1. Ukraine on the way to independence. First years of the independence (1986- 1994). Plan  Social, political and economic situation in Ukraine (1986-1991)  Ukraine in the first years of independence. Presidency of Leonid Kravchuk.

2.  Communist ideology lost its authority, the society was quickly politicized.  There began the actions of protest against closing the schools with education in Ukrainian, against forcing out the national language from the sphere of state management, book-publishing and mass media.

3.  In the spring of 1989, the first free elections were held in the USSR  On July 16, 1990 the Parliament adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine.  In March 1990, elections were held for the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR and local councils.  On the evening of August 19, 1991, the conservatives of the central party-state management made an attempt of the state upheaval, striving to turn the country life to the state before 1985.

4. The last Secretary of USSR (Mikhail Gorbachev)

5.  On August 24, the extraordinary session of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR approved “The Bill of Independence Announcement of Ukraine”.  On December 1, 1991, the referendum on confirmation of “The Bill of Independence Announcement of Ukraine” took place.  There was a positive response from 90.3% of the population who took part in the referendum.  The elections of the first President of Ukraine were also held. Leonid Kravchuk became the first President of Ukraine.

6.  The referendum in Ukraine created a qualitatively new situation with regard to the problem of existence of the USSR.  A week after this event, Borys Yeltsin, President of RSFSR, Leonid Kravchuk, and S. Shushkevych, Head of the Supreme Council of Belarus announced at the meeting in Minsk that the USSR no longer existed as a subject of international law and geopolitical reality.  For December 1991, the independence of Ukraine was recognized by 68 states, and in 1992 it was recognized by 64 states.

7.  The constitutional process, which began in July 1990 by adopting the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine became the most important element in the creation of the state.  The Constitution of Ukraine was adopted on June 28, 1996, created a strong legislative foundation for the regulation of public relations, development of sovereignty and a democratic state.

8. The first president of Independent Ukraine

9.  In June 1994 when, as a result of free elections, the power was given up to Leonid Kuchma, the new President of Ukraine.  Kuchma was, however, criticized by opponents for concentrating too much of power in his office, corruption, transferring public property into hands of loyal oligarchs, discouraging free speech. oligarchs  Dissatisfied with the economic conditions, as well as crime and corruption, Ukrainians protested and organised strikes.

10.  The Ukrainian economy stabilized by the end of the 1990s.  A new currency, the hryvnia, was introduced in 1996. hryvnia  Since 2000, the country has enjoyed steady economic growth averaging about seven percent annually.  The 2004 presidential election in Ukraine featured two main candidates. 2004 presidential election in Ukraine2004 presidential election in Ukraine  One was sitting Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, largely supported by Leonid Kuchma Prime MinisterViktor YanukovychLeonid KuchmaPrime MinisterViktor YanukovychLeonid Kuchma

12. Government and politics  Ukraine is a republic under a mixed semi- parliamentary semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. republicsemi-presidential systemlegislativeexecutive judicialrepublicsemi-presidential systemlegislativeexecutive judicial  The President is elected by popular vote for a five-year term and is the formal head of state. Presidenthead of statePresidenthead of state  Ukraine's legislative branch includes the 450-seat unicameral parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. unicameral Verkhovna Radaunicameral Verkhovna Rada

13.  The parliament is primarily responsible for the formation of the executive branch and the Cabinet of Ministers, which is headed by the Prime Minister. Cabinet of MinistersPrime MinisterCabinet of MinistersPrime Minister  The Supreme Court is the main body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction. Supreme CourtSupreme Court  The European Union offered an Association Agreement with Ukraine in September, 2008. The country is a potential candidate for future enlargement of the European Union. European Union Association Agreementfuture enlargement of the European UnionEuropean Union Association Agreementfuture enlargement of the European Union

14. Verkhovna RadaVerkhovna Rada, the Parliament of Ukraine

15. Administrative divisions  Ukraine is subdivided into twenty-four oblasts (provinces) and one autonomous republic, Crimea. oblastsprovincesautonomous republicCrimea oblastsprovincesautonomous republicCrimea  The 24 oblasts and Crimea are subdivided into 490 raions (districts), or second-level administrative units. CrimearaionsdistrictsCrimearaionsdistricts  n total, Ukraine has 457 cities, 176 of them are labeled oblast-class, 279 smaller raion-class cities, and two special legal status cities. These are followed by 886 urban-type settlements and 28,552 villages.

