Ukraine is a country that many are discussing now for the Russia-Ukraine war of 2022, As worldwide tensions and current events have erupted, many don’t realize Ukraine is the largest country that is completely within Europe. There are 45 million Ukrainians and the country has a history extending for many hundreds of years in this part of the world.
Ukraine is situated in the southwestern area of the Russian Plain.But, outside of its location there are many things that happened in Ukraine that may surprise you overall.
Learn more about the history, innovations, and sad incidents that define Ukraine what it is today. War and strife in the 20th century and today and symbolized in this Ukraine. However, the spirit of independence, pride, and innovation shine through as well in Ukraine.
Learn more about Ukraine. Discover the wealth of history and facts that may surprise you about this part of the world.
The Largest Country in Europe is Ukraine and similar in size to Texas in the USA
Ukraine is the largest country by size in Europe. Economically, Germany, France, the UK and Italy are much larger. But, in terms of land mass Ukraine is the largest by far.
The size of Ukraine in terms of square kilometers or miles is 603,628 square kilometers or 233,000 square miles. Thus, overmall making Ukraine about the size of Texas. The size is so expansive that UKraine has a coastline of 2,782 kilometers or 1,729 miles on the Black Sea and along the Sea of Azov.
Ukraine stretches all the way geographically from Russia in the east to Poland in the west. The size of Ukraine surprises many people. Moreover, another thing to consider is that Ukraine is almost three times the size of the UK! Lastly, in terms of size, Ukraine beats the second biggest country of France, by tens of thousands of kilometers and miles in size.
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Ukraine’s name has a special meaning that comes from history
The word Ukraine comes from a word meaning “borderland.” The first time Ukraine was spelled it was the word “oukraina.” The word Ukraine originates from the Hypatian Codex in 1187.
All in all, there are various theories about the exact origin of the name “Ukraine”. There is a sense and historical context that Ukraine comes from the general Slavic word for histories that referred to Kievan Rus border territories.
In summary, it is clear that the name Ukraine has been around in history for a long time. Ukraine first appears in historical documents around the 11th or 12th century. Furthermore, the name Ukraine started to appear on history and world maps by the 16th century.
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Ukraine experienced one of the worst genocides in history
Historically, Ukraine has been the site of many invasions and dark periods in history. Only in recent memory, in the early 1930s, as many as ten million Ukrainians were killed. The death toll of the Holodomor genocide was nearly 4 million.
The Holodomor genocide was a famine that killed millions of Ukrainians. Specifically, it was a famine in Soviet Ukraine that lasted from 1932 to 1933. The horror of the famine was that there were allegations that it was man made and made worse by Stailn of Russia,
In summary, the famine and death count was staggering and tragic. It has been claimed that complete villages of Ukrainians died. Furthermore, there are stories that the villages were repopulated by Russians and other outsiders during the reign of the Soviet Union.
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Ukrainian Civilization dates back to 4800 B.C.
The history of Ukraine goes back a lot further than many realize as the founding of these cities has long been established. The Trypillian and Scythian civilizations thrived in what is today called Ukraine.
The Trypillians people of Ukraine are the people that can be seen as the natives of ethnic Ukraine. The Trypillians established the first structured and organized civilization on the territory of what is called Ukraine today. Moreover, this area of Ukraine was populated by Scythians who got to Ukraine in the 1st millennium BC.
All in all, the history of Ukraine is quite long and extensive. In the 7th century B.C., the main indigenous people of Ukraine, the Scythians, were very active with trading with places as far away as China, Persia, Egypt, and Greece.
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Ukraine had the world’s first constitution before the United States
Many may incorrectly assume that the first constitution was in the United States, but it was in Ukraine. In 1710, a Ukrainian Cossack leader named Pylyp Orlyk wrote what is considered the world’s first constitution.
This constitution that was written in Ukraine set forth three branches of government and legally stressed certain values. For example, the first constitution emphasized the value of equality and human rights.
All in all, it was the citizens under Cossack rule, in Ukraine, that enjoyed this groundbreaking document. Historically, when you look at this written document it also guarantees free elections. Lastly, Orlyk’s constitution and government came before the United States Constitution by 77 years.
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The Easter Egg Tradition of Christianity originates from Ukraine
The worldwide popular Easter egg tradition originated in Ukraine. The celebrated Easter tradition is the Psyanka. This celebration is a celebration of the detailed decorated Easter egg. Easter Eggs in Ukraine have a long history. The Easter eggs have a history that related to Ukraine accepting Christianity in 988 AD.
The Easter egg traditions originate and date back over ten centuries. The egg tradition features pagan rituals and even superstitions.
The Psyanka egg tradition represents the release of the earth from the wrath of winter and more into spring. Historically, Easter eggs offer a promise of new hope, renewed life, health and prosperity.
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Ukraine has the world’s deepest subway station in the world
An odd fact, but the deepest subway in the world is in Ukraine. In the war and military conflict of February 2022, the deep subway stations are being used as bomb shelters and for general safety.
