The Russian empire was reluctant to be recognised as an empire because it conquered neighbouring territories, not overseas ones, like e.g. the British empire. All empires are falling apart, this is the 21st century. It is not known when it will collapse. I hope that the National Security and Defence Council knows how to facilitate this process. But obviously, Russia will have problems with territories falling off. Sooner or later, but the fact that territories will fall off is unequivocal," says the professor who studies the politics of colonialism.
Ukraine could work with the Russian regions, she speculates.
"Two years ago, there were movements in the Far East. It's Zelenyy Klyn, the resettled Ukrainians, some of them have forgotten, some have not. And wherever there are Ukrainians, there are some protest processes," emphasises Aheyeva.
She is also adamant about cultural dialogue with Russians:
"I don't think any cultural dialogue with Russia is possible now. It is not possible now, it will not be possible for a long time. What kind of culture is there after all the children killed?"
Instead, he believes that it is important to strengthen relations with Poland, including cultural ones.
"For a hundred years, the eardrums of Ukrainian humanities scholars have been bursting with the study of Ukrainian-Russian relations. In fact, we had no less relations with our other neighbours, and we have to undergo this reorientation... I believe that we can establish our culture and present it to the West," the researcher notes.
In addition, Ukraine should join in the destruction of the myth of great Russian literature, Vira Aheyeva is convinced.
"In a strange way, Russians, often for money, created the myth of great Russian literature, which presented some incredible, mysterious Russian soul based on three novels by Dostoyevskiy, Turgenev, who was a Westerner, and Tolstoy. I would strongly promote in the European space the story that the two main characters of the greatest Russian novel, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (written half in French because there was not enough Russian), have very powerful Ukrainian connections. Why does Pierre Bezukhov, a great seeker of humanistic values, go to the Kyiv province to take care of his estates? Why does he have estates in the Kyiv province? Because Pierre Bezukhov is the son of the old Count Bezukhov, whose prototype (and this is traced to the smallest detail) is the Nizhyn nobleman Bezborodko, who won all the wars that Catherine was proud of.
In the finale of War and Peace, Repnin appears, married to the Razumovska, who is a descendant of Hetman Razumovskyy. In short, wherever there is at least a little bit of democracy and liberalism in Russia, there are predominantly Ukrainian influences. And this should be promoted in every possible way to finally do everything possible to make the myth of the great Russian culture cease to exist," says the professor.