17. Geography  At 603,700 kilometres² (233,074 sq mi) and with a coastline of 2,782 kilometres (1,729 mi), Ukraine is the world's 44th- largest country (after the Central African Republic, before Madagascar). sq mi44th- largest countryCentral African RepublicMadagascarsq mi44th- largest countryCentral African RepublicMadagascar  It is the second largest country in Europe (after the European part of Russia, before metropolitan France). second largest country metropolitan Francesecond largest country metropolitan France

18.  The Ukrainian landscape consists mostly of fertile plains (or steppes) and plateaus, crossed by rivers such as the Dnieper (Dnipro), Seversky Donets, Dniester and the Southern Buh as they flow south into the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. steppesDnieperSeversky DonetsDniesterSouthern BuhBlack Sea of AzovsteppesDnieperSeversky DonetsDniesterSouthern BuhBlack Sea of Azov  The country's only mountains are the Carpathian Mountains in the west, of which the highest is the Hora Hoverla at 2,061 m (6,762 ft), and those on the Crimean peninsula, in the extreme south along the coast. Carpathian MountainsHora Hoverlaftthose Crimean Carpathian MountainsHora Hoverlaftthose Crimean

19. View of Yalta from the coast of the Black Sea.Black Sea

20. Azov sea coast near Kerch.

21. The Dnieper River seen atop a hill in Kiev, Ukraine. KievUkraine

22. TiraspolTiraspol and the Dniester river

25. Economy  With the collapse of the Soviet system, the country moved from a planned economy to a market economy. planned economymarket economyplanned economymarket economy  Ukraine produces nearly all types of transportation vehicles and spacecraft. spacecraft  The country imports most energy supplies, especially oil and natural gas, and to a large extent depends on Russia as its energy supplier. oilnatural gas oilnatural gas  While 25 percent of the natural gas in Ukraine comes from internal sources, about 35 percent comes from Russia and the remaining 40 percent from Central Asia through transit routes that Russia controls. Central AsiaCentral Asia

26.  The World Bank classifies Ukraine as a middle-income state. [ World Bank [World Bank [  By July 2008 the average nominal salary in Ukraine reached 1,930 hryvnias per month. [92 [92  Significant issues include underdeveloped infrastructure and transportation, corruption and bureaucracy.  Ukraine produces nearly all types of transportation vehicles and spacecraft. spacecraft  Ukraine is recognised as a world leader in producing missiles and missile related technology.

27. The building of the National Bank of UkrainebuildingNational Bank of Ukraine

28. Ukrainian oblasts (provinces) by monthly salaryoblasts monthly salary

30. Culture  Ukrainian customs are heavily influenced by Christianity, which is the dominant religion in the country. Christianity  The tradition of the Easter egg, known as pysanky, has long roots in Ukraine. Easter egg pysankyEaster egg pysanky  In the city of Kolomya near the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in 2000 was built the museum of Pysanka which won a nomination as the monument of modern Ukraine in 2007, part of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine action. Carpathian mountainsSeven Wonders of UkraineCarpathian mountainsSeven Wonders of Ukraine

31.  Popular traditional dishes include varenyky (boiled dumplings with mushrooms, potatoes, sauerkraut, cottage cheese or cherries), borsch (soup made of beets, cabbage and mushrooms or meat) and holubtsy (stuffed cabbage rolls filled with rice, carrots and meat). holubtsy

32. A collection of traditional pysanky from Volynpysanky Volyn

33. The Pysanka Museum, Kolomiya, Ukraine

34. 1. Sofiyivsky Park 1. Sofiyivsky Park in Uman, Cherkasy OblastUmanCherkasy Oblast

