The Treaty of Pereiaslav in 1654" painted by a Ukrainian painter Mykhailo Khmelko in 1951
heavy cranes began dismantling a sculpture erected to commemorate 17th-century Pereiaslav Treaty between the Cossacks and Muscovites
symbolically closing a chapter of a shared history
It was the very same agreement lauded by Russian President Vladimir Putin as supposed evidence of Ukraine's historical subservience to Moscow in a piece he penned months before launching the full-scale invasion.
What is the story behind the Pereiaslav Treaty
and why does it carry such a different meaning for both nations
In January 1654, in the town of Pereiaslav in modern-day Ukraine, leaders of the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks pledged allegiance to Muscovite (Russian) Tsar Alexei I in exchange for his protection against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
While Soviet and Russian historiography has presented the event as the "reunification of the Rus" and proof of perpetual affinity between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples
Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy takes a wholly different view
(Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)In his book on Ukraine’s history
“The Gates of Europe,” he writes that with the signing of the treaty
“The long and complex history of Russo-Ukrainian relations had begun.”
Pereiaslav's impact has rippled through centuries
representing a very different legacy for both nations
the treaty has played a crucial role in its imperial narratives about the Russo-Ukrainian "historical unity."
Plokhy retorts, however, that rather than a unification of one “Rus nation,” it was the beginning of the shared history of Ukrainians and the Russians, two separate peoples that have, since the fall of Kyivan Rus
evolved in a wholly different political and cultural milieu
it was the start of a painful story that ended in Ukraine's subjugation by Moscow
What began as a pragmatic alliance against Poland ended up in Russia completely dissolving the hetmanate a century later
Looking more closely at the world in which the Pereiaslav Treaty
sometimes referred to as the Pereiaslav Council
the narrative about the “reunification” of one people begins to waver
While both can claim the legacy of the Kyivan Rus
the fate of what we today see as Russia and Ukraine diverged heavily after that medieval polity fell to the Mongol armies
Muscovy’s early history flowed mostly separately from European events
much of today's Ukraine was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
opening the door to various cultural influences from the continent
This led to the development of different languages (famously, the two parties at the Pereiaslav Council needed translators), political values, religious thought, and even architecture, with the baroque style entering Ukraine much earlier than Russia.
The Polish rule over Ukraine was far from peaceful, however. The Cossacks
a mostly Orthodox people from the Ukrainian steppe with a strong militaristic and egalitarian tradition
led numerous revolts against their Catholic rules
Portrait of the Cossack Hetman of Ukraine Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595-1657)
(Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)The largest one was launched by the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks under Hetman Khmelnytskyi in 1648
While initially scoring major victories and establishing himself as an effective ruler of much of today's Ukraine
the hetman was aware that he could not stand against Poland on his own for too long
The Cossacks first joined forces with the Crimean Tatars
but the Crimean khan proved more interested in perpetual conflict and spoils of war rather than in a decisive victory of one side
Khmelnytskyi’s overtures to the khan’s masters
When the Cossack host turned to Moscow for aid
the shared Rus legacy and the common Orthodox faith may have made the tsar appear even more as a suitable candidate
The response was overwhelming support for the Orthodox tsar
Religious affinity may have indeed been an important factor in their decision
The wars of the 17th century were often fought along religious lines
The Cossacks' Reply to the Sultan (Zaporozhtsy)'
'Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Turkey'
also known as 'Cossacks of Saporog Are Drafting a Manifesto'
19th-century imagining of a supposed historical event of 1676
based on the legend of Cossacks sending an apparently rude and insulting reply to an ultimatum from Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire
'On the right is Taras Bulba (in a white cap)
the hero of Gogol's tale of the same name; on the left is Andrei
Taras Bulba's son; almost in the centre sits Ataman (Chief) Serko with a pipe in his mouth'
(The Print Collector/Getty Images)According to Plokhy
the actual decision was made before the hetman's theatrical exchange with his followers
The historian lists clear reasons why the other potential allies were unsuitable
and Poland had proven averse to granting the Cossacks the privileges they sought
We can assume that Moscow was the most practical choice after eliminating all the other competitors
Plokhy also warned against overestimating the sense of shared religious or historical legacy among the Muscovites and Ukrainians
"The tradition of Kyivan Rus' as represented by historical memory and religious belief still existed
