Ukrainian by Choice. Introduction to the Case of Ihor Kostetsky
By Tetiana Shestopalova. Ihor Kostetsky (1913–1983), a writer, editor, and publisher, was a huge enthusiast and promoter of Ukrainian culture. He belonged to a group of popular figures who identified as “Ukrainians by choice” in twentieth century Ukraine. This paper aims to reveal the factors behind Ihor Kostetsky’s Ukrainian choice and to characterize the peculiarities of his “volitional approach” to being a Ukrainian. Kostetsky’s self-identification as Ukrainian is not so much based on ethnicity as on the promotion of freedom of choice in national identity, which, in his opinion, was the embodiment of the struggle for independence.