The Collapse of the “Soviet Empire”: Ukrainian Scenario

The article explores the problems associated with the collapse of multinational states. On the example of political processes in the Ukrainian SSR, the reasons that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union are considered. The scientific literature presents an interpretation of these processes from the standpoint of the “imperial paradigm” as a natural result of the development of the USSR as an imperial and multinational state. The main argumentation of this approach is subjected to critical analysis.