Download Ukraine on the way to independence. The first years of the

Lesson 4
Ukraine on the way to independence. The first years of the independence
1986-1994).
Plan
1. Social, political and economic situation in Ukraine (1986-1991).
2. Ukraine in the first years of independence. Presidency of Leonid Kravchuk.
1. Social, political and economic situation in Ukraine (1986-1991).
Reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in spring 1985 were first controlled by
the state party; but with the expansion of publicity (“glasnost”) there remained even less
people who could find any harmony in relations between the State and society.
Communist ideology lost its authority, the society was quickly politicized. These
processes immediately acquired political coloration in Ukraine. There began the actions
of protest against closing the schools with education in Ukrainian, against forcing out
the national language from the sphere of state management, book-publishing and mass
media. In November 1988, the first mass meeting took place in Kyiv which was devoted
to the problems of ecology, where V.Shcherbytskyi and other leaders were blamed for
concealing information about the after-effects of the Chornobyl catastrophe.
Mikhail Gorbachev
In 1989, the political strikes burst out in Donbas, and the People’s Movement of
Ukraine appeared in Kyiv. In the spring of 1989, the first free elections (after 1917)
were held in the USSR which lead to the appearance of a new center of power in a form
of the two-level representative system: the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR
and permanently acting the Supreme Council of the USSR formed at the Congress.
Under this new situation, V. Shcherbytskyi was not in power for a very long period of
time. The party dictatorship and the entire totalitarian system fell to pieces before long.
In March 1990, elections were held for the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian
SSR and local councils. A lot of new political figures, the adherents of reforms,
appeared on the scene in political life. On July 16, 1990 the Parliament adopted the
Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine. In order to save the Soviet Union
Gorbachev started negotiations with leaders of the republics about the conditions of a
union agreement that could not be coordinated with the principles of state sovereignty
(Novoogariovian process) declared by Republican Parliaments.
On the evening of August 19, 1991, the conservatives of the central party-state
management made an attempt of the state upheaval, striving to turn the country life to
the state before 1985. The putsch (the leaders of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of Ukraine who also participated) was a failure. On August 24, the
extraordinary session of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR approved “The Bill
of Independence Announcement of Ukraine”.
In the last days of August 1991, they adopted the edict about temporal cessation
and then the prohibition of activities of the Communist Party of Ukraine. On December
1, 1991, the referendum on confirmation of “The Bill of Independence Announcement
of Ukraine” took place. There was a positive response from 90.3% of the population
who took part in the referendum. The elections of the first President of Ukraine were
also held. Leonid Kravchuk became the first President of Ukraine.
Flag
Coat of arms
The referendum in Ukraine created a qualitatively new situation with regard to
the problem of existence of the USSR. A week after this event, Borys Yeltsin, President
of RSFSR, Leonid Kravchuk, and S. Shushkevych, Head of the Supreme Council of
Belarus announced at the meeting in Minsk that the USSR no longer existed as a subject
of international law and geopolitical reality. Ukraine became an independent sovereign
state.
Location of Ukraine (green)
2. Ukraine in the first years of independence. Presidency of Leonid Kravchuk.
The response of the world community to the results of the national referendum
was unexpectedly unanimous: for December 1991, the independence of Ukraine was
recognized by 68 states, and in 1992 it was recognized by 64 states. Yeltsin’s
government was one of the first states to recognize Ukraine and hoped that Moscow
would remain the ruling center in the entire territory of the USSR and this would be
done by using the mechanism of the Commonwealth of the former union of republics,
would not turn into a military-political unit or into a new variant of the USSR. Ukraine
abstained from signing the agreement which endowed the Commonwealth institutions
with super-state functions.
After the disintegration of the USSR, Ukraine inherited the third largest nuclear
potential in the world. In December 1991, the Supreme Rada resolved the law “On
Military Powers of Ukraine”, and in November 1993, adopted the military doctrine in
which it was announced that Ukraine did not see its enemies in the neighbouring
countries and the army of Ukraine is only a guarantee of its national security. For the
first five years, the military forces of Ukraine were reduced from 726,000 to 350,000.
