National genesis of the Russians and the Ukrainians as factors of development of different types of statehood in the 20th - early 21st centuries

The article focuses on the comparative analysis of the features of national genesis of the Ukrainians and the Russians during the Soviet period and in contemporary Russia and Ukraine. The authors compared the participation of these ethnic groups in the development of the Soviet state, and of the Russian and Ukrainian statehood in the later period. Authors argue that during the Soviet period as Russian so Ukrainian ethnic groups were consolidated being complementary to each other in various spheres. After the collapse of the Soviet Union these nations have started the independent nation-building. So, the desire of the Crimea’s inhabitants to be included into Russia as well as the choice of the citizens of the Ukrainian south-east regions to have the autonomous national development were supported by Russians. At the same time modern Ukrainian state is experiencing problems during the process of independent existence, that are determined by the fact that Ukrainians are developed as an ethnic group, but have not found the political nation. The authors consider the factors that threaten the existence of the Ukrainian state and the formation of a political nation in Ukraine.