Ukrainian oligarchs

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ukrainian-oligarchs

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the period of emergence?Post-Soviet transition following Ukraine's independence in 1991
2. What is the economic influence metric (2013)?Combined wealth of 50 richest oligarchs represented 45% of Ukraine's GDP
3. How did they become so rich?After Ukraine became independent in 1991, many state companies were sold quickly. People with money and friends in government bought them at low prices, becoming very rich fast.
4. Why do they control the news?They own many TV and radio stations, so they can tell people what to think and help politicians win elections.

Oligarchs: Extremely wealthy individuals who exert significant influence over a nation's economy and politics.
Privatization: The transfer of ownership of state-owned assets to private individuals or corporations.
State Capture: A systemic political corruption where private interests significantly influence a state's decision-making processes to their own advantage.
De-oligarchization: The process of reducing the excessive economic and political power held by oligarchs within a country.