The Political Elite of Ukraine

The sociopolitical and economic transformation of any society depends, to a large (if not decisive) extent, on the state and the behavior of its political elite; it is often also conditioned by a change of ruling elites. In turn, changes in a society's political system will lead to changes in the composition of the political elite and in the general trend of its development. This is why an analysis of the state of political elites is so important when we study societies in the midst of change, and this applies in full measure to postcommunist Ukraine. Moreover, the importance of this factor is particularly great in Ukraine, where, although a single formation administratively and politically, society is very heterogeneous in terms of culture, language, religion, and economics.