I watched documentary long go about the 4 Ukrainian nations of 1918. After the tsar fell 4 nations declared themselves. The presenter cited some books. He said that most people IDed with their village and that the concept of a Ukrainian nation was mostly from intellectuals. I recall Ukraine was a Russian geographical word meaning borderland or frontier. Similar to Appalachia. The existing boundaries were of oblasts in the Russian empire with admin centers.
I wondered what people called themselves back then. Lenin created the SSR in 1922(?) to include various ethnic groups and named it Ukraine.
So I asked ChatGPT.
Around 1900, the people living in what is now Ukraine used different terms to describe themselves, depending on their region, social background, and political awareness. Some of the main identities included:
1. Ukrainians (
?? /
?? /
)
Many people who are today called Ukrainians identified as
"Rusyns" (
/
) or "
Little Russians" (
?? / Malorossy) in the Russian Empire.
The term "Ukrainian" (
/ Ukrayinets) was gaining popularity among nationalists and intellectuals, especially in central and eastern Ukraine, but it was not yet widely used by the general population.
In western Ukraine (under Austro-Hungarian rule), "Rusyn" was more common, especially among Greek Catholic populations in Galicia and Transcarpathia.
2.
Cossacks (
)
Some people, especially in central and southeastern Ukraine, identified as Cossacks, a social-military class with strong regional identity.
The memory of the Zaporizhian Cossacks and the Hetmanate remained significant, and some people saw themselves as descendants of the Cossack tradition rather than part of a broader national identity.
3.
Russians (
?)
Some residents of Ukraine, particularly in cities and eastern/southern regions, identified as Russians, especially if they were part of the ruling elite, military, or administration of the Russian Empire.
The official narrative of the Russian Empire promoted the idea that Ukrainians were a branch of the "Russian people" (as "Little Russians").
4.
Poles (
)
Many people in western Ukraine, particularly in Galicia, Volhynia, and Podolia, identified as Poles, especially the landowning nobility and Catholic communities.
5.
Jews (
?? /
?)
Ukraine had one of the largest Jewish populations in the world, many of whom spoke Yiddish and identified as Jews (
?? in Ukrainian or
? in older usage).
Some Jewish intellectuals supported Zionism, while others identified with Polish, Russian, or local Ukrainian culture.
6.
Crimean Tatars (
??
)
In Crimea, the Crimean Tatars identified with their Turkic-Islamic heritage, distinct from both Russians and Ukrainians.
7. Other Ethnic Groups
Romanians, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Greeks, and Germans in Ukraine identified with their respective national or regional identities.
By the early 20th century, the Ukrainian national movement was growing, and the idea of a distinct Ukrainian identity (rather than "Little Russian" or "Rusyn") was becoming more politically and culturally influential............
Around 1900, the term "" (Ukrayinets) was not yet widely used among the general population, though it was gaining traction among nationalists and intellectuals. Most people in what is now Ukraine still identified as "
" (Rusyny / Rusyns) in the western regions or "
??" (Malorosy / Little Russians) in the Russian Empire, as these were the dominant terms promoted by official policies and local traditions.
Estimating How Many Identified as Ukrainians (
??)
In the 1897 Russian Empire Census, the category "Little Russians" ( / Malorossy) was used instead of "Ukrainians." It counted 17.9 million people who spoke "Little Russian" (Ukrainian) as their native language.
In Austro-Hungary (Galicia and Bukovina), the 1900 census recorded about 3.5 million people as "Ruthenians" (another term for Rusyns/Ukrainians).Thus, around 21–22 million people in the territories of modern Ukraine likely spoke Ukrainian and could be considered ethnically Ukrainian.
However, only a fraction of them would have explicitly called themselves "??" (Ukrainians) at the time, as national identity was still developing.Who Used the Term "Ukrainian" in 1900?
Intellectuals and Nationalists: Writers, historians, and political activists like Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Ivan Franko, and Lesya Ukrainka actively promoted the idea of a distinct Ukrainian nation.
Some Peasants and Common People: In rural areas, particularly in central Ukraine, some had begun using the term "Ukrainian" as an identity, but most still thought of themselves as part of a broader "Rus" people.
Students and Political Groups: The Ukrainian national movement, including groups like the Taras Shevchenko Scientific Society, was spreading the idea of Ukrainian identity.
Transition to "Ukrainians"
By the 1910s, the term "Ukrainian" was becoming more widespread, particularly after political movements and newspapers actively promoted it.
The formation of the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917) helped solidify the national identity.
So, while millions of people spoke Ukrainian in 1900, only a smaller but growing number (perhaps a few hundred thousand to a couple of million) would have consciously called themselves Ukrainians (
??).
