Ukraine

from an ancient history to our days

Brief History

The first identifiable groups to populate what is now Ukraine were Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, and Goths, among other nomadic peoples who arrived throughout the first millennium B.C. These people were well known to colonists and traders in the ancient world, including Greeks and Romans, who established trading outposts, which eventually became city states. Slavic tribes occupied central and eastern Ukraine in the sixth century A.D. and played an important role in the establishment of Kyiv. Situated on lucrative trade routes, Kyiv quickly prospered as the center of a powerful state of Kyiv Rus. In the 11th century, Kyiv Rus was, geographically, the largest state in Europe. Kyiv Rus was a cradle of three modern Slavic peoples - Ukrainian, Russian and Byelorussian.

A Christian missionary, Cyril, converted the Kyivan nobility and most of the population in 988. Conflict among the feudal lords led to decline in the 12th century. Kyiv was razed by Mongol raiders in the 12th century and the whole Kyiv Rus was invaded by Tatar-Mongols who inflicted extensive damage.

The western Ukrainian principality of Galicia, founded in the 12th century, suffered less from the Mongol invasion than the rest of the area, and was annexed by Poland in the 14th century. At about the same time Kyiv and the Ukrainian of Volhynia were conquered by Lithuania and later came, with the latter country, into the possession of Poland.

But during that time, the Ukrainian people began to conceive of themselves as a distinct people, a feeling which survived subsequent partitioning by greater powers over the next centuries. In addition, Ukrainian peasants who fled the Polish effort to force them into servitude came to be known as Kossacks and earned a reputation for their fierce martial spirit.

After a long period of fighting for it's independence Ukrainian state appeared on a European political map as Zaporozhian Sich. Then after a short period of independence that was a result of a victory in national-liberation war of Bohdan Khmelnitsky (1648-1654) follow centuries of colonial existence of Ukraine divided mostly between Russian Empire Poland and Austria (since 1772).

The 19th century found the region largely agricultural, with a few cities and centers of trade and learning. The region was under the control of the Austrians in the extreme west and of the Russians elsewhere. Ukrainian writers and intellectuals were inspired by the nationalistic spirit stirring other European peoples existing under other imperial governments and were determined to revive Ukrainian linguistic and cultural traditions and re-establish a Ukrainian nation-state. The Russians in particular imposed strict limits on attempts to elevate Ukrainian language and culture, even banning its use and study.

The Ukrainians under Austrian rule in Galicia and Bukovina and in the region of Hungary known as the Carpatho-Ukraine preserved their identity as a separate group and engendered a forceful nationalist movement; in 1917, the Ukrainians in Russia established an independent republic following the Russian Bolshevik Revolution. Austrian Ukraine proclaimed itself a republic in 1918 and was federated with its Russian counterpart; the Allies took little cognizance of Ukrainian claims for Galicia, however, and following World War I (1914-18) awarded that area to Poland. In 1919 the Russian Ukrainian republic, under the leader Simon Petlyura, declared war on Poland. In the same year Ukrainian Communists established a second government in and declared the existence of the Ukrainian SSR. In 1920 the advance of the Russian Bolshevik armies caused the Petlyura government and Poland to become allies; they were too weak, however, to prevent the Soviet government from assuming control of the country. In 1922 Communist Ukrainian delegates joined in the formation of the USSR.

In the period between 1922 and 1939 drastic efforts were made by the USSR to suppress Ukrainian nationalism. Ukraine suffered terribly from the forced collectivization of agriculture and the expropriation of foodstuffs from the countryside; the result was the famine of 1932-33, when more than seven million people died. The ultimate goal of Ukrainian nationalism was the independence of a Greater Ukraine, embracing Russian Ukraine, Polish Galicia, and Czechoslovakian Ruthenia.

Following the Soviet seizure of eastern Poland in September 1939, Polish Galicia, comprising nearly 62,160 sq km (24,000 sq mi), was incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR.

When the Germans invaded Ukraine in 1941 during World War II (1939-45), Ukrainian nationalists hoped that an autonomous or independent Ukrainian republic would be set up under German protection. Much to their disappointment, the Germans not only divided Russian Ukraine and West Ukraine (Galicia), but came as hostile conquerors. More than 8.000.000 (20% of the population) Ukrainian people were killed by German troops or died in battles with them for a freedom. Ukraine was retaken by the USSR in 1944. Kiev and other parts of the country were heavily damaged. In the same year parts of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina were added to it, and the Ruthenian region of Czechoslovakia was added in 1945. The Ukrainian SSR became a charter member of the United Nations in 1945.

Being a part of USSR Ukraine SSR kept some formal rights and indications of an independent state: own territory, organs of government, budget, heraldry, flag, anthem, Constitution.

Little changed for Ukraine over the next decades. During periods of relative liberalization (as under Nikita Khrushchev from 1955 to 1964) Ukrainian communists pursued national objectives. Also the Crimean region in Russia was added to Ukraine in 1954.

During the period 1944-1990 Ukraine became a member of 16 international organizations, took part in 156 international treaties and about 60 permanent and temporary international organs.

In the years of perestroika, under the President of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, national goals were again advanced by Ukrainian officials.

On August 24, 1991 in accordance to the Declaration of State Sovereignty (06.16.1990) the Supreme Council of Ukraine proclaimed an Act of Independence. It's territory was proclaimed indivisible and inviolable.

Ukraine took her rightful place among the countries of the world.

Welcome to Ukraine!