Ukraine's territory inhabited by people already at least 44,000 years.Pontic-Caspian steppe was the scene of important historical events of the Bronze Age.Here there is a migration of Indo-European peoples.In the same Black Sea and Caspian steppes people tamed the horse.
Later in the Crimea and the Dnieper lived Scythians and Sarmatians.Finally, these lands were inhabited by Slavs.They founded the medieval state of Kievan Rus, which collapsed in the XII century.By the middle of the XIV century, the current Ukrainian lands were ruled by three forces: the Golden Horde, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish Kingdom.Later, the territory was divided powers such as the Crimean Khanate, the Commonwealth, the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary.
In XX century, there was an independent Ukraine.The history of the country begins with attempts to create a state of the UPR and ZUNR.Then the USSR was formed in the Soviet Union.And finally, in 1991, it was proclaimed the independence of Ukraine, confirmed by a referendum and recognized by the international community.
Ancient History of Ukraine
Archaeological excavations indicate that Neanderthals lived in the northern Black Sea coast in the 43-45 century BC.In Crimea, discovered items that belonged kromanoltsam.They dated 32 millennium BC.
At the end of the Neolithic in the Ukrainian lands there Tripoli culture.It reached its peak in 4500-3000 years BC.
With the advent of the Iron Age through the steppes of the Northern Black Sea have been Dacian tribes - the ancestors of modern Romanians.Then the nomadic peoples (Cimmerians, Scythians and Sarmatians) inhabited the land of Ukraine.The history of these tribes is known not only because of the archaeological sites, but also from written sources.About Scythians mentioned by Herodotus in his writings.The Greeks founded their colonies in the Crimea in the VI century BC.
then the territory of Ukraine came Goths and Huns.It happened in the III-V centuries AD.In the fifth century there were Slavic tribes.
In VII century in the Ukrainian steppes there is state of the Bulgars.But it soon fell apart and was absorbed by the Khazars.This nomadic people from Central Asia, founded the country, which included large areas - the western Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, the Crimea, the Don steppes and eastern Ukraine.The history of the emergence and flourishing of the Khazar khanate is closely connected with the process of formation of the statehood of the Eastern Slavs.We know that the title of Kagan were first Kievan princes.
Kievan Rus
history of Ukraine as a state, according to many researchers, begins in the year 882.It was then that Kiev was conquered by Prince Oleg Khazars and became the center of a vast area of the country.In a single state were united clearing drevlyans, Ulichi, White Croats and other Slavic tribes.Oleg himself, according to the dominant historiography, the concept was outsider.
In the XI century Kievan Rus became the largest in the territory of the state of Europe.In western sources of the time it lands often it was designated as Ruthenia.The name of Ukraine was first mentioned in the documents of the XII century.It means "edge", "country".
In the XVI century there is the first card of Ukraine.On it under this name are designated Kiev, Chernigov and Pereyaslavl land.
adoption of Christianity and crushing Russia
first followers of Christ have appeared in Crimea at least in the IV century.Christianity became the official religion of Kievan Rus in 988, at the initiative of Vladimir the Great.The first ruler of the state was baptized by his grandmother Olga.
During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, was adopted a set of laws, known as the "Russian Truth".It was a time of the highest political power of the Kievan state.After the death of Yaroslav the epoch of crushing Russia into separate, often conflicting with each other, the principality.
Vladimir Monomakh, trying to revive a centralized state, but in the XII century Russia finally disintegrates.Kiev and Galicia-Volyn principality became those territories, which later emerged Ukraine.The history of Russia begins with the rise of the city of Suzdal, who was a political and cultural center of the north-eastern Russian lands.Later, these areas became the capital Moscow.In the northwest of the Principality of Polotsk was the center around which formed the Belarusian nation.
In 1240 Kiev was sacked by the Mongols and the long lost any political influence.
Galicia-Volyn principality
History of the State of Ukraine, according to some scientists, begins in the XII century.At that time, as the northern principality came under the rule of the Golden Horde in the west are two independent Russian state with its capital in Galich and Lodomir (now Vladimir-Volyn).After their union was formed Galicia-Volyn principality.At the peak of its power, it included Wallachia and Bessarabia and had access to the Black Sea.
In 1245, Pope Innocent IV crowned Prince Daniil Galitsky and granted him the title of King of All Russia.At that time the principality led a complex war against the Mongols.After the death of Daniel Galitsky in 1264 he was succeeded by his son Leo, who moved the capital to the city of Lviv.Unlike his father, who held a pro-Western political vector, he went on to cooperate with the Mongols, in particular, he made an alliance with Nogai Khan.Together with his Tatar allies Leo invaded Poland.In 1280, he defeated the Hungarians and seized part of Transcarpathia.
