I searched "ukraine etymology" - looks like the word was used in 1187 to mean a part of RUSSIAN territory; and it means 'borderland' or 'outland', meaning that of RUSSIA.
In Russian, "krai" = edge, border, or sparsely populated frontier region. Ukraine has historically been the Russian hinterland...but so far away from Moscow, they developed their own language - about 60% in common with Russian.
Yes was not called Ukraine until late 90's. Before that was called The Ukraine.
Ukraine (Ukrainian: Ukraina) is a large Eastern European country with a rich, complex history spanning thousands of years. Its territory has been a crossroads of cultures, empires, and migrations, often referred to as a "borderland." It gained full independence in 1991.
Etymology and "The Ukraine"
The name Ukraine first appears in historical records around 1187 in the Hypatian Codex (a chronicle of Kievan Rus'), referring to a peripheral or frontier territory. It derives from Slavic roots meaning "borderland," "frontier," or "region/country" (u + krai).
In English, it was commonly called "the Ukraine" (similar to "the Netherlands" for lowlands or border regions) especially during the Russian Empire and Soviet eras. This usage implied a geographic or administrative area rather than a sovereign nation—often a "borderland" of Russia or the USSR.
After Ukraine declared independence in 1991, the definite article fell out of favor. Ukrainians and style guides view "the Ukraine" as outdated or subtly denying sovereignty, as it treats the name as a descriptive region rather than a proper country name. Official preference is now simply Ukraine. The shift became pronounced in the early 1990s.
Early History
Prehistory and Antiquity: Humans inhabited the area since the Paleolithic. Nomadic groups like Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, and later Goths, Huns, and others roamed the Pontic steppe. Greek colonies existed on the Black Sea coast. Slavic tribes settled in the region from around the 4th–6th centuries CE.
Kievan Rus' (9th–13th centuries): The foundational East Slavic state emerged in the 9th century, centered on Kyiv (Kiev). It reached its peak in the 10th–11th centuries under Volodymyr the Great (who Christianized the realm in 988) and Yaroslav the Wise. It was one of Europe's largest and most powerful states, a major cultural and trade hub. Mongols under Batu Khan sacked Kyiv in 1240, ending its dominance and leading to fragmentation.
Later Medieval and Early Modern Periods
Ukrainian lands were divided among the Golden Horde, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Kingdom of Poland, and others in the 14th–16th centuries.
The Cossack Hetmanate arose in the 17th century. Bohdan Khmelnytsky's 1648 uprising against Polish rule led to the 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav with Muscovy (Russia), seeking protection but resulting in growing Russian influence. Ukraine was later partitioned between Russia and Poland.
By the late 18th century, most of Ukraine fell under the Russian Empire, with western areas under Austrian/Habsburg control.
19th–Early 20th Century
Ukrainian national consciousness grew amid Romanticism and opposition to Russification and Polonization. Cultural revival included language standardization and literature.
After World War I and the 1917 Russian Revolution, Ukraine briefly declared independence as the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921), but faced invasions and chaos. Bolshevik forces eventually prevailed.
Soviet Era (1922–1991)
Ukraine became the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, a founding republic of the USSR in 1922.
The 1932–1933 Holodomor (man-made famine under Stalin) killed millions of Ukrainians through collectivization and grain seizures; many view it as genocide.
Ukraine suffered immense devastation in World War II (Nazi occupation 1941–1944), with millions dead.
Postwar, borders expanded to include western territories. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster occurred in northern Ukraine.
Independence and Modern Era
In 1991, following a referendum, Ukraine declared independence as the Soviet Union dissolved. It inherited a large military and nuclear arsenal (later denuclearized).
The 1990s involved economic challenges and political shifts. The 2004 Orange Revolution protested election fraud and pushed for reform. The 2013–2014 Euromaidan (Revolution of Dignity) ousted a pro-Russian president amid protests over EU ties, leading to Russia's annexation of Crimea and conflict in the Donbas.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion. Ukraine mounted a strong defense, though the war has caused massive casualties, displacement, and destruction.
Ukraine has historically balanced influences from Europe and Russia, with a strong sense of distinct identity rooted in Kievan Rus', Cossack traditions, and resilience against domination. Its fertile "black soil" lands earned it the nickname "breadbasket of Europe." Today, it asserts a European-oriented, sovereign path while defending against external aggression.
On this map, southwest corner , Bessararabia.