Beginning with the Declaration on State Sovereignty, Ukraine always emphasized
the desire to become a non-nuclear state. In November 1994, the Supreme Rada
approved the decision on Ukraine joining the Agreement on non-expansion of nuclear
weapons on the condition of guaranteeing safety on the part of nuclear states. Such
guarantees were given and in the summer of 1996, the last 1280 nuclear warheads were
removed from Ukraine.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was commonly regarded
as the former Soviet republic (outside of those in the Baltic region) with the best chance
of achieving economic prosperity and integration with Europe as a whole. But by the
end of the 20th century, the Ukrainian economy had faltered badly, and social and
political change fell short of transforming Ukraine into a wholly European state.
Nevertheless, Ukraine registered some important gains in this period. It consolidated its
independence and developed its state structure, regularized relations with neighbouring
countries (in spite of some contentious issues), made some important steps in the
process of democratization, and established itself as a member in good standing of the
international community.
President Kravchuk’s immediate priority was state building. Under his
stewardship, Ukraine quickly established its armed forces and the infrastructure of an
independent state. Citizenship was extended to the people of Ukraine on an inclusive
(rather than ethnic or linguistic) basis. Ukraine received widespread international
recognition and developed its diplomatic service. A pro-Western foreign policy was
instituted, and official pronouncements stressed that Ukraine was a “European” rather
than a “Eurasian” country. The state symbols and national anthem of the post-World
War I Ukrainian National Republic were reinstituted. Yet at the same time that
independent Ukraine was acquiring the attributes of statehood, it faced a number of
contentious issues that severely strained the fledgling country: the nature of its
participation in the CIS, nuclear disarmament, the status of the Crimea, and control of
the Black Sea Fleet and its port city of Sevastopol. While inflaming passions on both
sides of the border, these issues also helped to define Ukraine’s new relationship with
Russia.
Ukrainian leaders perceived the CIS to be no more than a loose association of
former Soviet republics and a means of assisting in a “civilized divorce” from the union.
In contrast, Russia regarded it as a means of retaining some degree of regional
integration (under Moscow’s political domination) and sought to establish it as a
supranational body that would succeed the U.S.S.R. These differing views were not
clear at the meeting that created the CIS, but within several weeks they had become
very evident. Disagreements between Russia and Ukraine ensued as the latter repudiated
proposals for a CIS army under unified command, a common CIS citizenship, and the
guarding of “external” rather than national borders. Remaining vigilant that
involvement with the CIS not compromise its sovereignty, Ukraine participated only as
an associate member. However, after more than seven years of independence, with the
CIS no longer a real threat to the country’s sovereignty, Ukraine finally agreed to join
the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in March 1999.
Meeting of CIS leaders in Bishkek in
2008
EAEC members
GUAM members
Other
CIS members
The issue of nuclear disarmament proved a vexing one. In the wake of the
Chornobyl disaster, antinuclear popular sentiment ran high in Ukraine; even prior to
independence, Ukrainian leaders had committed themselves to divesting the country of
nuclear weapons. But throughout this period, Ukrainians had not been aware of the size
of the nuclear arsenal on their soil—Ukraine was effectively the third largest nuclear
power in the world at the time—nor had they considered the high costs and logistical
problems of nuclear divestment. After approximately half of the arsenal had been
transferred to Russia early in 1992, the leaders of independent Ukraine began to
question the wisdom of blindly handing over the weapons to a potential adversary that
was now claiming portions of Ukraine’s territory (i.e., the Crimea). Ukraine then
expressed reservations about the complete removal of the weapons from the country
before it could obtain some guarantees for its security as well as financial compensation
for the dismantling and transportation of the warheads. This apparent backtracking
caused major concern in the West (particularly in the United States) and Russia. Intense
diplomatic pressure followed, and Ukraine began to be portrayed as something of a
rogue state in the Western media. Finally, in May 1992 Ukraine signed the Lisbon
Protocol, which marked Ukraine’s accession to the START I treaty. Subsequent
negotiations, brokered by the United States, resulted in a trilateral statement (between
the United States, Russia, and Ukraine) in January 1994, which outlined a timetable for
disarmament and dealt with the financial and security issues that Ukraine had raised.
