Ukraine is the largest state in Europe. Although some historians claim that the country is the cradle of European culture and has existed for many centuries, this is not so. The formation of Ukraine as a state actually happened 23 years ago. This is a young country that is only learning to live independently, without any support. Of course, Ukraine has its own centuries-old history, but still it does not mention the country as a full-fledged state. At that time, Scythians, Sarmatians, Turkic peoples, Rusichs, Cossacks lived on this territory. All of them somehow influenced the development of the country.
Ancient history
We need to start with the fact that the word "Ukraine" in translation from Old Russian means "outskirts", that is, no man's land, borderland. These territories were also called “wild field”. The first mentions of the Black Sea steppes date back to the 7th century BC, it was then that the Scythians settled there. In the Old Testament they are described as an unmerciful and cruel nomadic people. In 339 BC e. Scythians were defeated in a battle with Philip of Macedon, this was the beginning of their end.
For four centuries, the Black Sea region was dominated by the Sarmatians. These were related nomadic tribes who migrated from the Lower Volga. In the II century BC e. Sarmatians were squeezed by the Turkic peoples. In the VII century on the banks of the Dnieper began to settle the Slavs, who in those days called Rusich. That is why the lands they occupied were called Kievan Rus. Some researchers argue that the formation of Ukraine as a state occurred in 1187. This is not entirely true. At that time only the term “Ukraine” appeared, it meant nothing more than the outskirts of Kievan Rus.
Tatar raids
At one time, the lands of modern Ukraine were subjected to raids by the Crimean Tatars. Rusich tried to master the rich, fertile lands of the Great Steppe, but the constant robberies and killings did not allow to complete the plan. For many centuries, the Tatars have been a great threat to the Slavs. Huge territories remained uninhabited only for the reason that they were adjacent to the Crimea. Tatars raided because they needed to somehow support their own economy. They were engaged in cattle breeding, but it did not give much profit. Tatars robbed Slavic neighbors, captured young and healthy people, then exchanging slaves for finished Turkish products. Volyn, the Kiev region and Galicia suffered the most from the Tatar raids.
Settlement of fertile lands
The grain growers and landowners were well aware of the benefits that could be gained from the fertile free territories. Despite the fact that there was a threat of attack by the Tatars, rich people appropriated the steppes, built settlements, thus attracting peasants to themselves. The landowners had their own army, thanks to which they maintained order and discipline in the controlled territories. They provided land to the peasants for use, and in return demanded payment of the quitrent. The grain trade brought untold wealth to the Polish magnates. The most famous were the Korets, Pototsky, Vishnevets, Konetspolsky. While the Slavs labored in the fields, the Poles lived in luxurious palaces, bathing in wealth.
The period of the Cossacks
The freedom-loving Cossacks, who began to populate the free steppes at the end of the 15th century, sometimes slipped in their thoughts the creation of the state. Ukraine could be a haven for robbers and tramps, because it was they who originally inhabited this territory. People who wished to be free came to the deserted outskirts, therefore the bulk of the Cossacks were farm laborers who were fleeing from slavery. Also, townspeople and priests-rags came here in search of a better life. Among the Cossacks there were people of noble origin, they were mainly looking for adventure and, of course, wealth.
The gangs consisted of Russians, Poles, Belarusians and even Tatars; they accepted absolutely everyone. Initially, these were the most common robber gangs that robbed Tatars and Turks and lived on stolen goods. Over time, they began to build the battle camps - fortified camps in which a military garrison was always on duty. There they returned from campaigns.
Some historians believe that 1552 is the year of the foundation of Ukraine as a state. In fact, at that time the famous Zaporizhzhya Sich arose , which Ukrainians are so proud of. But she was not the prototype of a modern state. In 1552, Cossack teams were united, and their fort was built on the island of Malaya Khortitsa. All this was done by Vishnevetsky.
Although initially the Cossacks were ordinary robbers, robbing Turks for their own benefit, over time they began to defend the Slavic settlements from raids by the Tatars, and freed fellow countrymen from captivity. To Turkey, this freedom-loving fraternity seemed a heavenly punishment. Cossacks in their seagulls (long, narrow boats) inaudibly swam to the shores of an enemy country and suddenly attacked the most powerful fortifications.
The state of Ukraine wanted to create one of the most famous hetmans - Bogdan Khmelnitsky. This chieftain waged a grueling battle with the Polish army, dreaming of the independence and freedom of all fellow countrymen. Khmelnitsky understood that he alone could not cope with a Western opponent, so he found a patron in the person of the Moscow Tsar. Of course, after this the bloodshed in Ukraine ended, but it never became independent.
The fall of tsarism
The emergence of Ukraine as a state would be possible immediately after the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty. Unfortunately, local politicians did not have the strength, intelligence, and most importantly, solidarity to bring the plan to the end and make their country independent. Kiev learned about the fall of tsarism on March 13, 1917. In just a few days, Ukrainian politicians created the Central Rada, but ideological limitations and inexperience in such matters prevented them from holding power in their hands.
According to some reports, the formation of Ukraine as a state took place on November 22, 1917. It was on this day that the Central Council unveiled the Third Universal, proclaiming itself the supreme power. True, then she had not yet decided to break all ties with Russia, so Ukraine temporarily became an autonomous republic. Perhaps such politicians caution was unnecessary. Two months later, the Central Council decided to form a state. Ukraine was proclaimed an independent and completely independent country from Russia.
Interaction with Austrians and Germans
The period when Ukraine emerged as a state was not an easy one. For this reason, the Central Council was forced to ask European countries for support and protection. On February 18, 1918, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was signed, according to which Ukraine was to carry out massive food deliveries to Europe, and in return received independence recognition and military support.
