"The national ethos is this hard-working, honest peasant attached to the land," said Catherine Wanner, professor of history, anthropology and religious studies at Penn State University, who wrote a book about Ukraine's identity. "Part of the distinction (from Russians) is not wanting to be a colony, but also not wanting to be an imperial power."
The Russian national anthem glorifies Russia's might and grandeur. The Ukrainian anthem dreams of expelling enemies and finally being masters of their own land. In fact the central message of Ukraine's anthem is: Freedom is not dead yet.