History

antiquity · tribes of the Eastern Slavs settle – coming from the Northern Carpathian Area – in the region northern the Black Sea

since 800 · Swedish Normans, so named Varegers, invade over the rivers Memel (Neman), Western Dvina, Neva and Volchov into the environment of the Eastern Slavs

862 · the Vareger Rjurik conquers the town of Nowgorod, the local Slavonic tribe of the Slovenes levies Rjurik to the "Prince of Novgorod", that establishes in this way the Rus of Novgorod, a Norman feudal state, and the until 1598 ruling Rjurik Dynasty

862–880 · the Varegers reach the Dnjepr River and advance to south

ca. 882 · the Varegers Askold and Dir conquer Kiev and establish the Rus of Kiev, a further Norman feudal state, the Vareger Oleg, successor of Rjurik, aims for the unification of Novgorod and Kiev

882 · unification of Kiev and Novgorod, establishment of the Empire of Kiev

911 · Oleg advances along Dnjepr River to the Black Sea and beleaguered successfully Constantinople – the capital of the Byzantian Empire, making of a trade treaty with Byzantium

962–973 · reign of Svjatoslav in the Empire of Kiev, campaigns against the Slavonic tribes of the Vjatitshes, Wolynians and Drevljans, as well as against Chasars and Volga Bulgarians

988 · Vladimir the Saint introduces the Christianity

1019–1054 · reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the Empire of Kiev evolves its greatest power and dilation, in the north to the White Sea, in the East to the rivers Northern Dvina, Sukhona, Volga, Oka, Don, in the south to the Black Sea, in the west to the Carpathia Mountains and nearly to the Weichsel River, as well as to the today’s eastern border of the Baltic states

ca. 1050–1150 · the people of Kumans conquers the south of the Empire of Kiev, loss of accession to the Black Sea, decay of trading, beginning disintegration of the empire

ca. 1150 · the Empire of Kiev disintegrates in several states, the most important: Principality of Vladimir-Wolynia in the west, Rus of Novgorod in the northwest, and Principality of Vladimir-Susdal in the northeast, Galitsh and Kiev in the south, Murom-Rjasan in the east

1237 · arrival of the Mongols, fall of Rjasan

1237–1238 · conquest of Vladimir-Susdal by the Mongols

1240 · conquest of Kiew, Wladimir-Wolynia and Galitsh by the Mongols

1350–1365 · conquest of Wolynia, Polodlia, Galitsh (Galicia) and Kiev (Ukraine) by Poland

1648 · riotings against the Polish rule, establishment of an Ukrainian Cossack state

1654 · the Eastern Ukraine becomes ceded from Poland to Russia and becomes a Russian province

1772 · First Polish Division, to counteract the growing Russian influence in the Polish state protect Austria and Prussia broad Polish territories against the Russian pounce by its annexation, Prussia annexes West Prussia, Ermland, Pommerellen (without Danzig), the Kulm Country, the northern Kuyavia and the Netze Area, Austria annexes Galicia, the southern parts of the Districts of Krakau and Sandomir, the District of Reussen with Lemberg, Russia annexes all Polish territory eastern the Duena River and the Dnjepr River, in the afteryears the conditions in the country become conspicuously better, but the Confederation of Magnats (nobilitie's assembly) of Targowica in the year 1792 calls for Russian support

1793 · Second Polish Division, to counteract the growing Russian influence in the Polish state again protects Prussia once more broad Polish territories against the Russian pounce by its annexation, Prussia annexes Great Poland (South Prussia) and Danzig, Russia annexes the Ukraine, Eastern Polesia and Eastern Wolynia, as a result of that in 1794 occurs the national people's revolt under Tadeusz Kosciuszko which was especially orientated against the Russians and the pro-Russian aristocracy, once more political, economical and cultural decline

1795 · Third Polish Division, to counteract the more growing Russian influence in the Polish state again protect Prussia ans Austria once more broad Polish territories against the Russian pounce by its annexation, Prussia annexes New East Prussia (Masovia and parts of Lithuania), Austria annexes Little Poland (Western Galicia), Russia annexes all the remained Polish territory (Western Polesia and Western Wolynia, Lithuania and Kurland), the existence of the Polish state finished

12th of March 1917 · civil "Februar Revolution" in Russia

15th of March 1917 · resignation of Tsar Nikolaus II., end of monarchy, formation of a provisional government of the Republic of Russia under Prince Georgij Jevgenyewitsh Lvov, later under Alexander Fyodorowitsh Kerenskij

March 1917 · anarchistic farmer's revolt in Ukraine, it separates from Russia and declares its independence

7th of November 1917 · bolshevist coup d’état ("October Revolution"), communists under W.I.Lenin seize the Power

February to May 1918 · First World War (1914–1918), because the Bolshevists retarded the signing of the Peace of Brest-Litovsk, German and Austria-Hungaryn troops occupied large parts of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, ca. to the rivers Don, Donez, Sejm, Dnjepr and Velikaya

29th of May 1918 · military coup d’état in the Ukraine

11th of November 1918 · end of the First World War, the German and Austrian troops withdraw from Ukraine

1918–1919 · war of Soviet Russia against Ukraine, estblishment of the Soviet power, deportations to Sibiria, the Ukraine becomes the Ukrainian Socialistic Soviet Republic

30th of December 1922 · founding of the Soviet Union (USSR), combination of the Soviet Republics of Russia (RSFSR), Belarus (White Russia), Ukraine and of the Transcaucasian Federation

1932–1933 · collectivization of farming, famine, death of ca. 3,5 millions of Ukrainians (Holodomor)

1941–1944 · occupied by German troops in the Second World War, Ukrainian fight in large numbers within the Soviet troops against the Germans, but some Ukrainians (ca. 300.000) hoped for a liberation from Russia and from the bolshevism and fought within the lines of the German War Might, or within special units by the hands of the German Empire

24th of October 1945 · Founding member of the United Nations (UNO)

1944–1947 · expulsion of nearly all Polish out of the Ukraine (ca. 1.000.000), settlement of from Poland expulsed Ukrainians (ca. 400.000)

1944–1947 · anti-soviet partisan war

1954 · Crimea peninsula becomes annexed to Ukraine

16th of July 1990 · the Ukraine declares its sovereignty

24th of August 1991 · the Ukraine declares its independence

8th of December 1991 · Russia, Ukraine and Belarus (White Russia) establish the "Commonwealth of Independent States" (CIS)

21st of December 1991 · joining of all former Soviet Republics of the USSR to the CIS (except Georgia), irrevocable end of the Soviet Union

1994 · elections, special status for Crimea

1996 · constitution for Crimea, it becomes an autonomous republic

January 2014 · coup (not constitutionally compliant change of power), riots

16th of March in 2014 · referendum in the Republic of Crimea, an overwhelming majority votes in favor of a connection to Russia, on 18th of March the parliament of Crimea decides the affiliation to Russia, on 20th of March the parliament of Russia decides the affiliation of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation

7th of April in 2014 · proclamation of the (Russian) Republic of Donetsk in Donbass Area, later also of the Republics of Luhansk, Kharkiv and Odessa

11th of May in 2014 · referendums in the Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk confirm the sovereignty of the republics by a large majority

February 2022 · Russia invades Ukraine and starts a war, virtually as an escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the Donbass region that has been simmering since 2014

30th of September in 2022 · annexation of the Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya Oblasts to the Russian Federation

Source: Atlas zur Geschichte, World Statesmen, Die Völker der Erde, Avantgarde für Europa, Weltgeschichte, Wikipedia (D)

Origin of the Country's Name