The interconnected issues of the Crimea, Sevastopol, and the Black Sea Fleet not
only constituted Ukraine’s thorniest postindependence problem but also posed a
significant threat to peace in the region. In 1954 the Russian S.F.S.R. had transferred the
administration of the Crimea to the Ukrainian S.S.R. However, it was the one region of
Ukraine where ethnic Russians constituted a majority of the population. In 1991 the
Crimea was granted the status of an autonomous republic, and the Crimeans supported
the vote for Ukrainian independence (albeit by a small majority). But disenchantment
with an independent Ukraine soon followed, and a movement for greater autonomy or
even secession developed in the peninsula. The separatists were encouraged in their
efforts by routine pronouncements by prominent Russian politicians and the Russian
Duma that the Crimea was Russian territory that never should have been part of
Ukraine. The situation was complicated by the arrival of about 250,000 Crimean Tatars
in the peninsula—returning to the historic homeland from which they had been deported
at the end of World War II—starting in the late 1980s.
Percentage of Crimean
Tatars by region in Crimea (according to 1939 Soviet census)
Tensions in the region increased in 1994: separatist leader Yury Meshkov was
elected Crimean president in January, and a referendum calling for sovereignty was
passed two months later. Meshkov proved to be an inept leader, however, and he
quickly alienated his own supporters. By September he and the Crimean parliament
were locked in a constitutional struggle. The parliament finally stripped Meshkov of his
powers and elected a pro-Kiev prime minister. In March 1995 Ukraine abolished the
post of Crimean president and instituted direct political rule, though it granted the
Crimea significant economic concessions. The Crimean separatist movement collapsed.
The dispute between Russia and Ukraine over control of the Black Sea Fleet and
Sevastopol, the Crimean port city where the fleet was based, was particularly
acrimonious. Early in 1992 Ukraine laid claim to the entire fleet, which had been an
important naval asset of the Soviet Union. Russia responded unequivocally that the fleet
always had been and would remain Russia’s. A “war of decrees” over the issue
continued until June 1992, when Kravchuk and Russian Pres. Boris Yeltsin agreed that
the fleet would be administered jointly for a three-year period. Subsequently an
agreement was reached to divide the fleet’s assets evenly, but after further negotiation
Ukraine consented to allow Russia to acquire a majority share of the fleet in exchange
for debt forgiveness. The question of basing rights was not resolved until a final
agreement on the Black Sea Fleet was reached in 1997. It allowed Russia to lease the
main port facilities of Sevastopol for 20 years. Shortly afterward, Ukraine and Russia
signed the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership (1997), which recognized
Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and existing borders (including the Crimea) and
regularized relations to some degree.
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin
The turbulent relations between Ukraine and Russia in the post-Soviet period were
likely inevitable, given that the independence of Ukraine was such a sudden,
fundamental change. Russia had tremendous difficulty in perceiving—let alone
accepting—Ukraine as an independent country: it viewed Ukraine as an integral part of
the Russian realm and even considered Ukrainians to be virtually the same people as
Russians. Consequently, Russia reacted to Ukraine’s departure more strongly than it did
to the separation of the other Soviet republics. On the other hand, Ukraine was intensely
aware of the fragility of its recent independence and extremely sensitive to any
perceived encroachment on its sovereignty by Russia. Relations between the two
countries continued to be volatile into the early 21st century. Ukraine’s dependence on
Russia for fossil fuels was an issue of particular concern. For example, in 2006 Russia
temporarily cut off its supply of natural gas to Ukraine after claiming that Ukraine had
not paid its bills. Ukraine, however, maintained that the move was a reprisal for its proWestern policies.
Ukraine’s relations with its other neighbours tended to be much more cordial. Relations
with Hungary were from the outset friendly. Poland was supportive of Ukrainian
independence as well, notwithstanding earlier centuries of acrimony. Ukraine also
fostered a working relationship with several countries of the former Soviet Union by
cofounding a loose subregional organization called GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, Moldova; known as GUUAM from 1999 to 2005, when Uzbekistan was a
member). Relations with Romania were complicated by that country’s claims to certain
Ukrainian territories, including northern Bukovina and southern Bessarabia, as well as
Zmiyinyy (Serpent) Island and its surrounding waters in the Black Sea. Belarus’s
authoritarian political system and its proposed two-state union with Russia rendered
close ties with Ukraine unlikely.
