eco-nationalism
생태민족주의
A synthesis of nationalism and environmentalism, holding that the nation-state and its citizens bear a special duty to protect the country's environment. It first emerged as a political force in the 1980s Soviet Union, where, galvanised by the Chernobyl disaster, activists reframed environmental degradation as colonial exploitation by Moscow, making eco-nationalism a driver of independence movements in Ukraine and the Baltic republics. Jane Dawson defined it as 'the synthesis of environmentalism, national identity, and the struggle for justice.'
In depth
Chernobyl and the birth of Soviet eco-nationalism
The Chernobyl nuclear accident of 26 April 1986 was more than a technological disaster. The Kremlin's cover-up, its disregard for human life in the cleanup, and the radioactive contamination of vast territories far from the imperial centre produced a dawning recognition: the central power was treating the lives and natural environment of the periphery's peoples as expendable.
In December 1987 the Ukrainian environmental association Zelenij Svit (Зелений світ, 'Green World'), founded by writers, scientists, and national activists, fused anti-nuclear struggle with the agenda of national independence. Its first mass rally in Kyiv in November 1988 drew over 10,000 participants demanding referendums on new power plants and direct participation by ecologists in central decision-making. Zelenij Svit joined in founding the Ukrainian People's Movement for Perestroika (Rukh) in 1989, and in the semi-free elections of 1990 it won seven seats in the Rada through Rukh.
Parallel currents arose in the Baltic republics. In Lithuania, protests against the expansion of the Ignalina nuclear plant; in Latvia, resistance to hydro-dam projects on the Daugava River and alarm at the destruction of national-symbolic tree species (oak and linden) each provided a platform for independence movements.
Dawson's definition and the theoretical framework
Political scientist Jane I. Dawson, in her 1996 book Eco-Nationalism, defined the phenomenon as 'the synthesis of environmentalism, national identity, and the struggle for justice,' arguing that anti-nuclear activism served as a surrogate channel for demands of national self-determination within the Soviet system. Eco-nationalism divides into ethnic and civic variants; the Soviet cases are predominantly civic in character.
After the Soviet collapse
With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, Zelenij Svit's influence waned sharply and its successor, the Green Party of Ukraine, foundered against oligarchic politics and electoral barriers. After 2014, however, the Donbas war and Russian territorial aggression opened a new chapter. Ultranationalist forces, the Azov Ecological Corps and the Svoboda party, reframed environmental protection as part of a national struggle against 'Russian occupiers,' shifting Ukrainian eco-nationalism from its earlier civic character toward a more ethnic, militant register.
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN) definition, Soviet-era origins, Dawson framework, Baltic and Ukrainian cases, civic vs. ethnic variants
- Wikipedia (RU) Russian-language article confirming the concept, definition by Gunnel Cederlöf, bioregionalism and ecotourism connections
- inalco.fr detailed history: Zelenij Svit founding (Dec 1987), 10,000-strong Kyiv rally (Nov 1988), role in founding Rukh (1989), 7 deputies elected via Rukh (1990)
- ukrainian-studies.ca Zelenij Svit as first post-1960s Ukrainian opposition movement to Moscow's hegemony; post-Soviet decline of green parties; contemporary ultranationalist eco-nationalism (Azov Ecological Corps, Svoboda)