but it was embodied only in a few handwritten chronicles," Plokhy writes
"Four centuries of existence in different political conditions… had strengthened long-standing linguistic and cultural differences," he adds
the suggestion in Putin's 2021 article "“On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians” that the Cossacks saw themselves as "Russian" is even more doubtful
The 17th-century Muscovy claimed the legacy of old Rus but was a very different state from what we today understand as Russia
That was established by Peter I decades later
Vladimir Putin looks at the crown of Peter the Great during the ceremony of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Kremlin Museums in Moscow
(Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images)The modern-day idea of a Russian nation came into existence even later in the 19th century
The first probes into a possible alliance between the two states began already in 1648
sanctioned taking the hetmanate under the tsardom's patronage and launching a war against Poland-Lithuania despite the standing peace treaty
A Muscovite delegation led by nobleman Vasiliy Buturin was dispatched to Pereiaslav
with the council itself taking place on Jan
Dealings with the tsar's envoy revealed a cultural and political divide between the two parties
Buturin refused to discuss the terms of the agreement or to swear an oath to uphold the tsar's side of the treaty
accustomed to negotiating directly with Polish royal envoys
but the necessities of the situation made him accept the terms
Moscow recognized certain privileges to the Cossacks that the Polish king refused to grant
and its forces joined the fray against the Commonwealth armies
The Cossacks and the Muscovites achieved success
with Khmelnytskyi's host besieging Lviv and the Muscovites entering Vilnius
the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
who feared that the Polish-Lithuanian state might actually fall apart and disrupt the balance in the region in favor of another power
Moscow violated their agreement with the Cossacks and signed a separate peace deal with Poland
the old hetman was ready to switch to another ally
But as he was planning overtures to the Swedish king
The tsar's decision and the hetman's outrage originated from their very different understanding of the treaty
Moscow's ruler believed he was simply gaining another obedient subject to whom
while acknowledging the tsar as his superior
the Pereiaslav Treaty meant that Ukraine had become their patrimony even after Khmelnytskyi's death
The rest of the 17th century saw the Cossacks divided and fighting among themselves
with Moscow aptly using the conflict to eventually gain control over the entire hetmanate
With much of modern-day Ukraine safely within their grasp
the Muscovites would gradually take away the Cossacks' rights and privileges
crush any revolt that tried to halt the process
and eventually dissolve the Cossack Hetmanate completely in 1764
seen by Khmelnytskyi as a means to protect his fledgling state against Poland
has become a tool for Moscow to take over and destroy it completely
The result of the Council started the red line that would permeate the rest of Russo-Ukrainian history
“When I was asked about Russian-Ukrainian relations
I said that Russians and Ukrainians were one people — a single whole,” Putin wrote in his aforementioned 2021 article
“Bohdan Khmelnytsky then made appeals to Moscow… (for aid)
the Pereiaslav Council confirmed that decision
the ambassadors of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Moscow visited dozens of cities
whose populations swore allegiance to the Russian tsar,” Putin wrote
In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik
Vladimir Putin gives an interview to US talk show host Tucker Carlson at the Kremlin in Moscow
(Gavriil Grigorov / POOL /AFP via Getty Images)“In a letter to Moscow in 1654
Bohdan Khmelnytsky thanked Tsar Alexei Mikhaylovich for taking ‘the whole Zaporizhian Host and the whole Russian Orthodox world under the strong and high hand of the Tsar.’ It means that… the Cossacks referred to and defined themselves as Russian Orthodox people.”
This argument was meant to serve as one of the justifications for Russia’s subsequent full-scale invasion that has murdered thousands of Ukrainians
Putin argues that he is returning Ukraine to its historical
as he did not come up with the idea himself
he borrows heavily from Soviet historiography
was inspired by 19th-century imperial narratives
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, the same man who unleashed the Holodomor famine against the Ukrainian people
realized the benefits of reviving the memory of the shared Russo-Ukrainian history once Nazi Germany invaded the USSR
The town of Pereiaslav was renamed "Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi" to honor the hetman seen by the Soviet authorities and their court historians as “Ukraine’s unifier with Russia.”
under the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People
dismantle a granite monument with a multi-figure group
dedicated to the Pereiaslav Council in Kyiv
(Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)As Canadian-Ukrainian historian Serhy Yekelchyk writes
the Pereiaslav Council was cast as Ukraine’s “unbreakable union with the fraternal Russian people.”
