Portal:Ukraine


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 the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian.

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

16 March 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian war, International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The European Union imposes sanctions against nine Russian individuals over their role in the mass murder of civilians committed during Russia's occupation of Bucha during the initial 2022 invasion of Ukraine. (Kyiv Post)
Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war
Kenyan prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi says that the government has identified two prisoners of war from Kenya that have been detained by authorities in Ukraine after being involved in Russia's special military operations. (The Star Kenya)
14 March 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
Five people are killed and three others are injured in Russian drone strikes on residential areas and critical infrastructure across Ukraine. (Reuters)
12 March 2026 – Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war, Embargo of Russian oil during the Russo-Ukrainian war
The United States treasury department issues a temporary license permitting the delivery and sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded onto vessels before March 12, easing sanctions on such shipments until April 11 amid rising global energy prices. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
12 March 2026 – Hungary–Ukraine relations
Hungary returns two seized armored cars to Ukraine but retains approximately US$82 million in cash and gold as authorities investigate suspected money laundering. (Reuters)
10 March 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
Six people are killed and 37 others are injured in a Ukrainian missile attack in Bryansk, Russia. (Xinhua)

Recognized content -

Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

These are Featured pictures that the Wikimedia Commons community has chosen as the highest quality on the site.

Did you know (auto-generated)

More did you know -

Selected article -

Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third-most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative centre of the Odesa Raion and Odesa Oblast, as well as a multiethnic cultural centre. As of January 2021, Odesa's population was approximately 1,010,537. On 25 January 2023, its historic city centre was declared a World Heritage Site and added to the List of World Heritage in Danger by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in recognition of its multiculturality and 19th-century urban planning. The declaration was made in response to the bombing of Odesa during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has damaged or destroyed buildings across the city.

In classical antiquity a large Greek settlement existed at its location no later than the middle of the 6th century BC. It has been researched as a possible site of the ancient Greek settlement of Histria. The first chronicle mention of the Slavic settlement-port of Kotsiubijiv, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, dates back to 1415, when a ship was sent from here to Constantinople by sea. After the Grand Duchy lost control, the port and its surroundings became part of the domain of the Ottoman Empire in 1529, under the name Hacibey, and remained in it until the Ottomans' defeat in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). In 1794, a decree of the Russian empress Catherine II was issued to establish a navy harbor and trading place in Khadjibey, which was named Odessa soon after. From 1819 to 1858, Odesa was a free port. During the Soviet period, it was an important trading port and a naval base. During the 19th century, Odesa was the fourth largest city of the Russian Empire, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Warsaw. Its historical architecture is more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Some buildings were built in a mixture of styles, including Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Classicist. (Full article...)

In the news

16 March 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian war, International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The European Union imposes sanctions against nine Russian individuals over their role in the mass murder of civilians committed during Russia's occupation of Bucha during the initial 2022 invasion of Ukraine. (Kyiv Post)
Prisoners of war in the Russo-Ukrainian war
Kenyan prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi says that the government has identified two prisoners of war from Kenya that have been detained by authorities in Ukraine after being involved in Russia's special military operations. (The Star Kenya)
14 March 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Russian attacks on civilians in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
Five people are killed and three others are injured in Russian drone strikes on residential areas and critical infrastructure across Ukraine. (Reuters)
12 March 2026 – Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war, Embargo of Russian oil during the Russo-Ukrainian war
The United States treasury department issues a temporary license permitting the delivery and sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded onto vessels before March 12, easing sanctions on such shipments until April 11 amid rising global energy prices. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
12 March 2026 – Hungary–Ukraine relations
Hungary returns two seized armored cars to Ukraine but retains approximately US$82 million in cash and gold as authorities investigate suspected money laundering. (Reuters)
10 March 2026 – Russo-Ukrainian war
Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
Six people are killed and 37 others are injured in a Ukrainian missile attack in Bryansk, Russia. (Xinhua)

Selected anniversaries for March


Religions in Ukraine


Post Soviet states


Other countries

Topics

Categories

Select [►] to view subcategories
Ukraine
Ukraine-related lists
Buildings and structures in Ukraine
Culture of Ukraine
Economy of Ukraine
Education in Ukraine
Environment of Ukraine
Geography of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine
Health in Ukraine
History of Ukraine
Nova Ukraine
Organizations based in Ukraine
Ukrainian people
Politics of Ukraine
Society of Ukraine
Images of Ukraine
Ukraine stubs

WikiProjects and collaborations

  • Ukraine
    • Crimea task force
    • Ukrainian culture task force
    • Ukrainian football
    • Ukrainian geography task force
    • Ukrainian subdivisions
  • Russian, Soviet, and CIS military history task force

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

New articles

Ukrainian editions of Wikimedia projects

Discover Wikipedia using portals