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The civilizational significance of Ukrainian national resilience in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war

stmm. 2026 (2): 5-16

DOI

Full text:

VIL BAKIROV, President of the Sociological Association of Ukraine, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor at the Department of Applied Sociology and Social Communications, Faculty of Sociology, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (4, Freedom Square, Kharkiv, 61022); Chief Research Fellow at the Department of Methodology and Methods of Sociology, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkovychna St., Kyiv, 01021, Ukraine)

bakirov.vil@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5110-3403

This article is dedicated to the study of the phenomenon of Ukrainian national resilience under the conditions of full-scale Russian aggression. The author analyzes the civilizational determinants of Ukrainian society's resistance, which extend beyond traditional military-political and economic factors. Russia's war against Ukraine is interpreted as a manifestation of the global confrontation between democratic and authoritarian models of social order, wherein Ukraine acts as a frontier state, defending the fundamental principles of the free world. It is argued that Ukrainian resilience holds not only local but also global civilizational significance.

Keywords: national resilience, civilizational choice, Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian identity, values, democracy, authoritarianism, social cohesion

References:

Aldrich, D.P. (2012). Building Resilience: Social Capital in Post-Disaster Recovery. University of Chicago Press.

Andrushchenko, V. (2025). The Enlightenment Odyssey of the Mind. Kyiv: Znannia. [=Андрущенко, В. (2025). Просвітницька Одіссея розуму. Київ: Знання].

Diamond, L. (2022). The coming wars for democracy. Foreign Affairs, 101(3).

Fukuyama, F. (2022). Preparing for defeat. American Purpose, 10 March. Retrieved from: https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/preparing-for-defeat/

Huntington, S.P. (1996). The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Simon & Schuster.

KIIS. (2024a). NDI Survey: Despite the Burden of War, Ukrainians' Aspiration for Inclusive Democracy Remains Unchanged. Retrieved from: https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1422&page=1

KIIS. (2024b). Perception of Belonging to the Ukrainian Nation. Retrieved from: https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1458&page=1

KIIS. (2025a). Dimensions of Attitudes towards the EU and NATO and Attitudes towards the USA. Retrieved from: https://kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1468

KIIS. (2025b). Dynamics of Trust in Social Institutions in 2021–2024. Retrieved from: https://kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1467&page=1

Norris, F.H., Stevens, S.P., Pfefferbaum, B., Wyche, K.F., & Pfefferbaum, R. L. (2008). Community resilience as a metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41(1–2), 127–150.

Paton, D. & Johnston, D. (2017). Disaster Resilient Communities: Developing and Implementing an Empirically-Based Capacity Building Framework. Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Plokhiy, S. (2015). The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine. Basic Books.

Rating Group. (2023). How the War Changed me and the Country: Year in Review. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/kompleksne_dosl_dzhennya_yak_v_yna_zm_nila_mene_ta_kra_nu_p_dsumki_roku.html

Rating Group. (2024a). All-Ukrainian Survey by the International Republican Institute (IRI): October 2024. Retrieved from: https://www.ratinggroup.ua/news/nationwide-survey-of-the-international-republican-institute-iri-october-2024

Rating Group. (2024b). Level of Democracy: Research by “Rating” with Gallup International. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/riven-demokratiyi-doslidzhennya-rejtingu-z-gallup-international.html

Rating Group. (2024c). Readiness to Fight for One’s Country in Wartime: Research by “Rating” with Gallup International. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/gotovnist-za-umov-vijni-voyuvati-za-svoyu-krayinu-doslidzhennya-rejtingu-z-gallup-international.html

Razumkov Centre. (2024). Identity of Ukrainian citizens: Trends of change (June 2024). Retrieved from: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/identychnist-gromadian-ukrainy-tendentsii-zmin-cherven-2024r

Snyder, T. (2018). The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America. Tim Duggan Books.

Snyder, T. (2022). Ukraine holds the future: The war between democracy and nihilism. Foreign Affairs, 101(5). Retrieved from: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/ukraine-war-democracy-nihilism-timothy-snyder

Walker, B. & Salt, D. (2012). Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. Island Press.

Windle, G. (2011). What is resilience? A review and concept analysis. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 21(2), 152–169.

Yekelchyk, S. (2020). Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press.

