The myth of Ukrainians as the “younger brothers” of Russians emerged during the times of the Muscovite Tsardom and the Russian Empire. It became one of the key elements of Russia’s imperial mindset and an important ideological tool.

By calling Ukrainians “younger brothers,” the Russian authors of this myth not only wanted to suggest that the Ukrainian nation formed later than the Russian one (though that too), but also that Ukrainians were supposedly less mature, less developed, secondary, and generally “inferior” in political, cultural, and historical terms.

But what is the reality? In fact, scholars do not give a clear-cut answer about the exact time of the Ukrainian nation’s formation. Some researchers trace its beginnings back to the era of Kyivan Rus (9th–13th centuries) and the Cossack period (15th–18th centuries). Significantly, as early as 1710 we already see the so-called Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk, which defined the structure of the Ukrainian state, the relationship between the hetman and the Cossack elite, as well as the rights and responsibilities of the population.

Moreover, the Russian narrative about the near identity of the Ukrainian and Russian languages does not hold up to scrutiny. In fact, the languages closest to Ukrainian in terms of vocabulary are Belarusian (84% similarity), Polish (70%), and Serbian (68%).

So why, even now—when Ukraine is about to celebrate the 35th anniversary of its independence and the authenticity and independence of the Ukrainian nation should be beyond doubt—does this myth about Ukrainians as “younger brothers” remain alive?

The reason lies in the very long history of the myth. It was cultivated from the 18th century in the Russian Empire, later in the Soviet Union, and today in Russia itself. Russian propaganda has worked on it persistently, spreading ideas of “friendship of peoples” and a “shared spiritual space—the so-called Russian World” through the media, school textbooks, and even the words of so-called “intellectuals.”

Yet behind these ideas of supposed common spiritual and historical heritage lies crude Russian colonialism and an attempt to legitimize its desired dominance over Ukrainians, its long-standing aggression against Ukraine, and its justification for war, annexations, and crimes.