Panych Oleksiy
Panych Oleksiy
Philosopher, translator and public figure
Why Ukraine is Europe?

Oleksiy Panych

A historical proof.

In 480 B.C. Greeks were in a big trouble. They just suffered a devastating defeat in Thermopylae. Greek poleis quarreled with one another and refused help to each other. Persian army captured and ruined Athens. Greek fleet flocked up near the island of Salamis, but Greek strategists, representatives of different poleis, could not reach an agreement on further actions. Persian fleet, situated nearby, was much more powerful and numerous.

And now Persian King Xerxes made a fatal mistake: he moved his fleet into a narrow sound near Salamis in order to inflict on Greeks the last and utter defeat.

Then a miracle happened.

First, Greeks suddenly stopped all quarrels.

Second, they self-organized.

Third, their "ant fleet", consisted of smaller than Persian, but more mobile vessels, opted for smarter tactics: they used a delusive maneuver to induce Persian fleet to huddle up and then attacked it from all sides at once.

At this moment Greek "decentralization" turned into strategic advantage: all Greek vessels acted according to common general plan, but in the course of the battle each of them turned into self-governed combat unit.

The battle of Salamis was decisive for the future destiny of Europe. If Persians won, Greek civilization would be destroyed (as well as Roman), and this part of Europe would become a part of Persian empire.

However democratic Greece defeated much more powerful despotic Persia.

In the same manner today democratic Ukraine is overpowering and will defeat despotic Russia.

We have stopped all internal quarrels.

We have self-organized.

Every Ukrainian city, every village, every group of "angry citizens" – all turned into self-governed combat units, acting according to common general plan.

That’s why Ukraine is Europe.

That’s why Ukrainian steppe is the present-day Salamis.

That’s why we’ll win.

And Russia is an old despotic Asia, with political order not much different from that of Persian empire.

And the end of this Russian empire will be the same.

But it will come much faster.

Panych Oleksiy
march 7, 2022
444
Tags: #War
Support our work

We need your help to create projects and materials aimed to defend freedom of speech, popularize Ukrainian culture and values of independent journalism.

Your donation means support for discussions, awards, festivals, authors’ trips to regions and PEN book publications.

Support PEN

We recommend viewing: