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The Ukraine Portal - Портал України

Ukraine
Україна (Ukrainian)
ISO 3166 codeUA

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is Ukraine's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. The official language of the country is Ukrainian. Ukraine covers an area of 603,628 km2 (233,062 sq mi) with an estimated total population of 32.3 million in 2026.

Humans have inhabited Ukraine since 32,000 BC. During the Middle Ages, it was the site of early Slavic expansion and later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. Kievan Rus' became the largest and most powerful realm in Europe in the 10th and 11th centuries, but gradually disintegrated into rival regional powers before being destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. For the next 600 years the area was contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers, including the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia.

The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century but was partitioned between Russia and Poland before being gradually absorbed by the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Ukrainian nationalism developed and, following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. The Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former empire and established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922. In the early 1930s, millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, a human-made famine. During World War II, Ukraine was occupied by Germany and endured major battles and atrocities, resulting in 7 million civilians killed, including most Ukrainian Jews.

Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, declaring itself neutral. A new constitution was adopted in 1996 as the country transitioned to a free market liberal democracy amid endemic corruption and a legacy of state control. The Orange Revolution of 2004–2005 ushered electoral and constitutional reforms. Resurgent political crises prompted a series of mass demonstrations in 2014 known as the Euromaidan, leading to a revolution, at the end of which Russia unilaterally occupied and annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war in Donbas with Russia and Russian-backed separatists. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began the current phase of the war. (Full article...)

In the news

23 June 2026 – North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war
South Korea announces that it will accept any North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia if they choose resettlement in South Korea. South Korea also opposes any repatriation of such prisoners against their wishes. (Reuters)
22 June 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Aerial warfare in the Russo-Ukrainian war
Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba says that Russian drone attacks in Ukraine have killed at least five people, including an Egyptian crew member aboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel in the Black Sea and three members of the same family in Sumy Oblast. The attack also damages the vessel and forces its crew to evacuate. (Firstpost) (Hurriyet Daily News)
19 June 2026 – Poland–Ukraine relations
Polish president Karol Nawrocki strips Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country's highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle, for naming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which massacred Poles during World War II. (Reuters)
18 June 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
Ukraine launches its largest ever drone attack on Moscow, Russia, targeting the Moscow Refinery and damaging several residential buildings. (AP) (CNN)
Residents of Moscow report oil raining down as massive plumes of black smoke are visible over the city. (BBC News)
Following the attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened Moscow saying, "If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn", warning against further Russian attacks on the country. (The Guardian)
Russia says it will carry out a "massive retaliation" against Ukraine with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov saying the Russian Armed Forces will from now on, carry out "massive group strikes" on a "regular basis" following the attack on Moscow. (MSN)
15 June 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Kyiv strikes

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Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.
  • Image 1 Evdokia Reshetnik (Ukrainian: Євдокія Решетник; 1 March 1903 O.S./14 March 1903 (N. S.) – 22 October 1996) was a Ukrainian zoologist and ecologist. She was a specialist in the mole-rats and ground squirrels of Ukraine, and was the first scientist to describe the sandy blind mole-rat of southern Ukraine in 1939. She played a key role in keeping the National Museum of Natural History at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine operable in the inter-war and immediate post-war periods, in spite of arrests by both the Gestapo and Soviet authorities. She was one of the people involved in hiding specimens of the museum to prevent them being taken by the Germans. She is known for arguing that ecology, species distribution, populations, utility, and variability, should be weighed before making determinations that labeled certain animals as pests and harmful to the environment. Though she was responsible for maintaining the historiography of scientific development in Ukraine, her own legacy was lost until the twenty-first century. (Full article...)
    Evdokia Reshetnik (Ukrainian: Євдокія Решетник; 1 March 1903 O.S./14 March 1903 (N. S.) – 22 October 1996) was a Ukrainian zoologist and ecologist. She was a specialist in the mole-rats and ground squirrels of Ukraine, and was the first scientist to describe the sandy blind mole-rat of southern Ukraine in 1939. She played a key role in keeping the National Museum of Natural History at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine operable in the inter-war and immediate post-war periods, in spite of arrests by both the Gestapo and Soviet authorities. She was one of the people involved in hiding specimens of the museum to prevent them being taken by the Germans. She is known for arguing that ecology, species distribution, populations, utility, and variability, should be weighed before making determinations that labeled certain animals as pests and harmful to the environment. Though she was responsible for maintaining the historiography of scientific development in Ukraine, her own legacy was lost until the twenty-first century. (Full article...)
  • Image 2 A map of the Dnieper reservoir cascade The Dnieper reservoir cascade (Ukrainian: Дніпровський каскад гідроелектростанцій, romanized: Dniprovsʹkyy kaskad hidroelektrostantsiy) is a series of dams, reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations (HPPs) on the Dnieper in Ukraine. The first HPP on the Dnieper was built at Zaporizhzhia in the 1920s. It was created to prevent uncontrolled flooding, and improve water transportation infrastructure. In 2018, the reservoirs stored approximately 70% of Ukraine's fresh water resources. Water is used to cool nuclear power stations, in transport, for fisheries, by industrial and urban centres for numerous purposes, and to irrigate farmland. The cascade’s 900-kilometre-long (560 mi) shipping lane provides a navigation route from Kyiv to the Black Sea. The first HPP provided energy for the armaments industries of southern Ukraine. In 1941, NKVD agents blew up the Dnieper Reservoir dam [uk], supposedly in an attempt to hinder the German advance across Ukraine. The resulting explosion killed thousands of civilians and Red Army troops. It was rebuilt in 1947, and over the next two decades, three new HPPs were built. After Russian armed forces took control of the Kakhovka Dam at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian troops fortified the five other dams. On 6 June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam was breached; the reservoir has since drained away. (Full article...)
    A map of the Dnieper reservoir cascade


    The Dnieper reservoir cascade (Ukrainian: Дніпровський каскад гідроелектростанцій, romanized: Dniprovsʹkyy kaskad hidroelektrostantsiy) is a series of dams, reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations (HPPs) on the Dnieper in Ukraine. The first HPP on the Dnieper was built at Zaporizhzhia in the 1920s. It was created to prevent uncontrolled flooding, and improve water transportation infrastructure. In 2018, the reservoirs stored approximately 70% of Ukraine's fresh water resources. Water is used to cool nuclear power stations, in transport, for fisheries, by industrial and urban centres for numerous purposes, and to irrigate farmland. The cascade’s 900-kilometre-long (560 mi) shipping lane provides a navigation route from Kyiv to the Black Sea.

    The first HPP provided energy for the armaments industries of southern Ukraine. In 1941, NKVD agents blew up the Dnieper Reservoir dam [uk], supposedly in an attempt to hinder the German advance across Ukraine. The resulting explosion killed thousands of civilians and Red Army troops. It was rebuilt in 1947, and over the next two decades, three new HPPs were built. After Russian armed forces took control of the Kakhovka Dam at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian troops fortified the five other dams. On 6 June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam was breached; the reservoir has since drained away. (Full article...)
  • Image 3 Mongol horse archers The Battle of the Kalka River was fought between the Mongol Empire, whose armies were led by Jebe and Subutai, and a coalition of several Rus' principalities, including Kiev and Galicia-Volhynia, and the Cumans under Köten. They were under the joint command of Mstislav the Bold and Mstislav III of Kiev. The battle was fought on May 31, 1223 on the banks of the Kalka River in present-day Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, and ended in a decisive Mongol victory. Following the Mongol invasion of Central Asia and the subsequent collapse of the Khwarezmian Empire, a Mongol force under the command of prominent Mongol Noyans (generals) Jebe and Subutai advanced into Iraq-i Ajam. Jebe requested permission from the Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan, to continue his conquests for a few years before returning to the main army via the Caucasus. While waiting for Genghis Khan's reply, the duo set out on a raid in which they attacked the Kingdom of Georgia. Genghis Khan granted the duo permission to undertake their expedition, and after making their way through the Caucasus, they defeated a coalition of Caucasian tribes before defeating the Cumans. The Cuman Khan fled to the court of his son-in-law, Mstislav Mstislavich of Galicia, whom he convinced to help fight the Mongols. Mstislav the Bold formed an alliance of the Rus' princes including Mstislav III of Kiev. (Full article...)

    Mongol horse archers

    The Battle of the Kalka River was fought between the Mongol Empire, whose armies were led by Jebe and Subutai, and a coalition of several Rus' principalities, including Kiev and Galicia-Volhynia, and the Cumans under Köten. They were under the joint command of Mstislav the Bold and Mstislav III of Kiev. The battle was fought on May 31, 1223 on the banks of the Kalka River in present-day Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, and ended in a decisive Mongol victory.

    Following the Mongol invasion of Central Asia and the subsequent collapse of the Khwarezmian Empire, a Mongol force under the command of prominent Mongol Noyans (generals) Jebe and Subutai advanced into Iraq-i Ajam. Jebe requested permission from the Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan, to continue his conquests for a few years before returning to the main army via the Caucasus. While waiting for Genghis Khan's reply, the duo set out on a raid in which they attacked the Kingdom of Georgia. Genghis Khan granted the duo permission to undertake their expedition, and after making their way through the Caucasus, they defeated a coalition of Caucasian tribes before defeating the Cumans. The Cuman Khan fled to the court of his son-in-law, Mstislav Mstislavich of Galicia, whom he convinced to help fight the Mongols. Mstislav the Bold formed an alliance of the Rus' princes including Mstislav III of Kiev. (Full article...)
  • Image 4 A bowl of borscht garnished with sour cream and dill Borscht (English: /ˈbɔːrʃt/ ⓘ) is a sour soup, made with meat stock, vegetables and seasonings, common in Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word borscht, borrowed via Yiddish, is most often associated with the variant of the soup originating in Ukraine, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give the dish its distinctive red color. The same name, however, is also used for a wide selection of sour-tasting soups without beetroots, such as sorrel-based green borscht, rye-based white borscht, and cabbage borscht. Borscht derives from an ancient soup originally cooked from pickled stems, leaves and umbels of common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), an herbaceous plant growing in damp meadows, which lent the dish its Slavic name. With time, it evolved into a diverse array of tart soups, among which the Ukrainian beet-based red borscht has become the most popular. It is typically made by combining meat or bone stock with sautéed vegetables, which—as well as beetroots—usually include cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Depending on the recipe, borscht may include meat or fish, or be purely vegetarian; it may be served either hot or cold, and it may range from a hearty one-pot meal to a clear broth or a smooth drink. It is often served with smetana or sour cream, hard-boiled eggs or potatoes, but there exists an ample choice of more involved garnishes and side dishes, such as uszka or pampushky, that can be served with the soup. (Full article...)