Received 02.04.2026

Accepted for publication after review 30.04.2026

The civilizational significance of Ukrainian national resilience in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war

stmm. 2026 (2): 5-16

DOI

Full text:

VIL BAKIROV, President of the Sociological Association of Ukraine, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor at the Department of Applied Sociology and Social Communications, Faculty of Sociology, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (4, Freedom Square, Kharkiv, 61022); Chief Research Fellow at the Department of Methodology and Methods of Sociology, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkovychna St., Kyiv, 01021, Ukraine)

bakirov.vil@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5110-3403

This article is dedicated to the study of the phenomenon of Ukrainian national resilience under the conditions of full-scale Russian aggression. The author analyzes the civilizational determinants of Ukrainian society's resistance, which extend beyond traditional military-political and economic factors. Russia's war against Ukraine is interpreted as a manifestation of the global confrontation between democratic and authoritarian models of social order, wherein Ukraine acts as a frontier state, defending the fundamental principles of the free world. It is argued that Ukrainian resilience holds not only local but also global civilizational significance.

Keywords: national resilience, civilizational choice, Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian identity, values, democracy, authoritarianism, social cohesion

References:

Aldrich, D.P. (2012). Building Resilience: Social Capital in Post-Disaster Recovery. University of Chicago Press.

Andrushchenko, V. (2025). The Enlightenment Odyssey of the Mind. Kyiv: Znannia. [=Андрущенко, В. (2025). Просвітницька Одіссея розуму. Київ: Знання].

Diamond, L. (2022). The coming wars for democracy. Foreign Affairs, 101(3).

Fukuyama, F. (2022). Preparing for defeat. American Purpose, 10 March. Retrieved from: https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/preparing-for-defeat/

Huntington, S.P. (1996). The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Simon & Schuster.

KIIS. (2024a). NDI Survey: Despite the Burden of War, Ukrainians' Aspiration for Inclusive Democracy Remains Unchanged. Retrieved from: https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1422&page=1

KIIS. (2024b). Perception of Belonging to the Ukrainian Nation. Retrieved from: https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1458&page=1

KIIS. (2025a). Dimensions of Attitudes towards the EU and NATO and Attitudes towards the USA. Retrieved from: https://kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1468

KIIS. (2025b). Dynamics of Trust in Social Institutions in 2021–2024. Retrieved from: https://kiis.com.ua/?lang=ukr&cat=reports&id=1467&page=1

Norris, F.H., Stevens, S.P., Pfefferbaum, B., Wyche, K.F., & Pfefferbaum, R. L. (2008). Community resilience as a metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41(1–2), 127–150.

Paton, D. & Johnston, D. (2017). Disaster Resilient Communities: Developing and Implementing an Empirically-Based Capacity Building Framework. Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Plokhiy, S. (2015). The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine. Basic Books.

Rating Group. (2023). How the War Changed me and the Country: Year in Review. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/kompleksne_dosl_dzhennya_yak_v_yna_zm_nila_mene_ta_kra_nu_p_dsumki_roku.html

Rating Group. (2024a). All-Ukrainian Survey by the International Republican Institute (IRI): October 2024. Retrieved from: https://www.ratinggroup.ua/news/nationwide-survey-of-the-international-republican-institute-iri-october-2024

Rating Group. (2024b). Level of Democracy: Research by “Rating” with Gallup International. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/riven-demokratiyi-doslidzhennya-rejtingu-z-gallup-international.html

Rating Group. (2024c). Readiness to Fight for One’s Country in Wartime: Research by “Rating” with Gallup International. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/gotovnist-za-umov-vijni-voyuvati-za-svoyu-krayinu-doslidzhennya-rejtingu-z-gallup-international.html

Razumkov Centre. (2024). Identity of Ukrainian citizens: Trends of change (June 2024). Retrieved from: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/identychnist-gromadian-ukrainy-tendentsii-zmin-cherven-2024r

Snyder, T. (2018). The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America. Tim Duggan Books.

Snyder, T. (2022). Ukraine holds the future: The war between democracy and nihilism. Foreign Affairs, 101(5). Retrieved from: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/ukraine-war-democracy-nihilism-timothy-snyder

Walker, B. & Salt, D. (2012). Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. Island Press.

Windle, G. (2011). What is resilience? A review and concept analysis. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 21(2), 152–169.

Yekelchyk, S. (2020). Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press.

Received 02.04.2026

Accepted for publication after review 30.04.2026

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