A rather modest celebration of the treaty’s 290th anniversary in 1944 “reinstalled… the renewed cult of Pereiaslav (that) symbolized the dominant presence of the Russian elder brother,” Yekelchyk says in his book titled “Stalin's Empire of Memory.”
This was followed by a much grander celebration of the “Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary” in 1954
The all-union event was accompanied by the publishing of a body of documents called the “Reunification of Ukraine with Russia” that were meant to testify to the “eternal union” between the two peoples… with Russia in the superior position
the Soviet authorities opened a monument complex called Peoples' Friendship Arch in central Kyiv to celebrate the Russo-Ukrainian unity
It was dedicated to several historical events
including the 1,500th anniversary of the city's founding
A part of the complex was a granite stele depicting participants of the council
dressed in historical Russian and Cossack garbs
Municipal service workers under the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People finish dismantling a granite monument with a multi-figure group dedicated to the Pereiaslav Council in Kyiv
(Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)The statue remained there after Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 and even after the post-EuroMaidan government launched a large-scale decommunization and de-Sovietization process in 2015
It was only after the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022 that the arch complex began to be taken apart
The first part of the composition — a bronze statue of a Russian and Ukrainian worker — was removed in 2022
the Culture Ministry abolished the landmark's status as a historic site
Finally, on April 30, the dismantling of the Council statue itself finalized the divorce from the Kremlin-established Pereiaslav narrative.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent
He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press
He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner
Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno
holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies
Explaining Ukraine with Kate TsurkanList is emptyExplaining Ukraine with Kate TsurkanExplaining Ukraine with Kate TsurkanUkraine is interesting not only for its heroic actions
and identity.SubscribeWhat is Explaining Ukraine project?The world is full of distorted versions of Ukrainian history
The Kyiv Independent wanted to make sure readers had a reliable source of information about important Ukrainian historical events
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The classified "homeland defense plan" outlines how the government would respond in the immediate aftermath of a strike on British territory by a hostile foreign nation
This marks the fifth known prisoner of war (POWs) swap of 2025 and the 64th since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022
The suspension reportedly affected 11 shipments of artillery shells and weapons from Dover Air Force Base and a U.S
Trump said that Russia has grown more willing to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine following a sharp decline in oil prices
Poland will hold presidential elections on May 18
as the country faces key debates over social policy
and national security that could shape its political trajectory
The annual report said Russia is using aggressive tactics
such as unauthorized airspace incursions and close encounters with NATO ships and aircraft
including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones
located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk
remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front
where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March
(Updated: May 6, 2025 11:41 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway
The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce."
Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power."
About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression
(Updated: May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do
by Authorities began on April 30
dismantling a monument in central Kyiv commemorating the Pereiaslav Council
a 17th-century treaty between the Cossack Hetmanate and the Muscovite Tsardom
(Kyiv City Military Administration/Telegram)Authorities began dismantling a monument in central Kyiv commemorating a 17th-century treaty between the Cossack Hetmanate and the Tsardom of Muscovy
the Kyiv City Military Administration said on April 30
The Pereiaslav Council of 1654 saw the Cossacks
enter into an alliance with Moscow against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The statue was erected during the Soviet era in 1982 as part of the People's Friendship Arch complex
a series of three sculptures made in honor of the "reunification of Ukraine and Russia."