Ukraine’s relations with the United States started out very poorly. During a visit to
Ukraine in the summer of 1991, U.S. Pres. George Bush affronted many Ukrainians
when he warned them against “suicidal” nationalism and urged them to remain within
the U.S.S.R. When Ukraine gained independence later that year, Washington was
extremely concerned about the new country’s large nuclear arsenal. Only after the
resolution of the disarmament issue did significant ties begin to develop. Ukraine soon
ranked as a major recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, and the two countries developed
a strong political relationship.
Ukraine’s postindependence economic performance—in sharp contrast to its
relatively successful efforts at state building and diplomacy—was markedly poor. The
social dislocation brought about by economic “shock therapy” in Russia dampened the
Ukrainian government’s desire for rapid change; it opted instead for a gradualist
approach toward achieving a mixed economy. Economic decline followed, since
Ukrainian industry was already suffering from the disruption of trade with former
Soviet republics in the wake of the U.S.S.R.’s demise. Ukraine’s heavy dependence on
foreign energy sources also strained the economy, particularly because Russia,
Ukraine’s main supplier, moved to raise the previously subsidized price of fossil fuels
to world levels. As a solid monetary policy had not been established, Ukraine
experienced hyperinflation, which reached a rate of at least 4,735 percent in 1993.
Meanwhile, corruption increased as political insiders grabbed state assets for themselves
or took unfair advantage of low-interest loans available to industry and agriculture. A
sustained attempt at economic reform came with the appointment of Leonid Kuchma as
prime minister in October 1992. His efforts, however, were strongly opposed by a
majority of parliamentarians and, to a degree, undermined by President Kravchuk
himself. An exasperated Kuchma resigned in 1993.
Postindependence society in Ukraine saw some positive developments. The
media became much more open and vibrant, although those who were too openly
critical of the administration were subject to harassment, notably during Kuchma’s
presidency (1994–2005). Previous constraints on academic and intellectual life were
lifted, resulting in a growing and diverse body of publications, and liberal arts and
business schools began to emerge. There was substantial development in religious life,
as the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic churches—as well as other
denominations—were able to operate freely. In addition, a new generation of youth
began to grow up without the ideological and intellectual constraints of Soviet society.
Relations with minority groups in the postindependence period were generally
peaceful. The Jewish community experienced something of a renaissance, with the
American-born chief rabbi of Kiev, Yaakov Dov Bleich, playing an instrumental role in
organizing synagogues, schools, and charitable activities. Moreover, the Ukrainian
government openly pursued a positive relationship with the Jewish community. The
Hungarians and Romanians in western Ukraine were afforded nationality rights, and the
government made some efforts to assist the Tatars, the majority of whom live in
squatter settlements in the Crimea. Unrest among the Tatars was limited in the
postindependence period, in large measure because of the effective leadership of former
dissident Mustafa Jemilev.
Ukraine’s large Russian minority found itself in an ambiguous situation in the
postindependence years. As part of the dominant nationality within the U.S.S.R., it had
maintained the preferred status of what some observers termed a “psychological
majority” in Soviet Ukraine. In independent Ukraine, however, the status of Russians
was less assured. Although granting Ukrainian Russians the full rights of citizenship
was never an issue, many of them were frustrated that Russian was not recognized as
the second official language of the country. Moreover, the gradual Ukrainization of the
school system has not been popular in regions of Ukraine with large Russian
populations. The matter was further complicated by Russia’s vow to defend the rights of
ethnic Russians in the so-called “near-abroad,” which includes Ukraine.
Postindependence Ukraine witnessed the growth of numerous social ills. Both
street crime and organized crime increased, and Ukraine became a conduit for the
international illegal drug trade. A rise in the number of drug addicts accompanied a
worrisome growth in the number of people infected with HIV. The trafficking of
Ukrainian women for the international sex trade also emerged as a serious concern—
evidenced by the fact that Ukraine was the first former Soviet republic to host an office
of La Strada International (a network of organizations that work to prevent human
trafficking). Life expectancy fell, particularly for males, and occurrences of diseases
considered long eradicated, such as cholera, were recorded. Many people—especially
the elderly—were reduced to living in dire poverty, and many others sought work
outside Ukraine, both legally and illegally, as migrant labourers.