35. It was founded in 1796 by Count Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki, a noble Polish szlahtich. The park is named after his Greek wife Sofia and was built in 1802. It's one of the world famous garden-park art creations. There are many scenic areas in the park including waterfalls, fountains, ponds and a stone garden. It is one of the most famous examples of late 17th or early 18th century European landscape garden design that has been preserved to the present time.CountStanisław Szczęsny Potockiszlahtic

36. 2. Kiev Pechersk Lavra2. Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) in KievKiev

37. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1015 the Lavra has been a prominent center of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. Together with the Saint-Sophia Cathedral, it is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.cave monastery 1015Eastern Orthodox ChristianityEastern EuropeSaint-Sophia CathedralUNESCO World Heritage Site Currently, the jurisdiction over the site is divided between the state museum, National Kyiv- Pechersk Historic-Cultural Preserve, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the site of the chief monastery of that Church and the residence of its leader, Metropolitan Volodymyr. Ukrainian Orthodox ChurchMetropolitan Volodymyr

38. 3. Kamianets-Podilskyi Historical Complex3. Kamianets-Podilskyi Historical Complex in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast Kamianets-PodilskyiKhmelnytskyi Oblast

39. An old street in Kamianets-Podilskyi's old town quarter.

40. The Stephen Báthory Gate is part of the city's old fortification complex.Stephen Báthory

41. 4. Khortytsia [8] 4. Khortytsia [8] in Zaporizhia, Zaporizhia OblastZaporizhia Zaporizhia Oblast

42. Nowadays, Khortysia is designated a national museum. The rural landscape of the island features the Zaporizhian Cossack Museum and a Cossack horse show. The museum building is modern, nestling low in the landscape with dramatic views of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station to the north.Zaporizhian CossackMuseumDnieper Hydroelectric Station The museum contains exhibits dating from the Stone Age through the Scythian period (c.750 - 250 BC) down to the 20th century, including a model of the Pecheneg ambush which claimed the life of Svyatoslav in 972 and a panorama representing the Battle for Zaporizhia, fought during World War II on October 14, 1943.ScythianWorld War IIOctober 141943

43. 5. Chersonesos [9] 5. Chersonesos [9] in Sevastopol

44. Chersonesos was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica. The colony was established in the 6th century BC. Chersonesos' ancient ruins are presently located in one of Sevastopol's suburbs. The buildings mix influences of Greek, Roman and Byzantine culture. The defensive wall is hundreds of meters long. Buildings include Roman amphitheatre and a Greek temple.ancient GreekCrimea TauricaRomanByzantineamphitheatre

45. 6. Saint Sophia Cathedral [10] 6. Saint Sophia Cathedral [10] in KievKiev

46. 7. Khotyn Fortress [11] 7. Khotyn Fortress [11] in Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast KhotynChernivtsi Oblast

47. The Khotyn Fortress is a fortification complex located on the shores of the Dniester River in Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine. Construction on the current fortress was started in 1325, while major improvements were made in the 1380s and in the 1460s.Dniester KhotynUkraine The fortress is a large tourist attraction for the area and Ukraine. It is also a National Ukrainian Architectural Preserve as of 2000.

48. Language  According to the Constitution, the state language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. Constitutionstate languageConstitutionstate language  According to the 2001 census, 67.5 percent of the population declared Ukrainian as their native language and 29.6 percent declared Russian.  Most native Ukrainian speakers know Russian as a second language.  Ukrainian is mainly spoken in western and central Ukraine.  In central Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian are both equally used  In eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian is primarily used in cities, and surzhyk is used in rural areas.

