In 882 AD, a new state was born in the Eastern European Plain, Kievan Rus'. Through the efforts of several generations of Grand Dukes of Kiev, its territory expanded to the Danube Plain, along the Volga River, on the northern shore of the Baltic Sea, and as far south as Crimea. However, like many dynasties in history, Kievan Rus' suffered a glorious decline and was finally destroyed by the Mongols in 1240. During this period, the Rus' gradually became three branches: Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian.
In the fourteenth century, the Mongols were in decline. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania moved south and occupied the Dnieper River valley, in present-day Belarus and Ukraine.
During the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Catholicism was forced to be introduced in the Ukrainian regions, and conflicts with the Orthodox Christianity, the main faith in the region, led to an intensifying conflict between the rulers and the ruled. At the same time, the Russian Empire gradually rose to prominence and expanded its surrounding territories. Faced with religious oppression in Poland, many Ukrainians chose to belong to Russia with their roots. In 1654, Khmelnitsky, the Cossack leader of eastern Ukraine, signed the Treaty of Pereyaslavl with the Russian Tsar, formally annexing eastern Ukraine to the Russian Empire.
In the eighteenth century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth weakened and was divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Western Ukraine was incorporated into the territory of the Russian Empire.
Although Ukraine and Russia both originated in Kievan Rus', western Ukraine was long influenced by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and new contradictions arose between the Catholic nobility and the Orthodox Russians. However, under the strong rule of the tsar, these contradictions failed to intensify further.
In 1917, the October Revolution overthrew the Tsarist regime. The eastern part of Ukraine became Soviet power, while the western part was occupied by Poland. In 1922, the Soviet Union was founded, and Ukraine was divided into two parts, East and West, joining the Soviet Union and Poland respectively.
Although the Soviet Union recognized the western part of Ukraine as part of Poland in the Treaty of Riga, in fact, it was forced by the situation and unwilling to do so, laying the groundwork for the later invasion of Poland.
At the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany cooperated to carve up Poland and incorporate western Ukraine into the Soviet Union. After the war, the Soviet economy developed rapidly, and Ukraine became its second largest economic entity, especially in the eastern Donbas region, which was an important center of heavy industry.
In 1954, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the merger of Russia and Ukraine, Crimea was annexed to Ukraine. However, the later Russian-Ukrainian Crimea dispute arose.
In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine ended its alliance with Russia and became an independent state. However, the attitude towards Russia in the west of Ukraine is very different from that in the east. In 2014, Crimea was annexed to Russia in a referendum, and Donetsk and Luhansk in the east declared independence from Ukraine as independent states (not recognized by the international community). This constitutes the whole picture of the problems left over from the history of Ukraine.
This period of turbulent history has allowed Ukraine to carry a rich cultural and religious heritage, but it has also planted deep roots of disagreement that are still affected by historical disputes to this day.
The long and turbulent history of Ukraine has been described in detail above. This history is not only the story of the Ukrainian people, but also the interweaving and collision of multiple peoples, dynasties and empires throughout Eastern Europe. From the rise of Kievan Rus' to the Mongol invasions, to the rule of Poland, Russia, and the Soviet Union, important events at various stages of Ukraine's history are intertwined with religious, political, and cultural strife that have far-reaching and colorful implications.
One of the most interesting is the ** and contradictions in Ukraine. Since the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, many factors such as religious differences, cultural inheritance, and the policies of the rulers have caused divisions within Ukraine. This divide has continued throughout history to this day. The differences in attitudes between the East and the West towards Russia, as well as the 2014 declarations of independence in Crimea and Donetsk and Luhansk, are striking manifestations of the differences.
This divide not only causes political instability in Ukraine, but also affects social, cultural and popular identity. For example, social rifts caused by differences in beliefs, the different historical backgrounds of the East and West, and attitudes towards external forces are shaping the ideology and collective identity of the Ukrainian people.
However, this history also shows the resilience and resilience of the Ukrainian people. After all kinds of domination and **, they still maintain a unique cultural identity and national identity. The spirit of solidarity and resistance shown by the Ukrainian people in difficult times, as well as their cherishing of their own history and cultural traditions, is deeply admired.
Today, Ukraine is facing important challenges and choices. How to deal with internal differences, maintain national stability and unity, and find its place in the international arena are all important issues facing Ukraine. It is hoped that Ukraine will be able to find its own path of development and achieve national prosperity and progress while maintaining diversity.
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