The world’s deepest metro station is called Arsenalna. This station is located along Kiev’s Sviatoshynsko Brovarska train line in the city. In terms of measurements, the station itself is at 105.5 meters or 344 feet below ground. The construction of this subway took place in the cold war era for Ukraine. The goal of the subway was to protect people from the threat of bombs especially nuclear attacks.
When you visit this train station the view itself is unforgettable. Because looking down the steep escalator is like staring into the darkness and unknown. Clearly, this subway can be a proud, incredible and sad representation of Ukrainian’s history with conflict.
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One of the world’s biggest and worst nuclear accidents happened in Ukraine
Chernobyl Ukraine was the scene of one of the largest and most tragic catastrophes of the 20th century. The Chernobyl incident involved a nuclear spill and leak that occurred on 26 April 1986. The center of this spill and incident made news unforgettable. What happened at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was not before seen anywhere else in the world.
The tragic incident happened at Pripyat in the north of the Ukraine when it was in the former Soviet Union. Chernobyl was catastrophic for the cost and casualties. The longstanding effects of the nuclear leak and spill were felt very far and beyond Ukraine.
Sadly, the impact of the Chernobyl explosion was incredibly strong. It is estimated, the Chernobyl radiation is 400 times more radioactive than the bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
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The largest airplane in history was built in Ukraine and destroyed in 2022
Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, offers an international airport, good infrastructure, and cultural attractions like the famous Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery complex. his is a curious fact indeed but Kiev is the site of the place of the largest ever built.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya plane has a wingspan of 88.4 meters or around 290 feet! It is immense and impressive to say the least.
Moreover, the plane weighs 640,000 kg, which is over 1400 pounds! The largest plane was built during the Soviet era of Ukraine’s history. And interestingly enough, only one was built.
Unfortunately, the Antonov AN-225 was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the last week of February 2022.tus. The massive aircraft was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was destroyed by the Russian army. Ukrainian government officials have vowed to rebuild the plane.
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Ukraine has a colorful and decorative national costume
The national or traditional costume of Ukraine is beautifully decorative and floral. This may be surprising but it points to the deep traditions that exist in Ukraine still today.
The name of the national costume is Vyshyvanka, which is decorated with ornamental and decorative detail. There is hand woven embroidery that is meant to be worn by both women and men on various occasions.
Many may be surprised by this traditional clothing, but the clothing symbolizes values and beliefs. For example, Vyshyvanka and the colors of the clothing represent life journey, eternity, strength, and vital energy. Vyshyvanka is thus a very important part of the Ukrainian identity.
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Ukraine is the top IT outsourcing destination
Ukraine is the top IT outsourcing destination. It is a good place to find cheap and skilled IT workers. It has been known as a developing country, but it has been growing rapidly in the past few years. The Ukrainian IT outsourcing industry is now worth $2 billion and it is expected to reach $5 billion by 2020.
The country offers low-cost labor and quality talent for foreign companies that are looking for short-term or long-term IT services with high-quality standards.
Why do companies choose Ukraine for Outsourcing
Ukraine is one of the most popular outsourcing destinations. This is due to its low cost of labor and the availability of affordable talent.
Ukraine is one of the most popular outsourcing destinations because it has a low cost of labor and a huge pool of affordable talent. It also has a highly developed IT sector which provides excellent opportunities for foreign companies to outsource their projects and services.
References & Statistics about Ukraine
Mountainous areas such as the Ukrainian Carpathians and Crimean Mountains occur only on the country’s borders and account for barely 5 percent of its area.
Marshland, covering almost 3 percent of Ukraine, is found primarily in the northern river valleys and in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Danube, and other rivers. (britannica.com)
pro-Soviet partisan guerrilla resistance in Ukraine is estimated at 47,800 from the start of occupation to 500,000 at its peak in 1944, with about 50% being ethnic Ukrainians.
The vast majority of the fighting in World War II took place on the Eastern Front By some estimates, 93% of all German casualties took place there.
total losses inflicted upon the Ukrainian population during the war are estimated at 6 million, including an estimated one and a half million Jews killed by the Einsatzgruppen sometimes with the help of local collaborators.
Of the estimated 8.6 million Soviet troop losses, 1.4 million were ethnic Ukrainians [c] [d] Victory Day is celebrated as one of ten Ukrainian national holidays.
The losses of the Ukrainian people in the war amounted to 40–44% of the total losses of the USSR.
As of 1 January 1953, Ukrainians were second only to Russians among adult ” special deportees “, comprising 20% of the total.
A report prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency World Health Organization attributed 56 direct deaths to the accident and estimated that there may have been 4,000 extra cancer deaths.
More than 92% of the electorate expressed their support for the Act of Independence, and they elected the chairman of the parliament, Leonid Kravchuk , as the first president of Ukraine . (en.wikipedia.org)
