Methodological background of post-Soviet regionalism: the case of Ukraine
Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tallinn University of Technology
Abstract
The transformational 1990s significantly differentiated the regional
model of Ukraine, which eventually began to resemble a system of
uncontrolled chronic economic decline, as the existing planning
and regulatory methods had become redundant, the market-based
approaches being not actualized. The methodological vacuum in
which Ukraine found itself did not allow regions to solve the existing
problems by means of European economic convergence instruments.
Despite the fact that more and more theories and concepts appeared
in the leading developed countries (regional competitiveness, cityregion,
beautiful places, creative city, localization, etc.), national
science used outdated ideas of planned regulation, inappropriate in
market economy. The effect of government policies resembled core
measures of the neoliberal model, while maintaining a high degree
of administrative centralization.
FDI inflow fundamentally altered the regional landscape. The leading
position in accumulating the FDI stock belonged to Kyiv, which also
produced the largest per capita GDP. In the last five years a revival of
innovation activity took place in the Ukrainian regions. Eventually it
obtained an undulating character, moving basically along two axes:
Lviv–Kyiv and Kyiv–Kharkiv. However, low FDI level in the worst
performing regions could create an erroneous impression about the
positive impact of FDI on regional economy.
A region’s development trajectory might also be affected by the
mentality of its inhabitants, as well as the media, whose impact
can convey either a cohesive or disintegrating character. This was
evidenced by the recent events in Ukraine, as well as the “East versus
West” confrontation, which resulted in frustration, whereas the lack
of tolerance among the population of certain regions provoked the
bloodshed. Thus, identification of methodological background of
post-Soviet regionalism on the example of Ukraine is an important
scientific task, which may explain the essence of regional asymmetries
in the post-Soviet states.
Description
Keywords
innovation development, localism, media-holding in Ukraine, Ukrainian region, regionalism
Citation
Chuzhykov V. Methodological background of post-Soviet regionalism: the case of Ukraine / Viktor Chuzhykov, Oleksandr Fedirko, Andrii Chuzhykov // Baltic Journal of European Studies. – 2014. – Vol. 4, № 1. – P. 20–33.