Colonialism or <i>kolonizatsiia</i> ? Why the Difference between Ukraine and Central Asia Matters
Journal: Slavic Review
Year: 2025

Abstract Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in 2014, a view that interprets Russian-Ukrainian relations as colonialism has gained ground in historical scholarship. However, based on an analysis of the terms “colonization” and “colonialism” and a comparison between Ukrainian territories and the Governorate-General of Turkestan in late imperial Russia, this article argues for a more cautious use of the term “colonialism” in relation to Ukraine. It shows that contempo