The conflict in Ukraine has deep domestic roots. A third of the population primarily in the
East and South regards its own Russian cultural identity as entirely compatible with a
Ukrainian civic identity. The state¿s reluctance to recognize this ethnos as a legitimate part
of the modern Ukrainian nation has created a tragic cycle that entangles Ukrainian politics.
The Tragedy of Ukraine argues that in order to untangle the conflict within the Ukraine it
must be addressed on an emotional as well as institutional level. It draws on Richard Ned
Lebow¿s ¿tragic vision of politics¿ and on classical Greek tragedy to assist in understanding
the persistence of this conflict. Classical Greek tragedy once served as a mechanism in
Athenian society to heal deep social trauma and create more just institutions. The Tragedy of
Ukraine reflects on the ways in which ancient Greek tragedy can help us rethink civic conflict
and polarization as well as model ways of healing deep social divisions.