After the death of Leo began sunset Galicia-Volyn principality.In 1323 in the battle with the Mongols killed last representatives of this branch of the Rurik.After that, Volyn came under the control of Lithuanian princes Gedeminovichey and Galicia fell under the rule of the Polish crown.
Rzeczpospolita
After the Union of Lublin Ruthenian lands became part of the Kingdom of Poland.During this period, the history of Ukraine as a state is interrupted, but it was at this time formed the Ukrainian nation.Contradictions between Polish Catholics and Orthodox Rusyns gradually resulted in ethnic tensions.
Cossacks
Poles were interested in defending their eastern borders of the Ottoman Empire and its vassals.For these purposes, it is best suited Cossacks.They not only reflect the raids of Crimean Khans, but also participated in the wars of the Commonwealth with the Moscow kingdom.
Despite the military achievements of the Cossacks, Polish gentry refused to provide them in the least significant autonomy, trying instead to convert most of the Ukrainian population in the fortress.This led to conflicts and uprisings.
Eventually, in 1648 began the liberation war led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky.History of Ukraine has entered a new phase.Resulting from the uprising Hetman state was surrounded by three forces: the Ottoman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Muscovy.A period of political maneuvering.
In 1654 Zaporozhye Cossacks entered into an agreement with the Moscow tsar.Poland tried to regain control of lost territories, concluding with Hetman Ivan Vygovsky contract.This was the cause of the war between the Commonwealth and Muscovy.It ended with the signing Andrusovo contract under which Hetman depart Moscow.
Under the rule of the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary
further history of Ukraine, whose territory was divided by the two states, was characterized by the rise of national consciousness among writers and intellectuals.
During this period the Russian Empire finally breaks the Crimean Khanate and takes over its territory.Also it takes three partitions of Poland.As a result, most of its land, populated by Ukrainians, is a part of Russia.Galicia departs the Austrian emperor.
Many Russian writers, artists and statesmen XVIII-XIX century had Ukrainian roots.Among the most famous - Nikolai Gogol and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.Unlike Russia, in Galicia almost all the elite consisted of Austrians and Poles, and Ruthenians were mostly peasants.
National Revival
In the XIX century in Eastern Europe began the process of cultural revival of the peoples who were under the power of great empires - the Austrian, Russian and Ottoman.I do not stay aside from these trends and Ukraine.The history of the movement for national independence begins in 1846 with the founding of Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood.Members of this organization was including poet Taras Shevchenko.Later, the social-democratic and revolutionary party, pro-autonomy of the Ukrainian lands.
Around the same time, in 1848, started its activity in Lviv "Essential Ruska Rada" - the first political organization of Western Ukrainians.At that time among the intelligentsia dominated the Galician Russophile and pro-Russian sentiments.
Thus, the history of Ukraine in its present boundaries begins with the birth of nationally oriented parties in the middle of the XIX century.They formed the ideology of the future unified state.
First World War and the collapse of empires
which began in 1914, the armed conflict has led to the fall of the monarchies of Europe's largest.The peoples, many centuries lived under the rule of a powerful empire had a chance to determine their own fate.
November 20, 1917 was established the Ukrainian National Republic.A January 25, 1918 it declared its full independence from Russia.Later collapsed Austro-Hungarian Empire.As a result, November 13, 1918 was proclaimed the West Ukrainian People's Republic.January 22, 1919 held a reunion of the UPR and ZUNR.However, the history of occurrence of the state of Ukraine was far from complete.The new power was in the midst of a civil and then the Polish-Soviet War, and as a result lost its independence.
the USSR in 1922 was created the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became part of the Soviet Union.Since the introduction and before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it ranks second among the republics of the economic power and political influence.
Map of Ukraine in this period changed several times.In 1939 he was returned to Galicia and Volyn.In 1940 - some areas, before belonging to Romania, and in 1945 - Transcarpathia.Finally, in 1954 in Ukraine it was annexed Crimea.On the other hand, in 1924, it was transferred to Russia and Shakhty Taganrog district, and in 1940 the Moldavian SSR departed Transdniestria.
After World War II Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding countries of the UN.As a result of the 1989 census, the population of the republic amounted to nearly 52 million people.
Independence
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine became an independent state.This was preceded by the rise of patriotic sentiment.Jan. 21, 1990, three hundred thousand Ukrainians organized a human chain from Kiev to Lviv in support of independence.It was based party standing on national-patriotic positions.Ukraine became the legal successor of the USSR and the UPR.The government of UNR in exile officially handed over the first president Leonid Kravchuk.
As you can see, the history of Ukraine from ancient times has been filled with great victories, defeats unsurpassed, noble disasters, terrible and fascinating stories.