    A bowl of borscht garnished with sour cream and dill

    Borscht (English: /ˈbɔːrʃt/ ⓘ) is a sour soup, made with meat stock, vegetables and seasonings, common in Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word borscht, borrowed via Yiddish, is most often associated with the variant of the soup originating in Ukraine, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give the dish its distinctive red color. The same name, however, is also used for a wide selection of sour-tasting soups without beetroots, such as sorrel-based green borscht, rye-based white borscht, and cabbage borscht.

    Borscht derives from an ancient soup originally cooked from pickled stems, leaves and umbels of common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), an herbaceous plant growing in damp meadows, which lent the dish its Slavic name. With time, it evolved into a diverse array of tart soups, among which the Ukrainian beet-based red borscht has become the most popular. It is typically made by combining meat or bone stock with sautéed vegetables, which—as well as beetroots—usually include cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Depending on the recipe, borscht may include meat or fish, or be purely vegetarian; it may be served either hot or cold, and it may range from a hearty one-pot meal to a clear broth or a smooth drink. It is often served with smetana or sour cream, hard-boiled eggs or potatoes, but there exists an ample choice of more involved garnishes and side dishes, such as uszka or pampushky, that can be served with the soup. (Full article...)
  • Image 5 The Oleksandr Dovzhenko State Prize of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Державна премія України імені Олександра Довженка, romanized: Deržavna premija Ukrajiny imeni Oleksandra Dovženka) is a state award honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Ukrainian cinema. It is named after acclaimed Soviet Ukrainian film director and screenwriter Oleksandr Dovzhenko, who was among the world's top filmmakers and a major figure of the Soviet film industry. The award was established on 10 September 1994 by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Dovzhenko's birth. Award decisions are made by the Committee for the Oleksandr Dovzhenko State Prize of Ukraine—a group of eleven leading figures in the country's cinema appointed by either the government of Ukraine or the Committee's chair. Committee members serve on a voluntary basis to review prize submissions, identify exceptional works of Ukrainian cinema, and select the prize's recipient(s). Their selection is sent to the Ukrainian president, who officially grants the award and designates its cash amount by 10 September through a presidential decree. As a state award, the prize is the highest national recognition for cinema in Ukraine. Any individual or creative team is eligible for the prize, with there being no nationality restrictions. For teams, the award submission cannot exceed five people and must comprise the group's most important contributors. Individuals may receive the prize more than once, provided that at least five years have passed since their last award and that they have made new outstanding achievements in cinematography since then. A person also cannot have nominations for two or more works open at the same time. Submissions are made by various institutions and organizations to the award committee annually by 1 June, after which the committee votes on narrowing down the best works and ultimately selecting the final awardee(s) by 15 August, when the president receives the committee's selection. Laureates of the prize receive three rewards: a diploma, medal, and cash prize. (Full article...)

    The Oleksandr Dovzhenko State Prize of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Державна премія України імені Олександра Довженка, romanized: Deržavna premija Ukrajiny imeni Oleksandra Dovženka) is a state award honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Ukrainian cinema. It is named after acclaimed Soviet Ukrainian film director and screenwriter Oleksandr Dovzhenko, who was among the world's top filmmakers and a major figure of the Soviet film industry. The award was established on 10 September 1994 by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Dovzhenko's birth. Award decisions are made by the Committee for the Oleksandr Dovzhenko State Prize of Ukraine—a group of eleven leading figures in the country's cinema appointed by either the government of Ukraine or the Committee's chair. Committee members serve on a voluntary basis to review prize submissions, identify exceptional works of Ukrainian cinema, and select the prize's recipient(s). Their selection is sent to the Ukrainian president, who officially grants the award and designates its cash amount by 10 September through a presidential decree. As a state award, the prize is the highest national recognition for cinema in Ukraine.

    Any individual or creative team is eligible for the prize, with there being no nationality restrictions. For teams, the award submission cannot exceed five people and must comprise the group's most important contributors. Individuals may receive the prize more than once, provided that at least five years have passed since their last award and that they have made new outstanding achievements in cinematography since then. A person also cannot have nominations for two or more works open at the same time. Submissions are made by various institutions and organizations to the award committee annually by 1 June, after which the committee votes on narrowing down the best works and ultimately selecting the final awardee(s) by 15 August, when the president receives the committee's selection. Laureates of the prize receive three rewards: a diploma, medal, and cash prize. (Full article...)
  • Image 6 Mugshot of Taratuta (1905) Olha Illivna Taratuta (Ukrainian: О́льга Іллівна Тарату́та; 1876–1938) was a Ukrainian Jewish anarchist and a founder of the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC). Taratuta joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) during its founding in 1898, but within a few years moved towards more radical anarchist positions. She became a leading figure in the Odesa anarchist communist movement, organising a terrorist campaign against Russian imperial officials. After a number of years she was finally caught and imprisoned by the Tsarist authorities. (Full article...)

    Mugshot of Taratuta (1905)

    Olha Illivna Taratuta (Ukrainian: О́льга Іллівна Тарату́та; 1876–1938) was a Ukrainian Jewish anarchist and a founder of the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC).

    Taratuta joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) during its founding in 1898, but within a few years moved towards more radical anarchist positions. She became a leading figure in the Odesa anarchist communist movement, organising a terrorist campaign against Russian imperial officials. After a number of years she was finally caught and imprisoned by the Tsarist authorities. (Full article...)
  • Image 7 Makhno in 1921 Nestor Ivanovych Makhno (Ukrainian: Не́стор Іва́нович Махно́, pronounced [ˈnɛstor iˈwɑnowɪtʃ mɐxˈnɔ]; Russian: Не́стор Ива́нович Махно́; 7 November 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno (Ukrainian: Ба́тько Махно́ [ˈbɑtʲko mɐxˈnɔ], lit. 'Father Makhno'), was a Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary and the commander of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine during the Ukrainian War of Independence. He established the Makhnovshchina (loosely translated as "Makhno movement"), a mass movement by the Ukrainian peasantry to establish anarchist communism in the country between 1918 and 1921. Initially centered around Makhno's home province of Katerynoslav and hometown of Huliaipole, it came to exert a strong influence over large areas of southern Ukraine, specifically in what is now the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of Ukraine. Anarchists have cited him as an inspiration during his life and into today. Raised by a peasant family and coming of age amid the fervor around the 1905 revolution against the autocratic rule of Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Makhno was a member of the Union of Poor Peasants, a local anarchist group, and spent seven years imprisoned for that. With his release during the 1917 Revolution, Makhno became a local revolutionary leader in his hometown and oversaw the expropriation and redistribution of large estates to the peasantry. In the Russian Civil War, Makhno sided with the Soviet Russian Bolsheviks against the Ukrainian nationalists and White movement, but his alliances with the Bolsheviks did not last. He rallied Bolshevik support to lead an insurgency, defeating the Central Powers' occupation forces at the Battle of Dibrivka and establishing the Makhnovshchina. Makhno's troops briefly integrated with the Bolshevik Red Army in the 1919 Soviet invasion of Ukraine, but split over differences on the movement's autonomy. Makhno rebuilt his army from the remains of Nykyfor Hryhoriv's forces in western Ukraine, routed the White Army at the Battle of Perehonivka, and captured most of southern and eastern Ukraine, where they again attempted to establish anarchist communism. (Full article...)

    Makhno in 1921

    Nestor Ivanovych Makhno (Ukrainian: Не́стор Іва́нович Махно́, pronounced [ˈnɛstor iˈwɑnowɪtʃ mɐxˈnɔ]; Russian: Не́стор Ива́нович Махно́; 7 November 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno (Ukrainian: Ба́тько Махно́ [ˈbɑtʲko mɐxˈnɔ], lit. 'Father Makhno'), was a Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary and the commander of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine during the Ukrainian War of Independence. He established the Makhnovshchina (loosely translated as "Makhno movement"), a mass movement by the Ukrainian peasantry to establish anarchist communism in the country between 1918 and 1921. Initially centered around Makhno's home province of Katerynoslav and hometown of Huliaipole, it came to exert a strong influence over large areas of southern Ukraine, specifically in what is now the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of Ukraine. Anarchists have cited him as an inspiration during his life and into today.

    Raised by a peasant family and coming of age amid the fervor around the 1905 revolution against the autocratic rule of Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Makhno was a member of the Union of Poor Peasants, a local anarchist group, and spent seven years imprisoned for that. With his release during the 1917 Revolution, Makhno became a local revolutionary leader in his hometown and oversaw the expropriation and redistribution of large estates to the peasantry. In the Russian Civil War, Makhno sided with the Soviet Russian Bolsheviks against the Ukrainian nationalists and White movement, but his alliances with the Bolsheviks did not last. He rallied Bolshevik support to lead an insurgency, defeating the Central Powers' occupation forces at the Battle of Dibrivka and establishing the Makhnovshchina. Makhno's troops briefly integrated with the Bolshevik Red Army in the 1919 Soviet invasion of Ukraine, but split over differences on the movement's autonomy. Makhno rebuilt his army from the remains of Nykyfor Hryhoriv's forces in western Ukraine, routed the White Army at the Battle of Perehonivka, and captured most of southern and eastern Ukraine, where they again attempted to establish anarchist communism. (Full article...)
  • Image 8 Cultural heritage plaque of the magistrat [uk; pl] (town hall) in Zhytomyr There are 58 monuments of national significance in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. The State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine classifies cultural heritage monuments as either of local or national signficance. To be classified as nationally significant, a monument must have had a substantial impact on the country's culture, be associated with major historical events or individuals who shaped national culture, represent a masterpiece of creative genius, or embody a disappeared civilisation or artistic style. Monuments of national significance are inscribed on the register by the Cabinet of Ministers and are protected and maintained by the Ministry of Culture. All listed monuments fall into at least one of the following categories: archaeology, history, monumental art, architecture, urban planning, garden and park art, landscape, or science and technology. The first attempts to establish registers of protected buildings were undertaken in 1917 and 1918 by the Ukrainian People's Republic. These efforts continued in the 1920s in Soviet Ukraine but were halted in the 1930s with the dissolution of relevant institutions and the active destruction of cultural—particularly religious—heritage. The listing of cultural heritage monuments in the region was renewed in 1956. A list of architectural monuments was approved in 1963, followed by a separate list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments in 1965. Both lists remained in use after Ukraine declared independence in 1991. On 8 June 2000, with the adoption of the law "On the Protection of Cultural Heritage", the State Register of Immovable Monuments was established. All entries from the Soviet-era list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments were transferred to the new register on 14 September 2009. The transfer of monuments from the Soviet architectural register, however, has proceeded more slowly and remains incomplete as of April 2026, although the process has accelerated in recent years. At the same time, a number of sites have been stripped of their protected status to comply with the decommunisation and derussification laws in effect since 2015 and 2023, respectively. In Zhytomyr Oblast, the only such national monument was the Monument [uk] to Alexander Pushkin in Zhytomyr, which was delisted in 2023. (Full article...)
    A metal plaque on a wall
    Cultural heritage plaque of the magistrat [uk; pl] (town hall) in Zhytomyr

