The territory of modern-day Ukraine has had many identities, with some of them having nothing to do with Russia. Some Ukrainians claim that they were once Russian, but the territory was part of several empires and states. Historians like Eugen Finkel, a professor of Eastern European history at Johns Hopkins University, say that the region’s history was not one of uninterrupted Russian brotherhood. Instead, the country’s history is a tug-of-war between languages and religion.
Before the 18th century, most of what is now Ukraine was formally ruled by Polish-Lithuanian nobility. It was populated mostly by Orthodox East Slavs, who fought as a united front against their neighbours. Despite their strong affinity for Muscovite Russia, most Ukrainians did not want to become part of that country. In 1648, a group of Cossacks formed the Cossack ‘Hetmanate’ and a military alliance with the Tsardom of the Russian Empire. The following year, the Tsardom of the Russian Empire signed an alliance with the Ukrainians, whose ‘Hetmanate’ grew to be the largest nation in the world.
The eastern borders of Ukraine were drawn by the Bolsheviks to establish the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. In his March 18th, 2014 speech to the Russian parliament, Vladimir Putin referred to these boundaries in relation to the disputed territory of Crimea. The Bolsheviks added large sections of the historical South to Ukraine, without considering the ethnic makeup of the population. The Soviets made similar claims on several occasions, but the Boss of Russia never actually proposed transferring Crimea to Ukraine.
Historically, Ukraine was an independent state. In the early eighteenth century, it was governed by the Polish-Lithuanian nobility. However, it was predominantly populated by Orthodox East Slavs who tended to form semi-autonomous hosts of peasant warriors. The Orthodox East Slavs had a strong sense of loyalty to Russia, but did not wish to be part of it. In 1648, the Cossacks formed a military alliance with Russia and the Tsardom of the Russian tsar ratified the alliance.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has been governed by two separate governments for a few centuries. In 1771, it became a republic in a small way, but today, it is a state of its own. In the nineteenth century, it had a shaky history. Since then, the country has undergone a turbulent period of its history. During the Russian Civil War, the Ukrainian Peoples’ Republic declared itself independent.
The eastern and southern borders of Ukraine are based on the borders of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. As a result, the boundaries of the country were determined in 1919. The Communists incorporated large parts of the southern region of Russia to the newly formed Ukraine, largely without considering the ethnic make-up of the population. But it was unclear at that time whether it was part of Russia. The disputed territory is today ruled by the Ukrainian government.
In 1922, the country became an original constituent republic of the U.S.S.R.. It did not gain independence until 1991, but it remained under Russian control for many decades. Then, it became an independent state. Its history is interwoven with other cultures. Some people believe that they were part of Russia, and others think they were Ukrainian. It is important to keep this in mind when deciding which country is which.
After the first world war, the Soviet Union split into small republics. While big Russia was the capital, small Estonia was a part of the Soviet Union. The country lost its independence and became a part of the Soviet Union. This is what makes the conflict between the two countries so bitter. Even today, the Ukrainian people are proud to be Russian. There are two main reasons why. They are not in the USSR, but they are in the EU.
Before Russia, most of what is now Ukraine was part of the Russian empire. It was ruled by the Polish-Lithuanian nobility. It had a large slave trade with the Ottoman Empire. It exported 2 million slaves to the latter. In 1783, the Ukrainian people gained their independence and its own constitution. This is the reason why the Ukrainian people are so proud of their country.