ABSTRACT

Ukraine is a fascinating example of how the people of a state with a violent past can learn from it, and using education as a part of a process, attempt to avoid potential internal conflicts leading to violence. Independence has meant that the Russian language is in clear decline as it has lost its primacy in most schools in the face of a determined effort by the new government to promote Ukrainian at the expense of Russian. Post war re-construction was slow but was eased by the massive investment in the Crimea, the home of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. Large and prosperous minority populations like the Jews, were wiped out by the Germans. 61,000 other people, mainly ethnic Germans, were also removed from the Crimea by them. With the removal of the Tatars, Russians were encouraged to immigrate and take their place in the new industries and services supporting the expanding Soviet Black Sea Fleet based at Sevastopol.