    There are 58 monuments of national significance in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. The State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine classifies cultural heritage monuments as either of local or national signficance. To be classified as nationally significant, a monument must have had a substantial impact on the country's culture, be associated with major historical events or individuals who shaped national culture, represent a masterpiece of creative genius, or embody a disappeared civilisation or artistic style. Monuments of national significance are inscribed on the register by the Cabinet of Ministers and are protected and maintained by the Ministry of Culture. All listed monuments fall into at least one of the following categories: archaeology, history, monumental art, architecture, urban planning, garden and park art, landscape, or science and technology.

    The first attempts to establish registers of protected buildings were undertaken in 1917 and 1918 by the Ukrainian People's Republic. These efforts continued in the 1920s in Soviet Ukraine but were halted in the 1930s with the dissolution of relevant institutions and the active destruction of cultural—particularly religious—heritage. The listing of cultural heritage monuments in the region was renewed in 1956. A list of architectural monuments was approved in 1963, followed by a separate list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments in 1965. Both lists remained in use after Ukraine declared independence in 1991. On 8 June 2000, with the adoption of the law "On the Protection of Cultural Heritage", the State Register of Immovable Monuments was established. All entries from the Soviet-era list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments were transferred to the new register on 14 September 2009. The transfer of monuments from the Soviet architectural register, however, has proceeded more slowly and remains incomplete as of April 2026, although the process has accelerated in recent years. At the same time, a number of sites have been stripped of their protected status to comply with the decommunisation and derussification laws in effect since 2015 and 2023, respectively. In Zhytomyr Oblast, the only such national monument was the Monument [uk] to Alexander Pushkin in Zhytomyr, which was delisted in 2023. (Full article...)
  • Image 9 Lyatoshynsky in 1920 Borys Mykolaiovych Lyatoshynsky, also known as Boris Nikolayevich Lyatoshinsky, (3 January 1895 [O.S. 22 December 1894] – 15 April 1968) was a Ukrainian composer, conductor, and teacher. A leading member of the new generation of 20th century Ukrainian composers, he was awarded a number of accolades, including the honorary title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR and two Stalin Prizes. He received his primary education at home, where Polish literature and history was held in high esteem. After completing school in 1913, he entered the Faculty of Law at Kyiv University, and as a graduate was employed to teach music at the Kyiv Conservatory. During the 1910s, Lyatoshynsky wrote 31 works of various musical genres. During the 1930s he travelled to Tajikistan to study folk music and compose a ballet about the life of local people. From 1935 to 1938, and from 1941 to 1944, he taught orchestration at the Moscow Conservatory. During the war, Lyatoshynsky was evacuated and taught at the Conservatory's branch in Saratov, where he worked on arrangements of Ukrainian songs, and organised the transportation of Ukrainian musical manuscripts away to safety. (Full article...)

    Lyatoshynsky in 1920

    Borys Mykolaiovych Lyatoshynsky, also known as Boris Nikolayevich Lyatoshinsky, (3 January 1895 [O.S. 22 December 1894] – 15 April 1968) was a Ukrainian composer, conductor, and teacher. A leading member of the new generation of 20th century Ukrainian composers, he was awarded a number of accolades, including the honorary title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR and two Stalin Prizes.

    He received his primary education at home, where Polish literature and history was held in high esteem. After completing school in 1913, he entered the Faculty of Law at Kyiv University, and as a graduate was employed to teach music at the Kyiv Conservatory. During the 1910s, Lyatoshynsky wrote 31 works of various musical genres. During the 1930s he travelled to Tajikistan to study folk music and compose a ballet about the life of local people. From 1935 to 1938, and from 1941 to 1944, he taught orchestration at the Moscow Conservatory. During the war, Lyatoshynsky was evacuated and taught at the Conservatory's branch in Saratov, where he worked on arrangements of Ukrainian songs, and organised the transportation of Ukrainian musical manuscripts away to safety. (Full article...)
  • Image 10 The coat of arms of Sevastopol is a heraldic symbol representing the city of Sevastopol, Crimea. It is featured in the middle of the flag of Sevastopol on a red background. From 21 July 1893, until the October Revolution in 1917, Sevastopol, under the Russian Empire, used a royal coat of arms, which featured the monograms of Tsars Nicholas I and Alexander II. The royal coat of arms was disposed by the Soviet Union, and the city went without an official coat of arms until 1969. On 12 February 1969, city council approved a new design containing the Gold Star medal and a silhouette of the Monument to the Sunken Ships. (Full article...)

