|
|
Ukraine |
 |
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006.
|
Understand
In English, the country is sometimes referred to with the definite article, "The Ukraine", a grammatically peculiar term inherited from the Soviet era, when the country was known as "The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic". Since its establishment as an independent nation in 1991, the country is officially called simply "Ukraine", and this form is increasingly used in English worldwide.
History
Ukrainian history is long and proud, with the early dominance of Kievan (or Kyivan) Rus as arguably the most powerful state in 10th-century Europe. While this state did not last and Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth form the 14th until the 18th century, even modern Ukraine owes it a debt of sorts. A subsequent Ukrainian state was able to - in the face of pressure from the ascendant Muscovy - remain autonomous for more than a century, however the Russian Empire absorbed much of Ukraine in the 18th century.
Despite a brief flash of independence at the end of the czarist regime, Ukraine was incorporated into the new USSR after the Russian Civil War in 1922 and subject to two disastrous famines (1932-33 and 1946) as well as brutal fighting during World War II. Throughout the period of Soviet control, Ukraine was subjected to various levels of Russification programs; in the 1930's and particularly intense period during the Brezhnev era of the 1970's and 1980's. The 1986 Chernobyl accident was a further catastrophe for the country but also widely considered as an event which galvanized the population in national sentiment signaling an increased opposition to previous direct Soviet central control over domestic affairs.
Ukraine declared its sovereignty within the Soviet Union in July 1990 as a prelude to unfolding events in the year to come. The Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's Parliament) again declared its independence in early December 1991 following the results of referendum in November 1991 which indicated overwhelming popular support (92% in favour of independence). This declaration became a concrete reality as the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist on December 25, 1991. Initially, there were concerns that democracy did not really exist as former communist and oligarch rule prevailed in the early years following independence. The issues of cronyism, corruption, continued voting irregularities came to a head with the heavily-disputed 2004 Presidential election, where allegations of vote-rigging sparked what became known as the "Orange Revolution". This revolution resulted in the subsequent election of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko as President.
Orange Revolution
While most of the world expected the U.S. Presidential election to be the most exciting election of the 2004 year, the Ukrainian Presidential election of 2004 turned out to be far more dramatic and played out like a novel with spying, large scale protests, poisoned candidates, and a (bloodless) revolution.
The election was primarily a battle between then prime minister Viktor Yanukovych and former prime minister Viktor Yushchenko. Yanukovych was viewed as a status quo candidate, who's electoral platform included strengthening Ukraine's ties with Russia, while Yushhenko was viewed as a progressive candidate, who ran on a platform to strengthen...
|
|
