The fourth volume of Aspects of the Orange Revolution continues the previous volumes discussion
on the impact of foreign actors on Ukrainian politics. It provides both scholarly analyses and
first-hand accounts. The collection not only investigates but also gives voice to some of
those involved in the events of 2004. While most of the volumes contributors have an academic
background some of them report here from the perspective of official election or informal
participant observers of the three rounds of the Ukrainian presidential elections. Part One
juxtaposes some contrasting views on how far Russias and the Wests various interests
activities and tools influencing the Orange Revolution were comparable to each other and
adequate given the circumstances. Part Two presents individual reports by a number of
international election observers who were following the campaign and voting in various parts of
Ukraine in 2004. Part Three presents three additional on-the-ground observations focusing
solely on the notorious electoral district No. 100 of Kirovohrad Oblast. The contributions by
Andreas Umland Iris Kempe Iryna Solonenko Vladimir Frolov Valentin Yakushik Matthias
Brucker Jake Rudnitsky Rory Finnin Adriana Helbig Paul Terdal Tatiana Terdal Peter
Wittschorek Hans-Jörg Schmedes Adrianna Melnyk Ingmar Bredies Oxana Shevel and Volodymyr
Bilyk add a number of novel points of view to those presented in the previous volumes. These
partly contradictory and emotional texts as well as a number of photographs document the tense
atmosphere and confrontational climate within which Ukraines second phase of post-Soviet
democratization started in 2004.