    The coat of arms of Sevastopol is a heraldic symbol representing the city of Sevastopol, Crimea. It is featured in the middle of the flag of Sevastopol on a red background.

    From 21 July 1893, until the October Revolution in 1917, Sevastopol, under the Russian Empire, used a royal coat of arms, which featured the monograms of Tsars Nicholas I and Alexander II. The royal coat of arms was disposed by the Soviet Union, and the city went without an official coat of arms until 1969. On 12 February 1969, city council approved a new design containing the Gold Star medal and a silhouette of the Monument to the Sunken Ships. (Full article...)
  • Image 11 Cultural heritage plaque of the medieval hillfort in Putyvl There are 81 monuments of national significance in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. The State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine classifies cultural heritage monuments as either of local or national signficance. To be classified as nationally significant, a monument must have had a substantial impact on the country's culture, be associated with major historical events or individuals who shaped national culture, represent a masterpiece of creative genius, or embody a disappeared civilisation or artistic style. Monuments of national significance are inscribed on the register by the Cabinet of Ministers and are protected and maintained by the Ministry of Culture. All listed monuments fall into at least one of the following categories: archaeology, history, monumental art, architecture, urban planning, garden and park art, landscape, or science and technology. The first attempts to establish registers of protected buildings were undertaken in 1917 and 1918 by the Ukrainian People's Republic. These efforts continued in the 1920s in Soviet Ukraine but were halted in the 1930s with the dissolution of relevant institutions and the active destruction of cultural—particularly religious—heritage. The listing of cultural heritage monuments in the region was renewed in 1956. A list of architectural monuments was approved in 1963, followed by a separate list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments in 1965. Both lists remained in use after Ukraine declared independence in 1991. On 8 June 2000, with the adoption of the law "On the Protection of Cultural Heritage", the State Register of Immovable Monuments was established. All entries from the Soviet-era list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments were transferred to the new register on 14 September 2009. The transfer of monuments from the Soviet architectural register, however, has proceeded more slowly and remains incomplete as of April 2026, although the process has accelerated in recent years. At the same time, a number of sites have been stripped of their protected status to comply with the decommunisation and derussification laws in effect since 2015 and 2023, respectively. (Full article...)
    A metal plaque
    Cultural heritage plaque of the medieval hillfort in Putyvl


    There are 81 monuments of national significance in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. The State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine classifies cultural heritage monuments as either of local or national signficance. To be classified as nationally significant, a monument must have had a substantial impact on the country's culture, be associated with major historical events or individuals who shaped national culture, represent a masterpiece of creative genius, or embody a disappeared civilisation or artistic style. Monuments of national significance are inscribed on the register by the Cabinet of Ministers and are protected and maintained by the Ministry of Culture. All listed monuments fall into at least one of the following categories: archaeology, history, monumental art, architecture, urban planning, garden and park art, landscape, or science and technology.

    The first attempts to establish registers of protected buildings were undertaken in 1917 and 1918 by the Ukrainian People's Republic. These efforts continued in the 1920s in Soviet Ukraine but were halted in the 1930s with the dissolution of relevant institutions and the active destruction of cultural—particularly religious—heritage. The listing of cultural heritage monuments in the region was renewed in 1956. A list of architectural monuments was approved in 1963, followed by a separate list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments in 1965. Both lists remained in use after Ukraine declared independence in 1991. On 8 June 2000, with the adoption of the law "On the Protection of Cultural Heritage", the State Register of Immovable Monuments was established. All entries from the Soviet-era list of artistic, historic, and archaeological monuments were transferred to the new register on 14 September 2009. The transfer of monuments from the Soviet architectural register, however, has proceeded more slowly and remains incomplete as of April 2026, although the process has accelerated in recent years. At the same time, a number of sites have been stripped of their protected status to comply with the decommunisation and derussification laws in effect since 2015 and 2023, respectively. (Full article...)
  • Image 12 1915 interpretation of Rus' Varangians and their longships in Gardariki, by Nicholas Roerich The Caspian expeditions of the Rus' were military raids undertaken by the Rus' between the late 9th century and c. 1041 on the Caspian Sea shores, of what are nowadays Iran, Dagestan, and Azerbaijan. Initially, the Rus' appeared in Serkland in the 9th century travelling as merchants along the Volga trade route, selling furs, honey, and slaves. The first small-scale Viking raids took place in the late 9th and early 10th century. The Rus' undertook the first large-scale expedition in 913; having arrived on 500 ships, they pillaged in the Gorgan region, in the territory of present-day Iran, and more to the west, in Gilan and Mazandaran, taking slaves and goods. On their return, the northern raiders were attacked and defeated by the Khazars in the Volga Delta, and those who escaped were killed by the local tribes in the middle Volga. During their next expedition in 943, the Rus' captured Bardha'a, the capital of Arran, in the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan. The Rus' stayed there for several months, killing many inhabitants of the city and amassing substantial plunder. It was only an outbreak of dysentery among the Rus' that forced them to depart with their spoils. Sviatoslav, prince of Kiev, commanded the next attack, which destroyed the Khazar state in 965. Sviatoslav's campaign established the Rus's hold on the north-south trade routes, helping to alter the demographics of the region. Raids continued through the time period with the last Scandinavian attempt to reestablish the route to the Caspian Sea taking place in c. 1041 by Ingvar the Far-Travelled. (Full article...)