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (born January 10, 1934) is a Ukrainian
politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his
resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's
Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)
faction.Leonid Kravchuk's political creed is avoiding conflicts and straightforward
declaration of his position. He is widely considered to be cunning, diplomatic, and
cautious. He describes himself as a man who refuses to take an umbrella because he
hopes to "slip between the raindrops."
Leonid Kravchuk
Such diplomacy helped Kravchuk to retain and strengthen his power over
Ukraine during the transition from Soviet rule to independence. He was third in
command in Ukraine's CPSU leadership before the fall of Soviet Union even though he
didn't belong to the ruling Dnipropetrovsk group. He avoided inflexible positions
towards democratic changes and was a compromise figure for both party conservatives
and reformists.
After becoming president of independent Ukraine, Kravchuk successfully attempted to
achieve and strengthen formal sovereignty of the country and develop its relations with
the West. He withstood the enormous pressure from Russia and refused to retain the
common armed forces and currency inside the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization whose
participating countries are former Soviet Republics.
The CIS is comparable to a confederation similar to the original European Community.
Although the CIS has few supranational powers, it is more than a purely symbolic
organization, possessing coordinating powers in the realm of trade, finance, lawmaking,
and security. It has also promoted cooperation on democratization and cross-border
crime prevention. As a regional organization, CIS participates in UN peacekeeping
forces. Some of the members of the CIS have established the Eurasian Economic
Community with the aim of creating a full-fledged common market.
Full members – light yellow; Participating member (Ukraine) – pink; Associate
member (Turkmenistan) – green
Another of his stands has been refusal of nuclear weapons based on Ukrainian
territory.
Kravchuk's economic policy is often criticized. He failed to avoid corruption in
the privatization of country's industry and promote effective financial decisions.
Ukrainian annual inflation rates from 1992 to 1994 reached thousands of percents.
Millions of loans given by the semi-government banks defaulted. This led to delays of
many years in salaries for industry workers, teachers etc. The collapse of the Black Sea
Steamship Company became the saddest symbol of the Kravchuk era. This global
merchant fleet, the largest in the world (based mostly in Odessa), was covertly sold out
to foreign companies, mostly for fake debts. Hundreds of sailors who hadn't received
their salaries were trapped for years on board their vessels throughout the world.
Kravchuk's own son was later accused of taking part in this fraud.
Shocked by these developments and also by growing tensions with Russia, the
voters of industrial and predominantly Russian-speaking southeastern Ukraine
supported Kravchuk's main rival, Leonid Kuchma, in the 1994 presidential elections.
Kuchma won under the slogans of fighting corruption, reconstruction of the economy,
and further integration with Russia. Kravchuk's reliance on bureaucratic pressure,
support of pro-Western nationalists, and media bias did not serve him well.
Soon after his defeat in 1994, Leonid Kravchuk joined the powerful business and
political group known as Kiev Holding or the Dynamo Group. This group, led by
oligarchs Viktor Medvedchuk and Hryhoriy Surkis, is formally organized as the Social
Democratic Party of Ukraine (united). Despite its formal centrist/social-democratic
slogans, the party is widely associated with big business, organized crime, corruption,
and media bias in favor of President Leonid Kuchma. In 2004, Hryhoriy Surkis was
banned from visiting the United States, due to his alleged involvement in irregularities
during the Ukrainian presidential election, 2004. The group also took a strongly proRussian and anti-Western stand. Analysts say that TV channels and other media
controlled by the group have started a sharp anti-U.S./anti-NATO campaign.
Kravchuk has been highly criticized for remaining one of the leaders of SDPU(o),
specializing in negotiations and public relations, despite his declared pro-democratic
and patriotic position. In November 2004, following the disputed Ukrainian presidential
election, he told the media that he was afraid that the resulting crisis would cause the
disintegration of the country, intensifying movements for certain regions of Ukraine to
join other countries.
Percentage of people with Ukrainian as their native language according to 2001 census (in regions).
Ukraine produces the
fourth largest number of post-secondary graduates in Europe, while being ranked seventh in
population.
Ethnic Ukrainians in Ukraine (2001)
Ukrainian administrative divisions by monthly salary
About number and composition population of UKRAINE
by data All-Ukrainian population census'2001 data
The peculiarity of the national structure of the population of Ukraine is its
multinational composition. According to All-Ukrainian population census data, the
representatives of more than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups live on the territory of
the country.