[Catherine the Great's 1763 Volga manifesto, but tailored to Bessarabia's southern districts]
German steppe land farmers to develop the rich steppe lands in the Bessararabia valleys.
I'm not sure I understand you. Bessarabia was on the Black Sea coast, east of Odessa for which the adjacent river is the Dneiper. The Volga river empties into the Caspian Sea, and the Volga Germans settled near the ancient town of Kolb, southwest of today's Saratov. My late former spouse's (ex-ex's) family came from there. Their surname is that of a small town across the river from Saratov. Perhaps there were Germans also in Bessarabia.
I also had ancestry from there. It is a territory of Russia that eventually grew and became Ukraine. Moldova is also a region. Putin himself said it has been a territory since around 900 ad. Tucker Carlson interview.
History has a way of obscuring truth.
Ukraine was one of many nations created after WWI.
I searched "ukraine etymology" - looks like the word was used in 1187 to mean a part of RUSSIAN territory; and it means 'borderland' or 'outland', meaning that of RUSSIA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_of_Ukraine
In Russian, "krai" = edge, border, or sparsely populated frontier region. Ukraine has historically been the Russian hinterland...but so far away from Moscow, they developed their own language - about 60% in common with Russian.
And in 1922 it became part of the USSR. Its current existence as a sovereign country really only started in 1989 when the USSR dissolved.
Yes was not called Ukraine until late 90's. Before that was called The Ukraine.
Ukraine (Ukrainian: Ukraina) is a large Eastern European country with a rich, complex history spanning thousands of years. Its territory has been a crossroads of cultures, empires, and migrations, often referred to as a "borderland." It gained full independence in 1991.
Etymology and "The Ukraine"
The name Ukraine first appears in historical records around 1187 in the Hypatian Codex (a chronicle of Kievan Rus'), referring to a peripheral or frontier territory. It derives from Slavic roots meaning "borderland," "frontier," or "region/country" (u + krai).
In English, it was commonly called "the Ukraine" (similar to "the Netherlands" for lowlands or border regions) especially during the Russian Empire and Soviet eras. This usage implied a geographic or administrative area rather than a sovereign nation—often a "borderland" of Russia or the USSR.
After Ukraine declared independence in 1991, the definite article fell out of favor. Ukrainians and style guides view "the Ukraine" as outdated or subtly denying sovereignty, as it treats the name as a descriptive region rather than a proper country name. Official preference is now simply Ukraine. The shift became pronounced in the early 1990s.
Early History
Later Medieval and Early Modern Periods
19th–Early 20th Century
Ukrainian national consciousness grew amid Romanticism and opposition to Russification and Polonization. Cultural revival included language standardization and literature.
After World War I and the 1917 Russian Revolution, Ukraine briefly declared independence as the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921), but faced invasions and chaos. Bolshevik forces eventually prevailed.
Soviet Era (1922–1991)
Independence and Modern Era
Ukraine has historically balanced influences from Europe and Russia, with a strong sense of distinct identity rooted in Kievan Rus', Cossack traditions, and resilience against domination. Its fertile "black soil" lands earned it the nickname "breadbasket of Europe." Today, it asserts a European-oriented, sovereign path while defending against external aggression.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!” Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew , Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.
--The Charge of the Light Brigade BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
That Lord Ragland should have been court martialed, and hung for his arrogant careless incompetence that got all those men killed.
That's because ukraine is not a sovereign nation it still part of russua.
On this map, southwest corner , Bessararabia. [Catherine the Great's 1763 Volga manifesto, but tailored to Bessarabia's southern districts] German steppe land farmers to develop the rich steppe lands in the Bessararabia valleys.
I'm not sure I understand you. Bessarabia was on the Black Sea coast, east of Odessa for which the adjacent river is the Dneiper. The Volga river empties into the Caspian Sea, and the Volga Germans settled near the ancient town of Kolb, southwest of today's Saratov. My late former spouse's (ex-ex's) family came from there. Their surname is that of a small town across the river from Saratov. Perhaps there were Germans also in Bessarabia.
I also had ancestry from there. It is a territory of Russia that eventually grew and became Ukraine. Moldova is also a region. Putin himself said it has been a territory since around 900 ad. Tucker Carlson interview. History has a way of obscuring truth.
But but but!!1!....
I have this flag!! 11!
I see Constantinople ....
where's Tartaria ;-)
Finland looks amazing.
Jokes aside, I always wanted to visit St Petersburg and Russia.