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In:Geopolitics and Activism in Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Edited by Giuliana Fenech and Justyna Deszcz-Tryhubczak
[Children’s Literature, Culture, and Cognition 18] 2026
► pp. 16–27

Chapter 1
Children of revolutions and war

Citizenship and agency in Ukrainian post-2014 children’s and young adult literature

This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Looking back at the three decades of Ukraine’s regained independence demonstrates that the country’s road to building a civil society has been turbulent. Between 1991 and 2023 Ukraine had two major revolutions which were the aftermath of electoral fraud and the controversial decision of President Viktor Yanukovych to strengthen ties with Russia by refusing to sign the European Union — Ukraine Association Agreement. The latter was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the ongoing war, which escalated in early 2022, contributing to the deaths of thousands of people, including children, and the country. The three events led to decommunization, revaluation of historical memory, and the blossoming of civil society. This chapter showcases that in the last thirty years citizenship and agency have gradually become important topics in Ukrainian culture, including children’s and young adult literature. Studying two historical novels published after 2014, the author demonstrates how selected Ukrainian writers approach the matters of active citizenship and agency by highlighting the importance of history and education in the process.
Article outline
  • Historical background and post-colonial resistance
  • Agency and citizenship in Ukrainian historical fiction
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (26)
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