑造自身公众形象的动因及做法

政党的公众形象是指党展现给公众的风貌和公众对其一种综合性、整体性的印象和评价。政党的公众形象是衡量公众信任度和支持度的重要尺码,也是构成政党政治影响力的重要指标,关系着政党的政治前途和命运。     

Political parties,party systems,and economic reforms: The Turkish case

Turkey’s experience with economic reforms and democratization since the early 1980s underscores the importance of the political parties and the party systems in the interactions between these two processes. The country’s experience with democratic politics and a multiparty system made a significant contribution to the resumption of electoral politics and redemocratization following three years of military rule in the early 1980s. However, the opening up of the political space and the reemergence of competitive party politics ultimately created problems for the successful completion of the economic reforms, as one-party dominance and majority-party governments gave way to fragmentation in the party system with weak coalition governments. The Turkish case is instructive of the difficulties facing countries that seek to simultaneously consolidate their democracies and liberalize their economies. Sabri Sayari is executive director of the Institute of Turkish Studies and research professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He has written extensively on Turkey’s domestic politics and foreign policy, and on issues related to political development, parties and party systems, and democratization.     

Choosing Mazepa Over Lenin: The Transformation of Monuments and Political Order in Post-Maidan Ukraine

Abstract

In 2014–2016, the central Ukrainian city of Poltava witnessed the demolition of a Lenin monument and the construction of a monument dedicated to the Ukrainian Cossack hetman Ivan Mazepa. Taking this alteration of the cityscape as a case study, this article examines the change and continuity of political order in post-communist Ukraine in general, and in post-Maidan Ukraine specifically. By investigating the contested meanings of monuments in the city, the article uncovers various ethnonational, religious, political and gender-specific features of Ukrainian society. In so doing, it builds upon the scholarly literature that investigates the symbolic role of monuments in political transformation and draws on a range of data sources including the observation of monuments, policy documents and media coverage.     

当前俄罗斯的共产主义政党

俄罗斯开始政治经济转轨后,政坛上先后出现了很多共产主义性质的政党。这些政党经过十多年的风风雨雨,有的停止了活动,有的影响日渐衰微。究其原因,是多方面的。现在尚存的一些共产主义性质的政党,面临各种问题与挑战,要想在短时间内崛起是不可能的。     

外国政党动态

7月16日,博茨瓦纳民主党第32次代表大会闭幕.会议确定副总统卡马于2008年3月接替届时退休的莫哈埃出任博新一任总统,并选举产生了新一届中央委员会,实现了党内权力的顺利交接.     

Suicide in the Ukraine

The suicide rates of the 24 provinces (oblasts) of the Ukraine were found to be strongly associated with indices of social disintegration (such as divorce and illegitimacy rates), with the Western provinces incorporated in the USSR later than other Ukrainian territories having lower suicide rates and lower levels of social disintegration.     

外国政党动态

2007年12月16日,吉尔吉斯斯坦"光明道路"党在议会选举中获胜,成为议会的第一大党.     

外国政党动态

(4月16日—5月15日) 4月17日,伊拉克最大逊尼派政党联盟"伊拉克共识阵线"的官员表示,他们已经原则上同意回到伊拉克总理马利基领导的政府中。此前,由于提出的多项政治要求未能得到满足,"伊拉克共识阵线"于2007年8月1日宣布,该联盟的全部6名部长退出马利基领导的政府。4月20日,巴拉圭反对派联盟"争取变革爱国联盟"总统候选人费尔南多·卢戈以较大优势战胜执政的红党候选人布兰卡·奥韦拉尔,赢得总统选举,由此结束了     

外国政党动态

9月16日,希腊新民主党在议会选举中获胜,蝉联执政,希政治格局保持稳定. 9月17日,俄罗斯自由民主党召开第19次代表大会,确定了年底国家杜马选举中继续保持主要政党地位的目标.     

具有重要意义的亚洲政党盛会--第三届亚洲政党国际会议述评

金秋的北京,气候宜人,在明媚清爽的美好环境中,迎来了第三届亚洲政党国际会议的隆重召开.应会议东道主中国共产党的邀请,来自于34国80个政党的300多名代表从地域广阔的亚洲等地区汇集中国北京.9月3日,第三届亚洲政党国际会议拉开帷幕,中共中央政治局委员、书记处书记、会议组委会主任刘云山主持开幕式,中共中央政治局常委、国家副主席、会议组委会名誉主任曾庆红发表题为"扩大亚洲政党交流促进地区共同发展"的发言.当晚,中共中央总书记、国家主席胡锦涛在人民大会堂会见各国政党代表团,并在欢迎宴会上致词.会议期间,各国政党代表围绕着"交流、合作、发展"的主题各抒己见.     

Mapping national identity narratives in Ukraine

Since 1991, the absence of the concept of a Ukrainian nation and national identity has led to a controversial, often ambivalent process of identity formation. The aim of this paper is to analyze and map the widely shared concepts about national identity that exist in Ukrainian society after 20 years of independence. Analysis of 43 interviews with Ukrainian political and intellectual elites reveals five different shared narratives: (1) dual identity; (2) being pro-Soviet; (3) a fight for Ukrainian identity; (4) a recognition of Ukrainian identity; and (5) a multicultural-civic concept. Each narrative is characterized by three main features: a coherent structure with strong internal logic and justification of its legitimacy; connection to a specific conception of power and morality; and an opposition to other narratives. All these features lead to the perception of society as a zero-sum game where one narrative must prevail over all others. At the same time, all these features ensure that there can be neither an overwhelming victory of one narrative over others nor a satisfying compromise between them. The results shed light on the complex process of narrative construction of identity and power in newly independent states.     

The separation of powers in Ukraine

This paper examines the passage of a new constitution in Ukraine in order to determine which factors contribute to the establishment of a stable separation of powers system at the national level. We focus on three types of factors: legacies of the past; the structure of institutions at key time periods; and the nature of dynamics between political groups. We find that while all of these factors play some role in the evolving institutional arrangements in Ukraine, negative legacies of the past can be overcome by the decisions of new political groups and the creation of new institutional arrangements.     

Hybrid Historical Memories in Post-Euromaidan Ukraine

Abstract

This article attempts to measure the multilayered, diverse historical memories of contemporary Ukrainians, drawing on a cluster analysis of nationwide survey data collected after the Euromaidan. A significant minority of Ukrainian citizens still gravitate toward Soviet–Russian narratives. These are not merely copies of those embraced in Russia, however; they include ambivalent ‘hybrid’ feelings of nostalgia for the Soviet Union while supporting Ukraine's independence. This article argues that historical memories of Ukrainians in the southern and eastern regions are amorphous and heterogeneous, and that the architects of the Novorossiya project failed to distinguish Soviet nostalgia from Ukrainophobia and separatist grievances.