The Austrians and Germans in a short period of time introduced troops into the territory of the state. Unfortunately, Ukraine could not fulfill its part of the terms of the agreement, therefore, at the end of April 1918, the Central Council was dissolved. On April 29, Pavel Skoropadsky began to govern the country. The formation of Ukraine as a state was given to the people with great difficulty. The trouble is that there were no good rulers in the country who could defend the independence of the controlled territories. Skoropadsky did not hold out in power for a year. Already on December 14, 1918 he fled with shame along with the allied German forces. Ukraine was thrown at the mercy, European countries did not recognize its independence and did not provide support.
The coming to power of the Bolsheviks
The beginning of the 20s of the XX century brought a lot of grief to Ukrainian houses. The Bolsheviks created a system of tough economic measures to somehow stop the collapse of the economy and save the newly formed state. Ukraine suffered the most from the so-called “war communism”, because its territories were a source of agricultural products. Accompanied by armed detachments, officials walked around the villages and forcibly took grain from the peasants. It got to the point that freshly baked bread was taken from homes. Naturally, this atmosphere did not contribute to an increase in agricultural production; peasants simply refused to work.
To all the misfortunes, drought was added. The famine of 1921-1922 claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. The government was well aware that it was not practical to use the whip method further. Therefore, a law was passed on the NEP (New Economic Policy). Thanks to him, by 1927, the area of cultivated land increased by 10%. During this period, the real formation of the state is noted. Ukraine is slowly forgetting the horrors of the civil war, famine, dispossession. Welfare is returning to the homes of Ukrainians, so they are more condescending towards the Bolsheviks.
Voluntary forced entry into the USSR
At the end of 1922, Moscow pondered the unification of Russia, Belarus, and the Transcaucasian republics to create more stable ties. Until the time when Ukraine was formed as a state, there remained some seven decades. On December 30, 1922, representatives of all Soviet republics approved the plan for unification, and thus the USSR was created.
Theoretically, any of the republics had the right to withdraw from the union, but for this it had to get the consent of the Communist Party. In practice, gaining independence was very difficult. The party was centralized and controlled from Moscow. Ukraine in terms of area occupied the second place among all republics. The city of Kharkov was chosen as the capital. Answering the question about when Ukraine was formed as a state, it should be noted the 20s of the XX century, because it was then that the country acquired territorial and administrative borders.
Renewal and development of the country
The first five-year plan breathed life into Ukraine. During this time, 400 new enterprises appeared; the country accounted for about 20% of all capital investments. In 1932, the Dnepropetrovsk hydroelectric power station was built, which at that time became the largest in Europe. Thanks to the work of workers, the Kharkov Tractor Plant, the Zaporizhzhya Metallurgical Plant, and many Donbass factories appeared. In a short time, a huge number of economic transformations were made. In order to improve discipline and increase efficiency, competitions for the early implementation of the plan were introduced. The government singled out the best workers and awarded them the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.
Ukraine during the Second World War
In the period 1941-1945. millions of people died in the country. Most Ukrainians fought on the side of the Soviet Union, but this does not apply to Western Ukraine. In this territory other moods prevailed. According to the militants of the OUN, SS divisions "Galicia", Ukraine was to become independent from Moscow. The history of the formation of the state could be completely different if the Nazis still won. It’s hard to believe that the Germans would give Ukraine independence, but nevertheless they managed to lure about 220,000 Ukrainians with promises. Even after the end of the war, these armed groups continued to exist.
Life after Stalin
The death of the Soviet leader brought with it a new life for the millions of people who lived in the USSR. The new ruler was Nikita Khrushchev, who was closely associated with Ukraine and, of course, patronized it. During his reign, she entered a new level of development. It was thanks to Khrushchev that the Crimea peninsula Ukraine was included. How the state arose, this is another matter, but it formed its administrative-territorial borders in the Soviet Union.
Then came to power Leonid Brezhnev, also a native of Ukraine. After a short reign of Andropov and Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev became the helm. It was he who decided to radically change the stagnant economy and the Soviet system as a whole. Gorbachev had to overcome the conservatism of society and the party. Mikhail Sergeyevich always called for publicity and tried to be closer to the people. People began to feel freer, but even under Gorbachev, the Communists completely controlled the army, the police, agriculture, industry, the KGB, and watched the media.
Independence
The date of the formation of Ukraine as a state is known to everyone - this is August 24, 1991. But what preceded this momentous event? A survey was held on March 17, 1991, thanks to which it became clear: Ukrainians are not at all against sovereignty, the main thing is that it does not subsequently worsen their living conditions. The Communists made every effort to keep power in their hands, but it inevitably eluded them.
On August 19, 1991, the reactionaries isolated Mikhail Gorbachev in the Crimea, and in Moscow themselves they tried to seize the initiative by declaring a state of emergency and forming the State Emergency Committee. But the Communists did not succeed. On August 24, 1991, when Ukraine emerged as a state, the Verkhovna Rada proclaimed its independence. And after 5 days, the activities of the Communist Party were banned by parliament. On December 1 of the same year, Ukrainians supported the Independence Act in a referendum and elected their first president, Leonid Kravchuk.
Over the years, the formation of Ukraine as a state. The map of the country has often changed. Many territories were annexed in the Soviet Union, this applies to Western Ukraine, parts of the Odessa region and Crimea. The main task of Ukrainians is the preservation of modern administrative and territorial borders. True, this succeeds with difficulty. So, the third president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko in 2009 gave Romania a part of the continental shelf. And in 2014, Ukraine lost its pearl - the Crimean peninsula, which passed to Russia. Only time will tell whether the country will be able to keep its territories inviolable and remain independent.