A bestseller in Ukraine, where it was first published in 2022, Ukraine: The Forging of a Nation by Yaroslav Hrytsak, translated by Dominique Hoffman, is essential reading for understanding the intricacies of the country and the underpinnings of its current conflict. Hrytsak (A Ukrainian Christmas), a professor of history and a public intellectual, dexterously covers a large swath of time, starting with Herodotus's History and ending with the ongoing war in Ukraine.
He skillfully executes this ambitious project, especially given that "Eastern Europe is one of the most difficult places in the world to predict the outlines of empires and nations... there was not a single territory on Ukrainian lands that was not simultaneously claimed by at least two nationalisms and two empires." In dense yet riveting prose, the author details major historical figures, events, and geography, providing contextual and anecdotal information about the surrounding areas and worldwide events. "History is not mathematics or chemistry, so it speaks in metaphors rather than formulas," writes Hrytsak, and that's reflected in his work. He's also meticulous and humble, noting where previous histories may have over- or understated certain facts or figures, and he's careful to mention historical gaps or conjecture.
Fascinating interludes--in between chapters that cover a specific time period--take a particular topic and expand upon it. For instance, in "A Brief History of the Ukrainian Language," Hrytsak discusses the complex origins, evolution, politics--and, most significantly, repression--of the Ukrainian language. He writes that "language is a dialect with an army" but also that Ukraine has never been monolingual and likely never will be. --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator