TheConceptofPublicSphere
Ukraine'sEuromaidanasTheoryin
Action
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WHEN YOU THINK OF 'PUBLIC SPACE,' WHAT COMES TO MIND?
Public Sphere: Where private individuals become "the public"
social space, could be physical or virtual,
where private individuals come together as 'a public' to discuss matters that affect everyone
crucially,
these discussions can influence political decisions.
KEY FEATURES:
Open discussion of common concerns
Formation of public opinion
Influence on political decisions
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THE PUBLIC SPHERE (GERMAN: ÖFFENTLICHKEIT)
“made up of private people gathered together as
a public articulating the needs of society with the
state"
German philosopher Jürgen Habermas
Five
Characteristics
ofPublic
Sphere
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Whathappens
inauthoritarian
states?
Canthisexist
everywhere?
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November2013toFebruary2014
Gov't rejects EU
agreement →
Students protest
Police violently attack
protesters
NOV 30, 2013
500,000+
people flood
Kyiv
DEC 1, 2013
FEB 18-20, 2014
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Nov 21, 2013
100+ KILLED
FEB 21, 2014
PRESIDENT FLEES
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SELF-ORGANIZED INFRASTRUCTURE:
KITCHENS FEEDING THOUSANDS
MEDICAL CLINICS
EDUCATIONAL LECTURES
ART & MUSIC STAGES
DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLIES
MARKIYAN MATSEKH PLAYS THE PIANO IN KIEV. PHOTOGRAPH: ANDREW MEAKOVSKY, OLEG
MATSEKH AND MARIKIYAN MATSEKHPROTESTERS DRINK FREE “HOT VOLYN TEA” AT INDEPENDENCE SQUARE. PHOTO
COURTESY ANASTASIA VLASOVA
MAIDAN AS LIVING
COMMUNITY:
NOT JUST PROTEST BUT
ALTERNATIVE SOCIETY
Different regions: East & West
Ukraine, south, north
Different languages: Ukrainian &
Russian speakers
Different politics: Liberals,
socialists, some nationalists
Different classes: Students,
workers, business owners,
pensioners
Common values: Dignity, rule of
law, anti-corruption
YOU HAD UKRAINIAN SPEAKERS AND
RUSSIAN SPEAKERS. IN FACT, MANY
PROTESTERS WERE RUSSIAN-SPEAKING
UKRAINIANS. AND THEY WERE THERE
DEMANDING CHANGE JUST AS LOUDLY.
YOU HAD LIBERALS AND SOCIALISTS AND
YES, SOME NATIONALISTS TOO. STUDENTS
NEXT TO PENSIONERS. WORKERS NEXT TO
BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND THEY DIDN'T ALL AGREE ON
EVERYTHING! THERE WERE ARGUMENTS,
TENSIONS. BUT THEY STAYED TOGETHER
BECAUSE THEY SHARED CORE VALUES.
AND WHAT WERE THOSE VALUES? NOT
ETHNIC IDENTITY. NOT 'WE'RE ALL
UKRAINIAN BY BLOOD.' NO.
THEY WERE DEMANDING DIGNITY. THE
RULE OF LAW. AN END TO CORRUPTION.
THESE ARE POLITICAL VALUES.
09WHO WAS THERE? - DIVERSITY
BIEDARIEVA USES THIS WORD 'POLYPHONIC' =
MANY VOICES. NOT ONE SINGLE MESSAGE, BUT
MULTIPLE VOICES IN CONVERSATION, SOMETIMES
IN TENSION, BUT UNITED BY COMMON CONCERN.
CREATING NEW
KNOWLEDGE
NEW EPISTEMOLOGY =
NEW WAYS OF KNOWING
HOW IT HAPPENED:
FACE-TO-FACE ENCOUNTERS →
BROKE STEREOTYPES
COLLECTIVE WITNESSING →
SHARED TRAUMA
PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY →
PRACTICED TOGETHER
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA →
CHALLENGED STATE
NARRATIVES
TIMOTHY SNYDER: "ULTIMATE
ENACTMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY"
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COLONIAL LEGACIES & PUBLIC SPHERE FORMATION
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THE AMBICOLONIAL TRAP
UKRAINE'S SUPPRESSED PUBLIC SPHERE:
ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND LANGUAGE TIES TO
RUSSIA CREATED AMBIGUITY
"NOT QUITE INDEPENDENT, NOT QUITE SUBORDINATE"
AMBIGUITY PREVENTS MOBILIZATION — UNCLEAR
IDENTITY = INEFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPHERE
BREAKING THE LOOP: EUROMAIDAN AS
DECOLONIZATION
UKRAINE'S DECLARATION (2013-2014):
"WE'RE CLOSING THIS AMBICOLONIAL CHANNEL"
"WE'RE CHOOSING OUR OWN PATH"
"WE'RE NOT SUBORDINATE TO RUSSIA"
RUSSIA'S DOUBLE BIND TRAPPED IN CONTRADICTORY COLONIAL POSITION:
Trying to colonize neighbors (domination) while experiencing selfcolonization
(mimicking the West, resenting it)
This ambivalence → no genuine public sphere
KEY INSIGHTS: PREREQUISITES FOR HEALTHY PUBLIC SPHERE
A GENUINE PUBLIC SPHERE CANNOT EXIST WHEN:
VOICES ARE STRUCTURALLY SUPPRESSED
IDENTITY IS IMPOSED FROM OUTSIDE
SOCIETY IS TRAPPED IN COLONIAL AMBIGUITY
→ DECOLONIZATION IS NECESSARY FOR GENUINE PUBLIC SPHERE TO EMERGE (?)
THE UKRAINIAN PARADOX: EUROCENTRISM AS EMANCIPATION
The Theoretical Problem
Standard postcolonial critique:
Eurocentrism = bad
Europe dominates and imposes its
culture as the only legitimate model
(?)
Ukraine's case:
Eurocentricity functioned differently
It was emancipatory -- a way to
break free from Russian domination
"WE WANT TO BE PART OF EUROPE"
Not a new ambicolonial relationship,
but:
✓Choosing diversity over centralization
✓Choosing plurality over domination
✓Choosing multiple voices over single
authority
Why This Matters for Public Sphere
European structure allows:
Participation without losing your voice
Multiple identities can coexist
Polish and European
Czech and European
Ukrainian and European
Critical caveat: The EU is not perfect —
power imbalances exist. But the
fundamental structure differs from
Russia's imperial model
Result: You can maintain national
identity while participating in broader
European discourse
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
PUBLIC SPHERE = SPACE WHERE CITIZENS DISCUSS AND INFLUENCE POLITICS
REQUIRES: ACCESSIBILITY, RATIONALITY, AUTONOMY, COMMON CONCERN
COLONIAL LEGACIES CAN SUPPRESS PUBLIC SPHERE
COLLECTIVE ACTION CREATES NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SOLIDARITY
EUROMAIDAN EXAMPLE: THEORY BECOMES REALITY
THE PUBLIC SPHERE IS NOT ABSTRACT THEORY BUT LIVED REALITY WITH HIGH STAKES
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