Authors

Discussion

Before perestroika, in the Soviet Union there was no environmental movement in the modern sense of the word despite some manifestations in this field. Both Soviet nature protection societies (civil organizations) and brigade for nature protection (informal groups of Soviet youth) were controlled by the state. The Chernobyl accident, which drew attention to ecological problems and contributed to the formation of ecological consciousness among many Soviet citizens, changed the situation.

This paper aims to demonstrate the main stages and dynamics of development of the environmental movement in the Ukrainian SSR from 1987 to 1991, as well as the peculiarities of its institutionalization. Its actors, their motivations, interactions with the population and authorities, networking, tools and methods of population mobilization will be considered. The paper intends to reveal the role of perestroika and eco-glasnost in the development and institutionalization of the environmental movement in Ukrainian SSR in the second half of the 1980s. It will also ask: What role did the achievements of the pre-perestroika period play in the formation of the environmental movement? How did the national movement influence the institutionalization of the environmental movement during this period? What contributed to its politicization?