The Shared Historical Origins of Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine and Russia trace their intertwined origins back more than a thousand years to the era of Kyivan Rus’, an early medieval Slavic state with Kyiv as its capital. This formative state is considered the cradle of both modern Ukrainian and Russian identities, as well as of Belarusian heritage. In the tenth century, Kyivan Rus’ played a pivotal role in the regional adoption of Orthodox Christianity, particularly under Prince Volodymyr the Great of Kyiv, whose conversion in 988 laid the foundation for a shared religious and cultural tradition that still profoundly shapes both societies. During this era, people in the vast territories of present-day Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus spoke closely related East Slavic languages, practiced similar customs, and were unified by growing economic and spiritual ties.
As history unfolded, Ukraine’s lands experienced cycles of fragmentation, foreign rule, and re-unification, being under Mongol, Polish-Lithuanian, Ottoman, and later Russian control at different times. In the 17th century, the pivotal Pereyaslav Agreement brought parts of Ukraine under the protection—and ultimately the authority—of the Russian Tsar, ushering in centuries of shared political destiny, alternating with periods of exception and diverging influence. Later, the Russian Empire fully incorporated most of Ukraine, further cementing deep linguistic, religious, and cultural bonds, although frequently at the cost of local autonomy and under policies that sometimes aimed to suppress distinct Ukrainian identity.
The “Family” Metaphor: Ukrainians and Russians as Brothers and Sisters
Given this long history of common origins, shared territories, cultural affinity, language connections, and recurring periods of political union, the metaphor of Ukrainians and Russians as brothers and sisters is both historically grounded and persistently invoked. Russian leaders, for example, have claimed “Russians and Ukrainians are one people, a single whole,” a narrative reflected in political rhetoric and cultural roots, though not unchallenged by Ukrainian voices who emphasize their own nationhood. The bonds between the two peoples are visible in countless familial, cultural, and religious connections, with millions having relatives across borders. Periods of union within the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union further solidified a sense of kinship, as did long-standing traditions of shared literature, art, and faith.
However, this closeness also makes violent conflict and division particularly traumatic and “strange.” The image of fraternal peoples at war is often described as akin to family members turning against one another, deepening the sense of tragedy and loss in contemporary hostilities. Just as war between siblings seems a violation of fundamental familial bonds, so too does the war between countries whose populations have grown from the same historical root.
Parallels with the Korean Conflict: The Tragedy of Divided Families
The division and conflict between Ukrainians and Russians is mirrored by the schism on the Korean peninsula, where North Koreans and South Koreans, despite decades of hostilities and separation, are widely acknowledged to be “one people,” divided not by heritage but by geopolitical strife. Throughout Korea’s 20th-century history, families were split by artificial borders, and the pain of separation is a recurring theme in Korean society, with tearful reunions periodically highlighting the enduring familial bond. The sorrow of Koreans fighting each other is similarly described in terms of “brothers’ wars,” reiterating how history and politics can drive wedges between people whose kinship and cultural backgrounds are fundamentally the same.
This phenomenon—where members of a single extended family find themselves on opposite sides of conflict—illustrates the deeper irrationality and tragedy of such wars. Every battle, loss, and enmity is, in truth, a quarrel within a single house, perpetuating suffering and lacking any true victory.
All Humanity as One Family: Scientific and Philosophical Perspectives
Underlying these national and regional stories is a scientific reality: all humans belong to one extended family, descended from common ancestors. Advances in genetics have demonstrated that all living people share over 99% of their genetic material, and models of recent common ancestry suggest that everyone alive today is related through genealogical lines that converge within a few thousand years. The “genetic isopoint” concept—a scientific threshold at which all people living today share every ancestor in common—shows that not only do national groups share familial bonds, but so too does the entirety of humankind. Our apparent differences, such as skin color or nationality, are superficial and recent, while our shared origins stretch back through millennia, making us, quite literally, one human family.
Anthropological and philosophical reflections echo this understanding, suggesting that the concept of “human family” transcends biological facts to become a foundational ethical and social principle. Family nurtures the attitudes of care, reciprocity, and empathy upon which broader societies are built, and the recognition of all people as relatives forms the moral core of ideals such as justice, hospitality, and solidarity. Thus, not only are Russians and Ukrainians “brothers and sisters” in a historical sense, but so are Koreans, Africans, Europeans, Asians, and all the peoples of the world.
The Irrationality and Tragedy of War Within the Family
Once we comprehend humanity as a family, the absurdity and self-destruction of war becomes glaringly apparent. Conflicts among those who share the same roots, whether Ukrainians and Russians, North and South Koreans, or any other peoples, mimic fratricidal strife: at best, all parties lose, and the wounds left are carried forward for generations. History is replete with the devastation caused when members of a single family or lineage—narrowly or broadly construed—forget their bonds and turn to hostility, achieving only mutual impoverishment and sorrow. In every war, there are no true victors, only different forms of loss.
The recognition of our shared humanity should inspire the realization that war is inherently “stupid”—a denial of both our reason and our most fundamental relational identity. Seeing our adversaries as sisters and brothers undercuts the logic of enmity, replacing it with empathy and the desire for reconciliation.
The Call to Advocate for Peace: Embracing Our Shared Brother- and Sisterhood
From every perspective—historical, scientific, anthropological, and philosophical—the conclusion is clear: we are all members of a single human family, connected by origins and destined for shared futures. This familial lens compels us to reject war and any narrative that seeks to justify violence against our own kin. Instead, we should strive to foster conditions of peace, justice, and unity, defending these principles as if defending our own household.
Advocating for peace is not only a pragmatic stance, but a moral obligation rooted in our identity as relatives. Promoting peace means healing historical wounds, dismantling biases and hostilities, and building bridges of understanding. If we view each other as brothers and sisters—across borders, histories, and cultures—the path to reconciliation and mutual flourishing becomes not only possible, but imperative. War yields only losers, but peace within our human family ensures the welfare and fulfillment of all.
By restoring the vision of humanity as a single, interconnected family, we honor both our shared past and our highest ethical aspirations, choosing compassion, dialogue, and solidarity over division and strife. Let us therefore reject the logic of war and wholeheartedly embrace and advocate for peace—among Ukrainians and Russians, Koreans, and all peoples—recognizing in every person a sister or brother deserving of care and respect.