The Kyiv City Military Administration said that the dismantling will likely take several days
as the sculpture consists of roughly 20 parts weighing about six to seven metric tons
The monument will be subsequently moved to the Ukraine State Aviation Museum
one statue of the complex was removed in April 2022 after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion
the Culture Ministry removed the complex's official status as a historic site
The Pereiaslav Council has often been used in Soviet and Russian historiography as "evidence" of the supposed centuries-old affinity between the Ukrainian and Russian nations
Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the treaty in his 2021 article "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians," a propaganda piece that preceded the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Even today, there are echoes and ramifications from the Pereiaslav Agreement of 1654. This is a significant event in Ukrainian history, impacting the nation's relationship with Russia and influencing its path toward autonomy
In the midst of the Khmelnytsky Uprising, this pact signifies a resolution made by Ukrainian Cossack chiefs under Bohdan Khmelnytsky's leadership to side with Russia's Tsar during political and social unrest
This historical pact continues to be relevant in contemporary discussions about Ukraine's identity and geopolitical dynamics
particularly in the context of its strained relationship with Russia
The cultural and religious aspects embedded in the agreement also shape discussions about Ukrainian identity
adding layers to the ongoing discourse about the nation's historical roots and the influences that have molded its character
it is important to know who the Cossacks are
They first emerged in the 15th century when forts were constructed by Lithuanian Dukes in their borderlands
trying to protect themselves from outside raids
a collection of people came to occupy the land near the garrison
The term "Cossack" itself is associated with the Ukrainian word "Kazak," meaning a free person or adventurer
this group of people turned into communities
From these communities came structure and society
They called these "hetman." A hetman was basically a military leader or commander, especially among the Cossacks in Eastern Europe
Think of them as elected leaders who had both military and administrative powers
They were crucial for organizing and leading Cossack military efforts during times of conflict
but we need some quick background for this
the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth extended its dominance over areas currently within present-day Ukraine
It was a challenging period for the Cossacks due to upheavals taking place within this ever-changing Commonwealth
Polish nobles saw big profits selling grain to Western Europe and decided to roll out the manorial system of agriculture
This was great for them but not so great for the regular peasants and people
what did the fed-up peasants and a few city dwellers do
many people left the cities or fled their serfdom
They packed up and headed to the wide-open steppe
where they set up camp and dubbed themselves free men – enter the Cossacks
The problem there was Polish nobles claimed the land in the Dnipro River region
Peasants and Cossacks revolted against Polish nobles and the government
The Polish government found itself in a tough situation. They needed the Cossacks to guard the frontier but were sweating over the threat they posed to the ruling nobility. They tried to play puppet master with registers and appointed leaders, but war with Muscovy, Sweden, and Turkey made them cut deals with the Cossacks
King Stephen Báthory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gave Cossacks concessions with expanded rights and freedoms
the Cossacks started to act more independently
After the breakup of Kyivan Rus, Kyivan Rus fell under Mongol domination, becoming part of the Mongol Empire known as the Golden Horde
Moscow was one of the few Rus principalities that managed to maintain a degree of autonomy under Mongol rule
it gradually expanded its territory through a combination of military conquests and strategic alliances with other principalities
Moscow served as a tribute collector for the Golden Horde
which helped to build up the pace of its economic growth
the influence held by the Golden Horde started to diminish
Ivan III - recognized as Moscow's Grand Prince
boldly chose not to continue with tribute payments
which eventually sparked a confrontation at Ugra River
it effectively ended Mongol rule in Russia
Ivan III continued to expand Moscow's territory and consolidate power. He took on the title "Sovereign of All Rus," planting the seeds for what would eventually evolve into the Russian Tsardom and the Russian Empire
a single man's displeasure with how he was treated would one day lead to a fundamental change in the landscape of modern-day Poland
When Bohdan Khmelnytsky took over as leader of the Cossacks in 1648
had shown no giant desire to rebel against Poland
It is good to remember that much of modern-day Ukraine
Khmelnytsky had both been educated in Poland and served in their military
when a Polish noble allegedly killed Khmelnytsky's son
When he tried to get justice in the Polish courts
He made his way towards the Zaporizhian Cossacks in an area now recognized as southeastern Ukraine, residing by the sides of River Dnieper
If the Polish officials would not help him
had long-standing grievances against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
he convinced them to rise against the Commonwealth
It was not the first time the Cossacks had rebelled
There had been several instances of Cossack uprisings in the last half-century
and all of them had been brutally put down
During every uprising, the Cossacks fought alone. This time, Khmelnytsky looked for allies. They found them in the Tatars
predominantly Muslim ethnic group often associated with the Crimean Khanate
the public forms a mob and starts an uprising; thus
a historian who has written much on this period
described the situation as a complicated arrangement of factors
