Post-Soviet transition in Ukraine

Socialist country in Eastern Europe 1991-1996

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Ukraine

Україна
Ukrayina

1991–1996

Co-flags (1991–92)

Coat of arms (1992–96)

Flag (1992–96):

Capital

and largest city

| Kyiv
Common languages| Ukrainiana[1] * Russian[2]
Demonym(s)| Ukrainian
Government| Unitary semi-presidential Transitional government
President|

• 1991-1994 (first)

| Leonid Kravchuk

• 1994-1996 (last)

| Leonid Kuchma
Prime Minister|

• 1991-1992 (first)

| Vitold Fokin

• 1996 (last)

| Pavlo Lazarenko
Legislature| Verkhovna Rada[3]
History|

• Sovereignty declared

| 16 June 1990

• Independence declared

| 24 August 1991

• Referendum

| 1 December 1991

• Belavezha Accords

| 10 December 1991

• Independence recognized

| 26 December 1991

• New Constitution

| 28 June 1996
Currency| Ukrainian karbovanets
ISO 3166 code| UA

Preceded by | Succeeded by

|

|  | 1991:
Ukrainian SSR

|

| Soviet Union
| 1992:
Ukrainian government-in-exile
| Ukraine |

|

Today part of| Ukraine
Russia (disputed)

Part of a series on the

History of Ukraine

Topics

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Early history

* Cucuteni–Trypillia culture
* Yamnaya culture
* Catacomb culture
* Cimmeria
* Taurica
* Scythia
* Bosporan Kingdom
* Sarmatia
* Zarubintsy culture
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* Hunnic Empire

Middle Ages

* Early East Slavs
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* Cumania
* Principality of Kyiv
* Mongol invasion of Rus'
* Golden Horde
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* Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Ruthenia and Samogitia
* Crimean Khanate

Early Modern period

* Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
* Kyiv Voivodeship
* Cossacks
* Zaporozhian Host
* Zaporozhian Sich
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Modern history

* Ukraine during World War I
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* Reichskommissariat Ukraine
* Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists
* Volhynia genocide
* Chernobyl disaster

Contemporary Ukraine

* Post-Soviet transition in Ukraine
* Cassette Scandal
* Orange Revolution
* Russia–Ukraine gas disputes
* Euromaidan
* Revolution of Dignity
* Russo-Ukrainian War
* Annexation of Crimea
* War in Donbas
* COVID-19 pandemic
* Russian invasion of Ukraine

* Ukraine portal
* History portal

* v
* t
* e

The post-Soviet transition in Ukraine was the period following the country's independence in 1991 up until the adoption of its constitution in 1996.

## Geography

[edit]

Ukraine's territory (including the Crimean Peninsula) was the same as that of the Ukrainian SSR with a land area of about 603,700 square kilometres (233,100 sq mi).

## History

[edit]

### Independence

[edit]

Further information: Declaration of Independence of Ukraine and Ukrainian independence referendum, 1991

The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the founding states of the Soviet Union (USSR). Prior to its creation, the Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed in 1917 and declared its independence from Russia on 25 January 1918 before being consumed by Soviet Russia in 1921.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became head of state of the USSR and introduced several policies, such as the perestroika and glasnost. Instead of saving the Soviet regime, the reforms triggered a number of popular upheavals in Europe, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Between 1990 and 1991, several republics of the Soviet Union proclaimed their state sovereignty and then announced their independence. On July 16, 1990, the Ukrainian SSR's parliament issued its 12th legislation proclaiming the sovereignty of Ukraine's territory and the country eventually declared its independence on August 24, 1991. The declaration was then confirmed by the results of the referendum on December 1 later that year, where 90,3 % of voters were in favor of independence.[4] The same day, Leonid Kravchuk, head of the Supreme Council of Ukraine, was elected as the country's first president. Shortly after, an economic then political crisis developed and Kravchuk organized another presidential election as a response.[4] In 1992, Mykola Plaviuk, the exiled Ukrainian president, handed over powers to Kravchuk, thus declaring the Ukrainian government a legal successor to the Ukrainian People's Republic.

### Crisis in Crimea

[edit]

See also: Autonomous Republic of Crimea

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2014)

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### End of the transitional period

[edit]

See also: 1994 Ukrainian presidential election

In 1994, Leonid Kuchma was elected by 52% of the voters. He started implementing certain economic reforms paving the way for aid from the International Monetary Fund. However, Kuchma fails to obtain a majority in the following legislative election by parliament and had to share power with the opposition. The 13th legislation was issued by parliament on June 28, 1996, where a constitution was adopted and took effect immediately afterwards. The country's official name became "Ukraine" instead of "Republic of Ukraine".[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Law of Ukraine "About languages of the Ukrainian SSR"
2. ^ Language Policy in the Soviet Union by Lenore Grenoble, Springer Science+Business Media, 2003, ISBN 978-1-4020-1298-3.
3. ^ History of Ukraine - The Land and Its Peoples by Paul Robert Magocsi, University of Toronto Press, 2010, ISBN 1442640855
4. ^ a b c "Ukraine: vie politique depuis 1991". Larousse.

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Ukraine articles

History|

| Chronology|

* Scythians
* Sarmatians
* Goths
* Early Slavs
* East Slavs
* Kuyaba
* Kievan Rus'
* Principality of Kiev
* Mongol invasion
* Galicia–Volhynia
* Grand Duchy of Lithuania
* Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
* Kiev Voivodeship
* Zaporozhian Cossacks
* Sich
* Hetmanate
* Pereiaslav Agreement
* Russian Empire
* Galicia
* Revolution and War of Independence
* Ukrainian People's Republic
* Ukrainian State
* West Ukrainian People's Republic
* Makhnovshchina
* Reichskommissariat Ukraine
* Ukrainian National Committee
* Ukrainian SSR
* Holodomor
* Eastern Front (World War II)
* Volhynia massacre
* Chernobyl disaster
* Independence
* Orange Revolution
* Euromaidan
* Revolution of Dignity
* Russo-Ukrainian War
* Outline
* 2014 pro-Russian unrest
* Annexation of Crimea by Russia
* War in Donbas
* 2022 Russian invasion

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By topic|

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Geography|

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Demographics|

* Ukrainian people
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* Ruthenians
* Gente Ruthenus, natione Polonus
* Diaspora
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* Censuses
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* Outline

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