    1915 interpretation of Rus' Varangians and their longships in Gardariki, by Nicholas Roerich

    The Caspian expeditions of the Rus' were military raids undertaken by the Rus' between the late 9th century and c. 1041 on the Caspian Sea shores, of what are nowadays Iran, Dagestan, and Azerbaijan. Initially, the Rus' appeared in Serkland in the 9th century travelling as merchants along the Volga trade route, selling furs, honey, and slaves. The first small-scale Viking raids took place in the late 9th and early 10th century. The Rus' undertook the first large-scale expedition in 913; having arrived on 500 ships, they pillaged in the Gorgan region, in the territory of present-day Iran, and more to the west, in Gilan and Mazandaran, taking slaves and goods. On their return, the northern raiders were attacked and defeated by the Khazars in the Volga Delta, and those who escaped were killed by the local tribes in the middle Volga.

    During their next expedition in 943, the Rus' captured Bardha'a, the capital of Arran, in the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan. The Rus' stayed there for several months, killing many inhabitants of the city and amassing substantial plunder. It was only an outbreak of dysentery among the Rus' that forced them to depart with their spoils. Sviatoslav, prince of Kiev, commanded the next attack, which destroyed the Khazar state in 965. Sviatoslav's campaign established the Rus's hold on the north-south trade routes, helping to alter the demographics of the region. Raids continued through the time period with the last Scandinavian attempt to reestablish the route to the Caspian Sea taking place in c. 1041 by Ingvar the Far-Travelled. (Full article...)
  • Image 13 "Bird of Pray" (Ukrainian: Пташка молитви, lit. 'Ptashka molytvy') is a song by Ukrainian alternative rock band Ziferblat. It was written by band members Valentyn Leshchynskyi, Daniel Leshchynskyi and Fedir Khodakov, with production credited to Ziferblat. The song was released on 24 January 2025 and represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Written by the entire band, it details the separation between Ukrainian citizens divided in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The song gained ninth place in the song contest with 218 points. The song gained mixed reviews. Some praised its tone, retro style, and multiple elements while others criticized the "mismatch" between the numerous verses and its poor chance to connect emotionally. (Full article...)
    "Bird of Pray" (Ukrainian: Пташка молитви, lit. 'Ptashka molytvy') is a song by Ukrainian alternative rock band Ziferblat. It was written by band members Valentyn Leshchynskyi, Daniel Leshchynskyi and Fedir Khodakov, with production credited to Ziferblat. The song was released on 24 January 2025 and represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Written by the entire band, it details the separation between Ukrainian citizens divided in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The song gained ninth place in the song contest with 218 points. The song gained mixed reviews. Some praised its tone, retro style, and multiple elements while others criticized the "mismatch" between the numerous verses and its poor chance to connect emotionally. (Full article...)
  • Image 14 A geographical indication (GI) is a form of intellectual property that identifies a product as originating from a specific geographical area as its qualities or reputation are tied to its origin. Such labeling guarantees that products sold under a specific name are authentic and meet defined standards, preventing imitation goods from entering the market. The protection of geographical indications was established under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, signed by members of the World Trade Organization (including Ukraine) on 14 April 1994 and effective from 1 January 1995. The Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration, signed on 31 October 1958, also introduced appellations of origin – a special category of geographical indications that denotes a particularly strong connection between the product and its area of origin. Unlike trademarks, geographical indications link a product's origin to a region rather than to a specific company. Agricultural products are most often registered as GIs, since their characteristics are directly tied to local geographical factors such as climate and soil, although other products, including handicrafts, have received the status as well. The protection of geographical indications in Ukraine is regulated by the law "On Legal Protection of Geographical Indications" passed on 16 June 1999. The law has undergone multiple amendments, particularly since 2019, aimed at aligning Ukraine's framework with European Union standards in preparation of the country's accession to the EU. As a result, Ukraine's geographical indications and appellation of origins are now analogous to the EU's Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) labels. Additional laws also outline the registration and protection of agricultural goods, foods, and spirits. The Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations [uk] (IP Office) – the national authority responsible for intellectual property protection – reviews GI applications, manages the national GI register, and coordinates international cooperation in the field. Applications – submitted by an association of producers, or by a single legal or natural person if they are the sole producer of the good – must detail a product's connections to the geographical area, its specific method of production, and its resulting unique qualities. The IP Office may declare a GI invalid if its registration violates the law or if a court determines that the production of the good has become impossible due to changes in the geographical area. Ukraine's legislation also protects numerous foreign geographical indications and appellations of origin, specifically those established by separate agreements with the European Union, Georgia, Italy, and Russia. These items are not covered in this list as they do not originate in Ukraine. (Full article...)

