A Brief History Of Ukraine (And Why Russia Wants To Control It)

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Published 2022-03-21
A Brief History Of Ukraine (And Why Russia Wants To Control It)

In this animated video, historian Matt Lewis tells the story of Ukraine's turbulent and often surprising history. Beginning over a thousand years ago with the formation of the Kyivan Rus state, Matt tracks the development of Ukraine during the Mongol invasions, its incorporation into the Polish and Lithuanian Commonwealth, and eventually it's allegiance with the tsars of a newly formed Russia.

The ongoing crisis in relations between Russia and Ukraine is threatening to engulf eastern Europe in a war on a scale not seen since 1945. The eyes of the world are focussed on the military activity as politicians scramble to encourage a diplomatic solution that will deescalate the conflict.

Ukraine was known as the breadbasket of Soviet Russia. It remains politically, militarily, and economically important to Russia today. Precisely why there is a dispute over the sovereignty or otherwise of Ukraine is a complex question rooted in the region’s history. It is a story more than a thousand years in the making. For much of this story, Ukraine did not
exist, at least not as an independent, sovereign state, so the name Ukraine will be used to help identify the region around Kyiv that was so central to the story. The Crimea is an important part of the story too and its history forms a part of the history of the relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

#Ukraine #Russia #History

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All Comments (21)
  • @kostiamarich
    In this video there aren't mentioned such vital points of Ukraine's history as the principality of Halych-Volyn, the emerge of Cossacks and their uprisings (which didn't have joining Russia as their main goal), the Cossack Hetmanate and Zaporozhian Sich. It wouldn't be so difficult to tell about that. However, a part of video is dedicated to the Crimean War, which relates to Russia's history, not that of Ukraine. Ukraine itself didn't fight the Crimean War, the Russian Empire did. I understand this is called 'brief history' but 'brief' doesn't mean 'inaccurate' or 'partial'.
  • @gwynbleinn
    Much is not said, some things are mixed up and changed. It seems that the author read a couple of short articles about different aspects of the Ukrainian history, then tried to combine them without delving into the topic and important details
  • Stalin was a Georgian and his first deputy in Soviet Occupied Ukrainian was Lazar Kaganovich a Jew......Kaganovich was the architect behind the Holomodor. I honestly and genuinely felt that this was worth stating!
  • @mdschaeffer
    I learned just this year that I have Ukrainian in my history and culture. I am 64 years old. my 87 y o dad emailed me a map of farmland showing 1 plat of farm land to have our last name. It had something to do with Czar Katerina offering farmland to German settlers. I was told since my earliest days that I and my 4 siblings were 100% German. Apparently when a folllowing czar kicked them off the land, they came to the United States. My fa, landed in S Dakota. Im trying to learn more about the post- Roman, pre-Christian Germanic/ medieval history of my German culture.
  • @hal.v.a
    Cossacks were fighting against moskovits together with lithuanians and treaty in 1654 was signed only because hetman had no choice he needed assistance in the war against poles and this decision was quite unpopular among elites. Cossacks were never favouring moscow. This page is so important in ukrainian history and this video says almost nothing about hetmanat, viisko zaporizske and cossacks.
  • The video missed many important moments from the history of Ukraine. Even within the framework of a short retelling of the history and situation of Ukraine.
  • the map of ukraine from 1922 is not accurate, the territory was much smaller until 1945.
  • well, Western Ukraine was annexed into USSR territory during WW2 after Soviet Invasion of Poland. Before that that western area was mainly a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire, so not Russia. That's quite important factor, as this part (around Lviv) is staunchly pro-Western.
  • In 1991 Ukraine voted 93% to be independent, with 84% of the population taking part in the vote. I think this says all I need to hear. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦❤️❤️❤️🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦❤️❤️
  • Economic investigator Frank G Melbourne Australia is following this very informative content cheers Frank 😊