The data about the most numerous nationalities of Ukraine are mentioned below:
Total
(thousand
persons)
Ukrainians
as % to the result
2001
2001
as % to 1989
1989
37541.7
77.8
72.7
100.3
8334.1
17.3
22.1
73.4
Belarussians
275.8
0.6
0.9
62.7
Moldavians
258.6
0.5
0.6
79.7
Russians
Crimean Tatars
248.2
0.5
0.0
in 5.3 times
more
Bulgarians
204.6
0.4
0.5
87.5
Hungarians
156.6
0.3
0.4
96.0
Romanians
151.0
0.3
0.3
112.0
Poles
144.1
0.3
0.4
65.8
Jews
103.6
0.2
0.9
21.3
Armenians
99.9
0.2
0.1
in 1.8 times
more
Greeks
91.5
0.2
0.2
92.9
Tatars
73.3
0.2
0.2
84.4
Gipsies
47.6
0.1
0.1
99.3
Azerbaijanians
45.2
0.1
0.0
122.2
Georgians
34.2
0.1
0.0
145.3
Germans
33.3
0.1
0.1
88.0
Gagausians
31.9
0.1
0.1
99.9
177.1
0.4
0.4
83.9
Other
The part of Ukrainians in the national structure of population of region is the largest. it
accounts for 3.754.700 people. or 77.8% of the population. During the years that have
passed since the census of the population ‘1989. the number of Ukrainians has increased
by 0.3% and their part among other citizens of Ukraine has increased by 5.1 percentage
points.
Russians are the second numerous nation of Ukraine. Since 1989 their number has
decreased by 26.6% and at the date of the census it accounted for 8.334.100 people. The
part of Russians in total population has decreased by 4.8 percentage points and
accounted for 17.3%.
Ukrainian History: Chronological Table
Year/Century Event
More info
Mention of Rus' in the Bertynsky chronicles
MAP: Eastern
839
associated with the mission to Ludwig I of the
Europe, 250Frankish kingdom.
800
840
Magyars and khazars attacking Kyiv.
853
Askold becomes Kyiv's Prince.
Novgorod's Prince Oleh annexes Kyiv, kills
877
Askold and brings the capital of Rus' from
Novgorod to Kyiv.
Pechenegs advancing to Black Sea steppe.
890
Ugrians (Hungarians) move to Danube.
Prince Oleh travels to Byzantine's capital
907-911
Constantinopol (Ukrainian "Czarhorod") with a big
army and demands an annuity to Kyiv.
Prince Ihor signs a treaty with Byzantine Empire 945
ready to accept Orthodox Christianity.
Princess Olha (Ihor's wife) becomes a ruler of
957
Kyiv.
Svyatoslav (Olha's son) becomes a Prince of
Kyiv. He confrontates with Khazars, then attacks
Bulgaria and fights with Byzantine Empire. At the
960-972
time Svjatoslav is in the offensive on Bulgaria,
Khazars attack Kyiv. He returns but gets killed in
a skirmish with Pechenegs.
980
Volodymyr The Great becomes a Prince.
Official Christianization of Kyiv Rus'. Volodymyr
988
accepts Orthodoxy and marries Byzantine
Princess Anna.
Death of Volodymyr The Great. Sons are
1015
struggling to rule the country until 1019.
MAP:
Yaroslav The Wise - one of Volodymyr's sons
1019
Kyivan Rus is
becomes a Prince.
11th century
Construction of Svyata Sofia (St. Sophia)
1027
Cathedral.
1054
Death of Prince Yaroslav.
1068
Polovtsi army attack Kyiv state for the first time.
1098 - 1099 Magyars attack Halychyna.
1111
Kyiv Princes conquer Polovtsi.
1113
Volodymyr Monomakh - the last of great princes
of Kyiv.
Yaroslav Osmomysl becomes a Prince of
1152
Halychyna.
Suzdal (Russian) Prince Yuriy Dovgoruky
1155 - 1157 (founder of Moscow) attacks Kyiv and becomes a
prince for a short period of time.
Destruction of Kyiv by Andrey Bogoliubsky, the
1155 - 1169
Vldimir-Suzdal prince
The word Ukraine (Ukrayina) first used to
1187
describe Kyiv and Halychyna lands.
