Irredentism in the ethnopolitical space of Russian-Ukrainian relations

The research highlights the urgent problem of political relations concerning ethnic discrimination in the former Soviet Union. The major issue of the analysis includes irredentist movements and their consequences. The policy of ethnic nationalism in the new post-Soviet countries has resulted in the desire of ethnic minorities historically living in the territories of these states to find a defender, i.e. the states where representatives of their ethnic group are in the majority or face better living conditions. The increased tension in ethnopolitical relations takes place in modern Ukraine where the irredentist movements of Russian-speaking citizens of the South-East of the country have appeared as an aspiration to defend their cultural rights, strengthen education and humanitarian ties with Russia rather than on an ethnic basis. Conflict escalation during the Maidan Events in 2014 was a direct factor that led to Crimea putting under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, as well as to the rise of the irredentist movement in Donetsk and Luhansk regions for joining Russia. The study describes other factors that have led to the expansion of Russian irredentism in Ukraine and analyzes the current attitude of the residents of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the situation. The empirical sociological research has revealed the connection of irredentism with the characteristics of self-identification and historical memory of the population.