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                                                             Miriam Kanioková

   Dear Denisa,

   first of all this is a great issue to tackle in these days- Ukraine,  that
   is the  issue  of  these  days!  What I  see  behind  this  issue  is  the
   opportunity to touch the basic  problems of the transnationalist  studies.
   In the west among the majority the role of the religion is decreasing  but
   can it be different for the other nations? The case of the Ukraine is  the
   interesting one because it is still in the process of formulating its  own
   identity. Thus  to pick  up to  study  the case  of the  Ukrainians  which
   actually live  abroad creates  the added  value for  the  transnationalist
   studies. I  might suggest  that the  comparable case  is the  case of  the
   Belorussia where the nation is still being constituted. Neveretheless, the
   exact point is to study  the ambivalence of looking  at the states of  the
   west which are in the post-national and post-christian phase to compare it
   with the  particular  example  of  the states  in  the  modernist,  nation
   constituing phase.

   I also appriciate choosing of the topic of the methodological nationalism.
   In the context  of the  issue I  would even more  stress the  role of  the
   social scientists who are mainly the intelectuals (thus even “more living“
   in the post-modernism and often from the majoritarian inhabitants).

   What I would stres more is the problem of the emancipation of the  people.
   I see  the result  of the  identity politics  to support  the  exclusivist
   identity of being the Ukrainian and what I perceive as the basic character
   of this pre- and modernistic thinking is the connectedness of the national
   and  religious  dimensions  of  the  social  life.  Thus  I  believe   the
   emancipation from „the Other“ is in this case from the Russian element and
   it is to be done via this particular identity politics.

   Thought in the lines before I appriciated  the role of the picking up  the
   group of the group of the immigrants, I do not see that much sense in  the
   choosing the group. I do not have a great theorethical background but I do
   believe that the identity processes  are much different in the  Ukrainians
   (or any other nation) living abroad  than to study the identity  processes
   of the Ukrainians living in  the country. For me  the more valuable is  to
   concentrate on  one junk  of  the topic  and  to take  as  much as  it  is
   possible, than  to  try  digest  more  particular  topics.  Specially,  if
   concerned is the topic of the essay  not the big paper, but anyhow than  I
   would chose a different research question.

   My other point is that I would not be afraid to be even more radical  then
   the methodological nationalism  and try  to formulate  in what  particular
   sense the wester science is trying  to take the monopolistic view and  the
   monopolistic interpretation over the processes in the world and how it  is
   shaping the world. From my  perspective the methodological nationalism  is
   only saying that  we tend to  see the  world from the  persepctive of  our
   country, but the true is that we tend to judge the world form the position
   of the western culture as it is the most powerful one.

   I am looking forward to read your paper  and I am sorry I woun't be  there
   to present my thoughts in person.

   I am sorry if it is a bit mess, I did my best.

   Best regards,

   Miriam