Ukrainians first battle Tatars in a battle near Kalko
1223
River in treaty with Polovetz - Tatars win.
Danylo Halytsky becomes a Prince of Halychyna.
1238
Next year he unites Halychyna with Kyiv.
1240
Tatars capture Kyiv.
1256
1320
Lviv is founded by King Lev.
Yuriy becomes a King of Halychyna.
Yuriy marries Lithuanian Princess, daughter of
Gedymin.
Lithuanian Prince Olgerd frees Kyivschyna and
Podillya from Tatars. They fell under Lithuanian
control.
Last Halychyna King Volodyslav dies.
1330
1360s
MAP:
Southern Rus
1250.
1378
1387 - XVIII
Poland rules Halychyna.
century
1414
Prince Fedir Koryatovych of Mukachevo.
Crimea (Krym) under Turkish (Osman) Empire's
1475 - 1774
rule.
1490
1550
First mentioning of cossacks (kozaks).
Dmytro Vyshnyvetsky establishes a fortress of
Zaporizhzhya (Zaporizhia).
1569
Lyublinska Uniya (Lublin Union) - All Ukrainian
territory under Lithuanian rule (except Polissia
and Beresteyshchyna) transfers to Poland.
1576
Foundation of Ostroh Academy - first Universitylike school in Eastern Europe.
MAP:
Ukrainian
lands 1400
(More)
MAP:
Ukrainian
lands after
1569
1590
1596
1608
First Kozak uprisings (Kostynsky, Mazyvako).
Union of Brest (Beresti) - beginning of religious
struggles.
Fall of Ostroh Academy.
Het'man Sahaydachny is a het'man (the arch) of
1610 - 1622
Zaporizka Sich.
1630
1637
1648
MAP:
Zaporizka Sich
Kozak uprising against Poland.
Petro Mohyla establishes a Collegium in Kyiv.
Beginning of liberation of Ukraine from Polish rule
headed by kozak het'man Bohdan Khmelnytsky
MAP: Kozak
state after
1649
(more info)
1654
1657
1663
Bohdan Khmel'nytsky signs Pereyaslav treaty
with Muscovy
Swedish-Ukrainian coalition against Russia.
Two het'mans in Ukraine. Het'man of the Left
bank of Dnipro - in coalition with Russia; het'man
from right bank - against Russia.
1665 - 1676 Het'man Petro Doroshenko.
Establishment of Russian control under the rightbank kozaks.
Kyiv Orthodox Church Metropolitan (Patriarkhat)
1685
becomes a division of Muscovite Metropolitan.
Het'man Ivan Mazepa - period of palingenecy of
1687 - 1709
Kozak state.
Treaty had been signed between Ukraine and
1708
Sweden.
Battle in Poltava (Ukraine). Russians defeat
1709
Swedish-Ukrainian army and execute Kozak
troops after the surrender of Swede army
1709
Death of Ivan Mazepa.
1710
Pylyp Orlyk becomes a het'man.
Russians prohibit the use of Ukrainian language 1720
still preferred by Ukrainians.
1722 - 1727 First het'man of Ukraine appointed by Russian
1670
(more)
MAP:
Ukrainian
lands after
1667
1734
1744
1745
1764
1765
1772
1775
1775
1787
1789
1780
1794
1793
1798
Czar.
Het'man Danylo Apostol's uprising on the Right
Bank (Haydamaky).
Construction of St. George Cathedral in Lviv.
Oleksa Dovbush - legendary Ukrainian hero.
MAP:
Ukrainian
lands around
1750
Abolition of Zaporizhzhya Het'manate (Zapiriz'ka
Sich).
Slobodzhanschyna falls under Russian control.
Russian, German and Austrian empires divide
parts of Poland among themselves.(First division)
Halychyna falls under Austrian control.
Second division of Poland. Austria annexes
Bukovyna
Zaporizka Sich destroyed by Russians.
Russians rebuild a village of Kodak into a city and
name it after queen Ekaterina II (Katerynoslav).
During Ukrainian Republic of 1917 - 1920 the city
was renamed into Sicheslav ("In Honour of Sich").
In 1924 communists gave it a present name Dnipropetrovsk (Combination of words "Dnipro"
(main Ukrainian river) and "Petrovskij" (The last
name of major of city, a Stalinist)).