    A geographical indication (GI) is a form of intellectual property that identifies a product as originating from a specific geographical area as its qualities or reputation are tied to its origin. Such labeling guarantees that products sold under a specific name are authentic and meet defined standards, preventing imitation goods from entering the market. The protection of geographical indications was established under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, signed by members of the World Trade Organization (including Ukraine) on 14 April 1994 and effective from 1 January 1995. The Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration, signed on 31 October 1958, also introduced appellations of origin – a special category of geographical indications that denotes a particularly strong connection between the product and its area of origin. Unlike trademarks, geographical indications link a product's origin to a region rather than to a specific company. Agricultural products are most often registered as GIs, since their characteristics are directly tied to local geographical factors such as climate and soil, although other products, including handicrafts, have received the status as well.

    The protection of geographical indications in Ukraine is regulated by the law "On Legal Protection of Geographical Indications" passed on 16 June 1999. The law has undergone multiple amendments, particularly since 2019, aimed at aligning Ukraine's framework with European Union standards in preparation of the country's accession to the EU. As a result, Ukraine's geographical indications and appellation of origins are now analogous to the EU's Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) labels. Additional laws also outline the registration and protection of agricultural goods, foods, and spirits. The Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations [uk] (IP Office) – the national authority responsible for intellectual property protection – reviews GI applications, manages the national GI register, and coordinates international cooperation in the field. Applications – submitted by an association of producers, or by a single legal or natural person if they are the sole producer of the good – must detail a product's connections to the geographical area, its specific method of production, and its resulting unique qualities. The IP Office may declare a GI invalid if its registration violates the law or if a court determines that the production of the good has become impossible due to changes in the geographical area. Ukraine's legislation also protects numerous foreign geographical indications and appellations of origin, specifically those established by separate agreements with the European Union, Georgia, Italy, and Russia. These items are not covered in this list as they do not originate in Ukraine. (Full article...)
  • Image 15 Elena Nestorovna Mikhnenko (Russian: Елена Несторовна Михненко; 1922–1993) was the daughter of the Ukrainian anarchist revolutionaries Nestor Makhno and Halyna Kuzmenko. Born in exile, she spent her early life in France, where she was living at the outbreak of World War II. Following the occupation of France, Mikhnenko was captured and conscripted into forced labour in Nazi Germany. She was subsequently arrested by Soviet state security, which first imprisoned her for "anti-Soviet agitation" and then exiled her to the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. She lived and worked in Kazakhstan for the rest of her life. (Full article...)
    Elena Nestorovna Mikhnenko (Russian: Елена Несторовна Михненко; 1922–1993) was the daughter of the Ukrainian anarchist revolutionaries Nestor Makhno and Halyna Kuzmenko. Born in exile, she spent her early life in France, where she was living at the outbreak of World War II. Following the occupation of France, Mikhnenko was captured and conscripted into forced labour in Nazi Germany. She was subsequently arrested by Soviet state security, which first imprisoned her for "anti-Soviet agitation" and then exiled her to the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. She lived and worked in Kazakhstan for the rest of her life. (Full article...)
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Emblem of the Ukrainian Naval Forces

The Ukrainian Navy (Ukrainian: Військово-морські сили Збройних сил України, ВМС ЗСУ, romanized: Viiskovo–morski syly Zbroinykh syl Ukrainy, VMS ZSU, lit. 'Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine'), is the maritime force of Ukraine and one of the eight service branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The naval forces consist of five components: surface forces, submarine forces, naval aviation, coastal rocket-artillery and naval infantry. In 2022, the Ukrainian Navy had 15,000 personnel, including 6,000 naval infantry. It is headquartered in Odesa; prior to the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, it was based in Sevastopol. (Full article...)

In the news

23 June 2026 – North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war
South Korea announces that it will accept any North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia if they choose resettlement in South Korea. South Korea also opposes any repatriation of such prisoners against their wishes. (Reuters)
22 June 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Aerial warfare in the Russo-Ukrainian war
Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba says that Russian drone attacks in Ukraine have killed at least five people, including an Egyptian crew member aboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel in the Black Sea and three members of the same family in Sumy Oblast. The attack also damages the vessel and forces its crew to evacuate. (Firstpost) (Hurriyet Daily News)
19 June 2026 – Poland–Ukraine relations
Polish president Karol Nawrocki strips Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country's highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle, for naming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which massacred Poles during World War II. (Reuters)
18 June 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
Ukraine launches its largest ever drone attack on Moscow, Russia, targeting the Moscow Refinery and damaging several residential buildings. (AP) (CNN)
Residents of Moscow report oil raining down as massive plumes of black smoke are visible over the city. (BBC News)
Following the attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened Moscow saying, "If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn", warning against further Russian attacks on the country. (The Guardian)
Russia says it will carry out a "massive retaliation" against Ukraine with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov saying the Russian Armed Forces will from now on, carry out "massive group strikes" on a "regular basis" following the attack on Moscow. (MSN)
15 June 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Kyiv strikes
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The Grand Trianon at Versailles, site of the signing.
The Grand Trianon at Versailles, site of the signing.
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