The Former Soviet Satellite of Ukraine - Research Paper Example

Section/# Housing: A Case Study and Examination of the Former Soviet Satellite of Ukraine Seeking to understand that nation of Ukraine without first seeking to discuss the ways in which the former Soviet Union had a profound impact upon the landscape, culture, geography, and life would be an oversight. As a function of this, this brief analysis will consider the culture and geography as well as unique housing needs and remediation that the nation of Ukraine represents; however, at the same time, the analysis will also provide a level of discussion and examination into how the culture and dynamics of the former Soviet Union has gifted Ukraine with many a new approach than their own culture would likely not have integrated with had the geo-political institution of the USSR not exerted a profound and lasting influence over Ukraine for a period of nearly seven decades. Accordingly, this examination will focus upon demographic information to include total population, ethnic makeup, geographic location of the nation, physical characteristics of the region, and an in depth consideration of the means whereby the issue of housing and population is being considered by the central government and the individual. Within such a construct of analysis, this paper will seek to identify key issues as well as provide a rational response to the ways in which these can work to be ameliorated. With regards to the geography of Ukraine, it occupies a territory larger than any other European nation asides from the Russian Federation. As such, due to the fact that the Russian Federation is divided between Europe and Asia, Ukraine can definitively be said to be the largest wholly European country. As with a large part of Eastern Europe, the landscape of Ukraine is mostly flat with fertile steppes stretching out over nearly 80% of nation. One of the defining aspects of the nation’s geography is that of the Danube and the Dnieper. The Danube accounts for the nation’s southwestern border whereas the Dnieper runs laterally bisecting the nation and flowing through a majority of the major cities and industrial centers of the nation. Geo-politically speaking, the nation is bordered by Russia and Belarus to the north, Poland and Slovakia to the west, Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea in the South. Of course it is difficult ot discuss the geography of the nation without discussing the way in which several failed Soviet experiments have inalterably changed the landscape and geography. As a function of the megalomaniacal approach that the Soviet Union often took with the natural environment, the Dnieper River was damned at multiple places within the nation. This allowed for large reservoirs and lakes to be created that could then in turn feed the hydropower plants that are so numerous within the nation. This of course served to cause a great many environmental issues with the way in which the water resources of the nation have been redistributed and changed from their natural courses. Likewise, on can easily remember the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 which was the worst nuclear release in the history of the world and still continues to have profound and lasting impacts upon both Ukraine and the surrounding regions (Mohammed et al, 2011). The demographics of the nation indicate that the population stands around 45 million; making it the 29th most populous nation in the world and the 6th most populous nation in Europe. Despite a relatively high population, the nation itself has been in the grips of a severe population decline since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. This population decline, although affecting almost each and every part of Europe, is especially profound in Ukraine due to the combined effect of low life expectancy, low birth rate, and high emigration rate. As a function of this, the central government has attempted to ebb this population reduction by offering a high number of birth incentive programs. Yet, the birth rate continues to remain below sustainment level. The issue of a declining birth rate would not be such a dire issue were it not for the fact that the nation suffers from a very high death rate. Although there are a number of factors that contribute to this, a lion’s share of the death rate is directly linked to heavy smoking and alcoholism; both issues that continue to plague the nation. Though it may seem to the reader than a extensive understanding of the demographic situation is not required before delving into the way in which the nation seeks to house and provide for its people, the fact of the matter is that such an issue has a direct correlation to the need, demand, and production of housing within the system (Tsenkova & Turner, 2004). The situation of housing within Ukraine can ultimately be broken down into two distinct categories; that of the city dweller and that of the village dweller. The reason that this situation can be so directly simplified is due to the fact that during the period of the Soviet Union, a high number of concrete apartment buildings were constructed in and around the largest cities in Ukraine and elsewhere within the Soviet Union. Though not much to look at, these structures are constructed entirely of concrete and iron rebar; making them extraordinarily resilient and impervious to the decay of time that other materials might suffer from. Additionally, as has been discussed, the high death rates combined with a large level of emigration has meant that the availability of housing within the cities is relatively high. However, as a function of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the corresponding economic difficulties that have resulted, the cost of this housing is oftentimes out of reach of the average citizen. Moreover, the populations from outside of the cities oftentimes are not able to find gainful employment within their home regions and are thus forced into the larger cities as a means of providing a better life (Roberts et al, 2003). As a function of this, there is a very high ratio of individuals within the more densely populated cities that rent or lease their accommodations due to the fact that outright purchase is beyond the economic means of many of them. The second type of housing that exists within the nation is that of the rural housing that is extant throughout the nation. In keeping with the Soviet means of construction, these are almost invariably brick or concrete in construction (Roberts et al, 2003). Additionally, the lion’s share of new building within the more rural regions has been from either those that have grown up within these regions and decided to build their own homes or from city dwellers who wish to have an additional residence in the quieter and more rural regions. The major reason that wood and other types of construction has been eschewed within the nation, both within the rural and city landscape, is due to the fact that the winters are severe and wood in and of itself does not have the insulative abilities that brick and mortar or concrete can provide. However, as one might expect, the availability and affordability of such types of construction are intimately tied to the international price of concrete. As the Asian economy continues to demand a lion’s share of the world’s concrete, the cost of this form of construction has exponentially increased over the past twenty years. Due to the high reliance on concrete structures within the nation, a threat to the survival and health of these residences are obviously any form of tectonic activity and/or earthquakes (Anderson, 2006). Thankfully, the nation itself does not have any major fault lines to speak of and as such has not experienced a high level of tectonic activity over the past several hundred years. This is due in large part to the fact that the nation itself lies within the steppes between the Ural Mountains and the European plates. Although housing within Ukraine does not represent a crisis, one can quickly infer that the largest difficulty that faces the nation with respect to housing its population is seeking to encourage affordability with relation to housing. Although this may be something that could readily be performed in a more developed North American nation or European nation, the fact of the matter is that Ukraine is not as economically developed or as financially independent as these systems. In this way, the nation, and the government itself to a large extent, is subject to the dictates of the international markets for supplies and cannot readily seek to merely subsidize housing on a large scale. However, as has been previously discussed, the high death rate and low birth rates mean that the demand for housing remains relatively low as compared to many other nations around the globe. Though this is the case, it is not reasonable to assume that such will always be the case and it will be incumbent upon all shareholders, public, private, and individual, to work out a solution to the current housing situation before a definitive shift in demographics makes it too late to provide a remedy for the situation. References Andersen, L., & Hilz-Ward, R. (2006). Improving the conditions for residential mortgages in Ukraine: An analysis of mortgage lending opportunities and selected interventions - A case study. Housing Finance International, 21(1), 3-13. Mohamed, N. S., & Darus, Z. D. (2011). Using Traditional Materials for Designing Affordable Housing to Provide Green Buildings. European Journal Of Social Science, 20(1), 180-183. ROBERTS, K., OSADCHAYA, G. I., DSUZEV, K. V., GORODYANENKO, V. G., & THOLEN, J. (2003). Economic Conditions, and the Family and Housing Transitions of Young Adults in Russia and Ukraine. Journal Of Youth Studies, 6(1), 71. Tsenkova, S., & Turner, B. (2004). THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL HOUSING IN EASTERN EUROPE: REFORMS IN LATVIA AND UKRAINE. European Journal Of Housing Policy, 4(2), 133-149. doi:10.1080/1461671042000269001 Read More