Establishment of Mykolayiv (Nikolayev)
End of Het'manate.
Establishment of Odesa (Odessa).
Transfer of lands on the Right Bank to Russia
from Poland excluding Halychyna, Bukovyna,
Volyn and a part of Polissya, already annexed by
Austria.
Ivan Kotlyarevsky publishes "Eneyida".
MAP:
1831
Repnev attempts to renew kozak army.
1834
Establishment of The University of Kyiv.
Taras Shevchenko's first publication of "Kobzar",
probably the most popular book in Ukrainian.
1840
Dnipro Ukraine
around 1850
1861
1861
1863
1890
1905
1917
1918
1921
1929
1933-1934
1939-1940
1941-1944
First railroad on Ukrainian territory (Peremyshl Lviv).
Abolition of slavery in Russia.
Ukrainian language is officially prohibited to use
by Russian government.
First Ukrainian Political Party (Halytska)
Annulment of restrictions on the usage of
Ukrainian language in Russian empire.
Revolution in Russia. Ukrainian writer and
historian Mykhaylo Hrushevsky becomes the
president of newly proclaimed Ukrainian state
(Ukrayinska Narodna Respublika). The power of
the new government is very weak, Russian
czarists, communists and Germans try to conquer
Ukraine again. Symon Petlyura becomes a
commanders of Ukrainian armed forces.
President signs a treaty with Germans, but it was
annulled in 1919 in Brest, Belorussia, where
Germany signed a treaty with Communist Russia.
Ukrainian lands are united after Western
Ukrainian Republic and Ukrainian republic unite.
Austrian empire breaks up. Newly established
West-Ukrainian Republic is annexed by
Czechoslovakia and Romania.
MAP:
Ukrainian
lands 19141919
MAP:
Western
Ukraine 17721914
Formation of Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine.
Collectivization starts. All lands that belonged to
MAP:
Ukrainian farmers are taken away and put into a
Ukraine in
large "kolhosps" (co-operative farms.) People,
interwar years
who didn't want to give their land away are
(more)
arrested and murdered.
Artificial Famine in Ukraine, caused by Stalin's
(more)
policy. At least three million people die in result.
Annexation of Western Ukraine by Soviet Union
according to a secret treaty with Nazi Germany.
MAP:
Ukraine during
German occupation of Ukraine. Ukrainian
WW2
Insurgent Army (UPA). SS Division "Galizien".
(more on
division
"Galizien")
1943-1944
1945-1947
1945-1955
1950's
1986
1980's
1990
1990
1991
1994
1996
(more on UPA)
(Ukrainians in
Russians return. Massive immigration to the west
Saskatchewan,
(England, France, Canada, USA.)
Canada)
Discrimination and murders of Ukrainian
population in Poland by Polish army and police.
Continued fight for liberation of Ukraine in the
western regions.
Illegal anti-communist literature begins to appear.
Nuclear reactor explosion in Chernobyl, Ukraine.
(picture)
National movement for the liberation of Ukraine
"Rukh" is formed.
Human chain protests for Ukrainian
(more)
independence.
Ukrainian sovereignty is proclaimed.
Ukrainian independence is proclaimed. Elections
of Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) and the
President Leonid Kravchuk.
Ukraine signs an treaty with NATO
(the text of
Constitution is proclaimed.
constitution)
References:
1. Декларація про державний суверенітет України. Прийнята Верховною Радою
Української РСР 16 липня 1990 року. - К. 1991.
2. Акт проголошення незалежності України, прийнятий Верховною Радою
України 24 серпня 1991 року. - К. 1991.
3. Конституція України. Прийнята на п'ятій сесії Верховної Ради України 28
червня 1996 року. - К. 1996.
4. Крип'якевич І. П. Історія України. - Львів, 1990.
5. Полонська-Василенко Н. Історія України. Т. 1-2.-К. 1992.
6. Andrew Wilson. The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation. Yale University Press;
2nd edition (2002).
7. Anna Reid. Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine. London, Orion
Books; 4th impression (1998, preface 2003).
8. Mykhailo Hrushevsky. History of Ukraine-Rus’ in 9 volumes.
9. Orest Subtelny. Ukraine: A History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1988).
10. Paul Robert Magocsi. A History of Ukraine. Toronto: University of Toronto Press
(1996).