1. Ukraine: The Long Road to Independence

Ukraine, the largest state in Europe, appeared on the map of the world in 1991. It was recognized by the international community and more than 100 countries established diplomatic relations with it.

Map of Ukraine

Ukrainian independence is 19 years old, but it has an ancient history. The ancestors of Ukrainians chose this land to live during the Trypilsky period several thousand years ago.

In ancient times today's Ukrainian lands were inhabited by Antes and Rosses, the ancestors of Eastern Slavs.

And it was here, that in the 9th century one of the most powerful states of medieval Europe was founded. This was Kyivska Rus, which included Kyiv, Novgorod, Chernihov, Galich, Polotsk, Smolensk, Rostov, Suzdal and later Moscow, which was founded by the Kyivites, a large territory from Baltica to the Black Sea and Kuban and from Zakarpatya to the Volga. This was a period of power and glory. In 988 Prince Volodymyr introduced Christianity as the official state religion.

Prince Volodymyr

The christening of Kyivska Rus took place in Kyiv on the Dnipro river. Two monks settled in the caves under Kyiv hills in the 11th century. Soon a cave monastery sprang up there. Now it is known in the whole world as Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra. At the time of Kyivska Rus Kyiv was one of the richest and most developed cities in Europe. The high level of skills of Kyiv craftsmen can be proved by the number of buried treasures found on the territory of the ancient city and by its monuments of architecture and monumental art, such as St. Sophia Cathedral, the Golden Gate of Kyiv, Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra.

However, in 1240, the Tatar-Mongols captured Kyiv. Thousands of people were killed and much of the city was razed. Kyiv fell into a prolonged period of decline. The Tatar-Mongol ruled for almost 3 centuries thereafter. The Kyivska Rus state disintegrated and some of its territory came under the rule of Moscovia.

1.1 Cossacks

The world heard about Ukraine again during times of the Cossack Republic — Zaporizka Sich — at the end of the 15th century.

The word «cossack» means a «free warrior». Cossacks were a community of soldier-farmers. They used to live in the southern steppes of Russia and in Ukraine, particularly near the great rivers Don and Dnipro. Usually the son of a Cossack became a Cossack too, but only if he was strong and willing to live the life of a Cossack.

Cossacks

The Dnipro Cossacks were particularly famous. Their main enemies were Tartars. When they were going to war, they would leave the women and children in the hidden villages. The warriors elected their own Ataman, or leader, and they followed and obeyed him so long as he remained a strong leader and led them to victory. He might not be able to read or write, but he must be a good fighter. The Cossacks, above all, were lovers of freedom. Within their own community they were democratic.

The Cossacks were brilliant horsemen as the Tartars were, and they learned many tricks of riding from their enemies. As the Russian Tsars began to get control of more and more of Russia, they were faced with the problem of how to control these wild, independent men, who would not give up any of their freedom. But in 1654 the Cossacks came to an agreement with the Tsar of Moscow They were allowed to keep their villages and their freedom, but they had to fight whenever the Tsar needed them. After the Russian revolution 1917, many of the Cossacks fought against the Soviet government. But the Cossacks couldn't stand up against a big, modern army. Now, the Cossack regiments have been formed again, but they are no longer the free warrior of earlier times.

The long road to independence by the Ukrainian people began with Cossack military campaigns. In 1648 – 1654 Cossack armies, headed by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky waged wars to liberate Ukraine. Faced with ravaging attacks by the armies of Polish and Lithuaniam feudists, Bohdan Khmelnytsky sought the protection of the Russian Tzar, formalizing the union of Ukraine and Russia by the Treaty Pereyaslav.

Unfortunately, after this Ukraine plunged into a long period of domination by the Russian Empire. Despite such repression and severe Tzarist rule, Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries managed to preserve some riches of political, economic, cultural and religious development.

Kyivo-Mohylyanska Academy founded by the Metropolitan Petro Mohyla in the 17th century, became the 1st East European University. In that period the Ukrainian people were one of the most educated in the world and almost totally literate. Books were printed, philosophy was studied, music, literature and painting flourished, The 1st Constitution appeared in Ukraine at the time of Cossacks (1711).

In January 1918 when the Russian Empire fell, the independence of Ukraine was proclaimed and the Ukrainian People's Republic was created. Mykhaylo Hrushevsky became the 1st President of Ukraine. But at that time Ukrainian statehood was not defended. It is only recently that this became possible.

1.2 An Episode from the Ukrainian History

I'd like to tell about one of the episodes from the history of Ukraine. The war of independence took place in 1648 – 1654. And the leaders of it knew that without the military help of Russia the complete victory over Poland is impossible.

In 1654 Khmelnytsky came to Pereyaslav. There he met Russian embassy headed by boyarin Buturlin. Bohdan Khmelnytsky appealed to Russia with the request to admit Ukraine as a part of Russia. General Rada was convoked on the city's square. All participants of Rada vowed fidelity to Russia. Khmelnytsky vowed fidelity in the cathedral.

Khmelnytsky

Khmelnytsky in his speech on Rada explained the necessity of the union of Ukraine and Russia. Buturlin handed to Khmelnytsky the tsar's order about the consent to admit Ukraine. ............