49. Percentage of native Ukrainian speakers by subdivision

50. Demographics  According to the Ukrainian Census of 2001, ethnic Ukrainians make up 77.8% of the population. Ukrainian Census of 2001UkrainiansUkrainian Census of 2001Ukrainians  Other significant ethnic groups are Russians (17.3%), Belarusians (0.6%), Moldovans (0.5%), Crimean Tatars (0.5%), Bulgarians (0.4%), Hungarians (0.3%), Romanians (0.3%), Poles (0.3%), Jews (0.2%), Armenians (0.2%), Greeks (0.2%) and Tatars (0.2%). RussiansBelarusians MoldovansCrimean TatarsBulgariansHungariansRomaniansPoles JewsArmeniansGreeksTatars RussiansBelarusians MoldovansCrimean TatarsBulgariansHungariansRomaniansPoles JewsArmeniansGreeksTatars

51.  The industrial regions in the east and southeast are the most heavily populated, and about 67.2 percent of the population lives in urban areas.  Ukraine is considered to be in a demographic crisis due to its high death rate and a low birth rate.  A factor contributing to the relatively high death is a high mortality rate among working-age males from preventable causes such as alcohol poisoning and smoking. mortality ratealcohol poisoning smokingmortality ratealcohol poisoning smoking

52.  To help mitigate these trends, the government continues to increase child support payments. Thus it provides one- time payments of 12,250 hryvnias for the first child, 25,000 hryvnias for the second and 50,000 hryvnias for the third and fourth, along with monthly payments of 154 hryvnias per child. ryvnias

53. Lilacs in the Central Botanical Garden, with Vydubychi Monastery and the Left Bank of Kiev in the background.Vydubychi Monastery

54. E40E40, the longest of all European routes, going through Kiev.European routes

55. General view of the Andriyivskyy Descent with the Castle of Richard Lionheart on the left and the St Andrew's Church in the background.Castle of Richard LionheartSt Andrew's Church

56. This ensemble of authentic windmills is the centrepiece of a 1.5 square kilometres (0.58 sq mi) open air Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukrainewindmillsopen air

57. Fire safety is a significant concern as most of the museum's structures are wooden, and many houses have thatched roofs.thatched roofs

58. View of the historic Old Town of Lviv.Old Town

59. A Lviv tram on a small cobblestone sidestreet in the Old Town.Lviv tramcobblestone

60. The Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre, an important cultural centre for residents and visitors.Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre

61. Lychakivskiy Cemetery, 2007

62. Kharkiv's Freedom Square.Freedom Square

63. Religion  The dominant religion in Ukraine is Eastern Orthodox Christianity Eastern Orthodox ChristianityEastern Orthodox Christianity  A distant second by the number of the followers is the Eastern Rite Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Eastern RiteUkrainian Greek Catholic ChurchEastern RiteUkrainian Greek Catholic Church  Additionally, there are 863 Roman Catholic Roman CatholicRoman Catholic  Protestant Christians also form around 2.19 percent of the population. Protestant Christians Protestant Christians  Other groups include Calvinists, Lutherans, Methodists and Seventh-day Adventists. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is also present. CalvinistsLutherans MethodistsSeventh-day AdventistsThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsMormonCalvinistsLutherans MethodistsSeventh-day AdventistsThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsMormon

64. The ruins of an ancient Greek theatre. Chersonesus, Sevastopol.Chersonesus

65. Ruins of Panticapaeum. 6th century BC (Kerch)

66. Yenikale fortressYenikale fortress. Built by the Turks in the 18th (Kerch)

67. The Massandra Palace near Yalta is one of the official residences of Ukraine.Massandra PalaceYaltaUkraine

68. Swallow's NestSwallow's Nest, a symbol of Crimea, one of the best-known, romantic castles near Yalta. It was built in 1912 in the Neo-Gothic style by the order of the German Baron Stengel. YaltaNeo-Gothic

69. The Hansaray, succession home of the Crimean Khans, in Bakhchisaray.Hansaray Crimean KhansBakhchisaray

70. The Greek colony of Chersonesos, Sevastopol.Chersonesos Sevastopol

71. Genoese fortress of Caffa in Feodosia

72. View of the Sevastopol port.

73. Bay of Sudak.Sudak

74. View of Yalta and the surrounding Crimean Mountains, as seen from the "Tsar's Path".Crimean Mountains

75. The front façade of the Livadia Palace, located in the town of Livadiya, used for the Yalta Conference during World War II.Livadia Palace LivadiyaYalta ConferenceWorld War II