The May 9 clashes in Lviv, considered provocations by extremists on both sides of the pro-Russian and pro-Ukraine nationalist divide, may deepen ideological splits. If so, it would be one more tragedy in a nation that desperately needs to unite and find peace with its past.
Although both sides say they tried to avoid conflicts, it doesn’t look that way.
It appears that pro-Russian elements were bent on taunting public displays of Soviet symbols. For many in western Ukraine, tyranny replaced tyranny when the Soviet Union triumphed with its World War II allies over Nazi Germany. In western Ukraine, the red Soviet flag is viewed as a symbol of oppression.
There is only one Ukrainian flag. It should stand for justice, law, democracy and civility.
As for Svoboda nationalists involved in the clash, they would be better off channeling their energies into constructive historical debates that shed truth on the Soviet regime.
Roughing up or snatching flags from veterans and elderly people who revere the Soviet victory – and, by extension, the symbols that went with it – doesn’t help build a strong nation.
Once again, leadership – from President Viktor Yanukovych to local police – failed the people.
In a country with such sensitive historical issues, including Ukrainians who fought against both Nazis and Soviets, it was not wise for the pro-presidential Party of Regions to adopt a law ordering central and regional government to publicly display the Soviet Victory Day flag on May 9 – replete with the star, hammer and sickle.
Meanwhile, hundreds of police officers working in Lviv on May 9 failed to prevent protests from escalating to violence.
A strong suspicion exists that Yanukovych’s team, which traditionally draws its support from the Russian-speaking east, tried exploiting the nation’s divisions for political gain to divert attention from spiraling inflation and a sluggish economy.
Ukrainians need to unite and approach each other with greater understanding. Being stuck between Hitler and Stalin, the 20th century’s greatest mass murders, is reason enough to find empathy with each other. So are centuries of foreign occupation. Ukrainians should not give in to inflammatory Kremlin views of history that denigrate Ukraine as a sovereign state.
There is only one Ukrainian flag. It should stand for justice, law, democracy and civility. It should be the symbol of triumph for all Ukrainians, living and dead, who dreamed of living at peace and prosperity in their own homeland.
