UKRAINIAN HETMANATE AND THE IDEOLOGY OF STATISM

The phenomenon of Ukrainian nationalism has gave the World a lot of wonderful thinkers and philosophers as well as a number of original ideas.

 Unfortunately, they were not embodied in life because of the Soviet invasion, and the World know almoust nothing about such outstanding Ukrainian right thinkers as Dmytro Dontsov, Vyatcheslav Lipinski (who were supporters of the Conservative revolution ideas, they had promoted and continue to promote its ideas through their intellectual legacy), or Yury Lipa (a developer the idea of Blathic-Black sea Union), Stepan Bandera, or Mykola Stsiborsky (a developer the idea of Nationcratcy, as an alternative to both the Western liberal copitalist and the Eastern totalitarian socialist vectors). Today let us tell you little about another interesting idea, which once born in fire of Ukrainian nation-liberation struggle - the Ukrainian Hetmanate. As you know, a point of view that a model of western democratic republic (like modern Poland or France) is the best way of development for modern post industrial state has been promoted in Ukraine for last 25 years through TV and press. But only now, after Orange Revolution and Revolution of Dignity, we all understood that by this desire completely different political elites (the oligarchs and the former Soviet party nomenclature) to rob our independent Ukraine and get away abroad for rich rest...

Modern Ukraine is a surrogate postcolonial Soviet republic with so-called European demoliberal “valuables” which exploit Western capitalism. Today Ukrainian society doesn’t need a new or foreign state model, it has own and traditional. Let us note at least all forgotten Hetmanat idea, that is a true personification of Ukrainian theory of statism and modern nationalism.

Let's start with a brief history and theory... Thus, the term of statism in French (Étatisme) means the direction of political thought, considering the state as the highest result of social development. The statism is a strong political and ideological counterbalance chaos and anarchy. Although the founder of the theory of statism was Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, his ideas accepted far outside of France in Turkey by the government of Mustafa Kemal, by the Italian fascists of “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini, in Finland by President of the Republic Kyösti Kallio, in China by the communists of Mao Zedong and nationalists of Chan Kai-shek, in Georgia by government of Zviad Gamsakhurdia and finaly by supporters of Juan Peron President of Argentina. This list can be continued in the future, but our problem is quite another...

Something else happened in Ukraine and neighboring Muscovy (nativeland of Soviet and Putinist Russia). Thus, in contrast of Nikolai Karamzin and Paul Miliukov, Ukrainian historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky and his political ally of Vladimir Vynnychenko were not statesmen, because their credo was “populism, autonomy, federalism”, not “independence, nation, state” that promoted by their political opponents – Ukrainian Nationalists. It is not looks funny, but the list of Ukrainian statesmen and nationalists can safely classify such giants of thought, they wer Mykola Mikhnovskyi Vyacheslav Lypynskyi, Dmytro Dontsov, Mykola Stsiborskyi and Eugene Onatskyi. They were carrying Ukrainian people to the idea of a strong and independent Ukrainian State from Galicia and Zakarpattya to Donbas and Kuban in reliance on the one nation, which is vital for statism. But performers of this area could easily become president of ZUNR Eugene Petrushevych and hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi, but because of their ideological differences and ambitions have lost not only the power but also the confidence of Ukrainian.

Today the Ukrainian statism given the historical experience and the centuries-old colonial tragedy of our nation should be based on more than 100 years of statist legacy, especially of the Cossack Hetmanat tradition. As you know, the traditional Ukrainian state – Hetmanat – doesn’t have to be a monarchy, as they imagined by Lypynskyi and Skoropadskyi rather a kind of equivalent of the so-called European republicanism as French Republic or USA. Ukrainian Hetmanat is a tradition state that was born and had always developed in times of liberation struggle, such as hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky in 1648-1657 biennium, and the tumultuous revolutions, like the first liberation movement of 1917-1921 between UNR and Soviet Russia. However, most only military force, the so-called military dictatorship or junta for further development of Ukrainian Hetmanat is not sufficient, it brought history!

The main drawback inherent in modern models of governance is the division of powers. For some reason considered axiomatic power resolution, 3 branches – legislative, executive and judicial. However, this contradicts the very nature of power as such. Divided government creates antagonisms governance, since for the implementation and manifestation of his will, the people creates power as an instrument of coercion. Only by combining legislative and executive power of the state around one person - a popularly elected hetman – Ukrainian will receive at their disposal an effective tool to control the state apparatus. And the question here is not about trying to usurp power by Hetman example Russian president Putin or Belarussian dictator Lukashenka, not at all... For any community seeking a leader to be effective in their actions and should be reasoned with full responsibility for its management of the state.

Ukrainian one time managed to create a political system in which all these demands and expectations have been realized as best and as more fully. Cossack model of government that was the successor of the prince was the fact that the hetman or ataman elected to the People's crowded Maidan pre-parliament, giving him with full authority. He became the “father” concentrated in the hands of the legislative and executive authorities, often with the court. All activities of Ukrainian Hetman took place under the close supervision of Cossacks who regularly gathered in the square for a joint resolution of his fate. The method, when the people elect and chosen one gets the position and responsibility, was characteristic not only military order of Cossacks, but also widespread in local government in rural Galicia, Volyn, Zakarpattya and Bukovina. Previously, it was the elder, and the current mayor.

For nowadays Hetmanat is a vision of Ukrainian state in the dawn the stars statism, traditionalism, conservatism and Ukrainian nationalism! This is the perfect symbiosis of patriotic ideas imposed on the foundation Ukrainian statehood traditions, not explosive mix assimilated of demoliberals utopias of the Soviet nostalgia of the older generation. Modern postcolonial Ukraine must reject the shackles of culturmarxism, demoliberalism and other anti-Ukrainian ideologies that destroy the continuity of our statehood, and finally turn to the heroic traditions of the past.

We have repeatedly seen, what in modern “pseudo” Ukraine as oligarchia state can cause: the old government fulfills its cadence, earning a fortune and leaves, leaving people alone with their problems... That is why in Hetmanat, everything should be different: Hetman at the time of his service to the people, together with his associates, who take him governmental power, his competence, his entire property passes to pledge the State Property Fund of Ukraine. After the term of office of hetman must held a referendum of citizens of 2 issues “fulfilled” or “not fulfilled” for Hetman’s obligations to the people of Ukraine. If the answer hetman again gets the right to participate in elections, but if not, then the police should determine the punishment and confiscation of property for compensation to citizens. Thus, we get an effective means of motivation Hetman fruitful work.

It is clear that for many the idea of revival Hetmanat is a bit funny, mythical, irrelevant, however relying on statist tradition it still makes sense to their lives. If future Ukrainian will be given the chance to build a real nation-state, such state-vision have to be Hetmanat as perpetuate sustainable statist traditions and aspirations of our nation's independence and collegiality.

Hetmanat will come!

By Denis KOVALJÖV, source: ЧОРНАНАРАДА