  • My dad‘s family is Ukrainian; I’ve been able to trace our lineage back to the late 1700s. In 1926, my great-grandparents immigrated to Canada ahead of the Holodomor, but lost many family members in the intentional starvation of over 10 million people. Dido (my great-grandfather) lived to be 103, and so I grew up listening to his stories of his life in Ukraine. This video taught me even more than what I’ve read on my own about the history of Ukraine. Thanks for posting this! ❤️🇺🇦
  • @vr_bob
    Completely disagree with the analogy that Ukraine to Russia is Cuba to the US. Russia always had the west at its doorstep. The US did not have the east at its - until Cuba received missiles.
  • @mark4347
    Could use some minor editing in the beginning several minutes, and clearer speech in a few places, but all in all a presentation worth watching. Subscribing.
  • Some specific, pivotal points, details regarding the Rise of Ukraine. "Out of the chaos into which Russia fell after the Revolution of the February1917, a NEW NATION now emerges - the "Ukrainian People's Republic." "Dismembered Russia- Some of the Fragments" "The New York Times" February 1918 Canadian scholar Orest Subtelny about this newly emerged Nation - Ukraine: "In 1919 total chaos engulfed Ukraine. Indeed, in the modern history of Europe no country experienced such complete anarchy, bitter civil strife, and total collapse of authority as did Ukraine at this time. Six different armies..., operated on its territory. Kyiv changed hands five times in less than a year. Cities and regions were cut off from each other by the numerous fronts. Communications with the outside world broke down almost completely. The starving cities emptied as people moved into the countryside in their search for food." Newly emerged Ukraine struggled for survival till November 1921. This turmoil resulted in the division of Ukraine between the Bolshevik Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia. Fragments, absorbed by Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia didn't get any kind of autonomy ever. And only in the frame of the Soviet Union , newly emerged Nation - Ukraine was granted the Autonomy. The Ukrainian Soviet Republic was proclaimed as an integral part of the Soviet Union, created in 1922. And Attention! The same way newly emerged "Donetsk Krivorozsk Republic", with the capital in Kharkov, historically Russian industrial hub of Russian Empire - Donbass, proclaimed in 1917 originally as part of Russian Federation! on the Demand of Lenin, it was also included in the new artificial construct of the Soviet Ukraine. Such way Historically Russian Donbass became the part of the Soviet Ukraine Moreover, the Northern Coastal land of Black Sea, with all these strategically important, jarbor9 ports, beautiful cities - Odessa, Kherson, Ochakov, Mariupol to name a few, which were founded, developed, and flourishing in the time of Russian Empire when Ukraine didn't exist yet, this strategically important Northern Coastal land of the Black Sea was also included in the Soviet Ukraine on the demand of Lenin! In 1939 and 1945 Stalin included in the Soviet Ukraine the Western territories. Crimea was annexed by Russia 240 years ago, when Ukraine didn't exist yet "The Ottoman Empire was defeated by Catherine the Great, Russia. Crimea was traded to Russia as part of the treaty provisions and was annexed in 1783. After two centuries of conflicts, the Russian fleet had destroyed the Ottoman navy and the Russian army had inflicted heavy defeats on the Ottoman land forces". And there was NO Ukraine, it simply didn't exist. There were 12 wars between Russia and Ottoman Empire, and each time Crimea and Northern Coastal land of Black Sea, which as a whole was marked on the map of Russian Empire as Taurida Governorate - for centuries it was recognized as an integral part of Russia, demonstrated increased Russia's power in the Black Sea areas and the territories of the Northern Coastal land. Since 1783 Crimea was part of Russia, until Nikita Khrushchev, in 1954 decided to make a present of it to Ukrainian Soviet Republic - at time it was an internal transaction, could be seen as meaningless legally and politically, because Ukraine was an integral part of the Soviet Union".. and important! nobody ever cared about people of Crimea, nobody asked if they liked it if they wanted to become part of the Ukraine..
  • @C01A60
    Totally miss the story about the energy resources in East and south Ukraine..
  • @jayro792
    I could have missed it… but where is the root of the prominence of the Ukraine?? You just briefly mention the Cossacks and then from no where say the Ukrainian language was banned… but don’t shed any light on how Ukraine and its language came to be proliferated?? Feels like an important aspect of this history is missing.