New research shows how Ukrainian nationalism has endured and evolved amidst the Ukraine-Russia conflict

New research from Dr Marnie Howlett reveals a strong sense of nationalism has prevailed for Ukrainians amidst the devastation of the war with Russia.

In her paper – ‘Nation-building from (below) the grassroots: Everyday nationalism in Ukraine's bomb shelters' – Dr Howlett argues that, while life has changed dramatically for Ukrainian citizens as a consequence of the war, some expressions and practices of nationhood have endured and even evolved.

Her research explores the lives of Ukrainians taking refuge in the bomb shelters of some of the nation’s most heavily bombarded cities to show how Ukrainian nationalism has embodied itself amidst the conflict.

And her findings–published in the journal ‘Nations & Nationalism’–reveal how this sense of nationalism has in turn bolstered morale and created a feeling of unity amongst Ukrainian citizens.