saying everything from social issues to economic problems led to long-standing tensions
it looked different from the past uprisings
The Cossacks were making significant progress
The Polish army was smashed during early battles
The Cossacks expanded their borders quickly
three Polish provinces were transferred to the Cossacks
This time of conflict also marked an era rampant with excessive violence
Jewish citizens were particularly targeted by the rampaging Cossacks
the Cossacks had taken the areas that make up the modern-day West and Central Ukraine
Things might have gotten good for the Cossacks
the Tatars abandoned the Cossacks on the battlefield
Khmelnytsky simply ignored the treaty and continued the war
the Cossacks lost some of the enthusiasm and momentum and realized they could not win this alone
This betrayal would have long-lasting ripples
Instead of looking south to the Tatars for help
Muscovy and the Cossacks had maintained relations
Tsar Alexis I was not keen on supporting it since it could lead to war with the Commonwealth
the Russians changed direction and decided it was time to support the Cossacks
This choice changed the future relationship between Ukraine and Russia
This historical agreement holds such profound meaning for both nations that even Vladimir Putin has written a paper discussing its implications in Russian history
When the Cossacks decided to look for help outside the Tatars
They could go back under the rule of Catholic kings
They could look for help from the Muslim sultans to the south
they could ask for an alliance with the Orthodoxy of the Tsar
it secured protection for the Cossack Hetmanate in exchange for an oath of allegiance to Tsar Alexis I
It also emphasized mutual defense against common enemies
It also acknowledged the autonomy of the Cossack Hetmanate within the broader framework of the Russian political sphere
the two sides viewed the contract quite differently
The Cossacks saw it as a legally binding agreement between the two equal sides
The Tsar saw the Cossacks simply as new subjects
and after they were awarded particular rights
any further obligations were not important
The Russian-Polish conflict originated from this agreement and had a lasting impact
The particulars of the war are not as important as its conclusion
With no significant military triumph for either side in sight
it was the Treaty of Andrusovo that brought an end to the Russo-Polish War and served as a diplomatic settlement
Russia obtained the Hetmanate lands through the treaty
Alexis I and the Polish King John II Casimir agreed to a partition of the Hetmanate lands
with the Dnieper River serving as the boundary
solidifying Russian influence in the region
The western part would stay under Polish control
This division aimed to resolve the ongoing conflict and establish a temporary balance
It also inadvertently kept the future Ukrainian people divided by man-made borders
While the Cossacks retained a degree of autonomy
the treaty set the stage for further integration of the Hetmanate into the Russian sphere of influence in the following centuries
The Pereyaslav Agreement came back into the modern spotlight in 1954
Three centuries had passed since the pact was made. As a symbolic gesture of comradeship between two Soviet powers
saw Crimea's transfer from Russian to Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republics
It was mostly a symbolic sign of friendship
but it shows how the Pereyaslav Agreement was viewed during the time in Soviet Russia
This Crimean handover was a modern symbolic gesture of two union countries and their friendship
she explains the position that the Khmelnytsky uprising could be seen as a failed war for independence
opinions in Ukraine differ because while the Cossacks defeated the Poles
The way Pereyaslav Agreement is viewed varies among historians
Some in Russia and Ukraine argue about whether it means Ukraine fully joined Muscovy or if it was just a military alliance
Russian and Soviet-era scholars lean towards supporting a union
while Ukrainians stress the idea of independent states with contractual relations
Contemporary Ukrainian perspectives tend towards a military alliance
This discrepancy arises from differing national and political interests
The Ukrainian historian Alexander Ohloblyn said the understanding of the 1654 Ukrainian-Muscovite agreement has been a source of debate among historians
view it as a submission of the Cossacks to the Tsar
Ukrainian historians still view it as a bilateral treaty
This disagreement arose from the different national and political interests at that time
historians agree on considering the historical context and perspectives when evaluating the treaty
Although the agreement started as a military alliance between pre-Ukrainian Cossacks and Muscovy
conflicting national and political interests slowly turned it into Moscow dominating the Cossacks
the Pereyaslav agreement remains important for Ukrainians
which is something Russia has continued to disagree with
born out of the violence and turbulence of the Khmelnytsky Uprising
holds a crucial place in Ukrainian and Russian history
The decision of the Cossack leaders to side with the Russian Tsar has had a long-lasting effect
It has shaped the way Ukraine and Russia see each other and their own national identity
which split up the Ukrainian Cossack state and set the stage for integration into the Russian sphere
The interpretations of the Pereiaslav Agreement differ among historians
While Soviet-era perspectives leaned towards a unionist angle
contemporary Ukrainians often stressed the concept of a military alliance
This difference highlights the ongoing importance of considering historical context and different viewpoints
the Pereiaslav Agreement remains a vital cog in the two nations' relationship
which has been growing and changing over the centuries
As we hit the 370-year mark since the Pereiaslav Agreement was signed
so much so that it continues to hold the attention of vital players like Vladimir Putin
Looking back at how this agreement was perceived in the past and its interpretation today is crucial for understanding the complexities of how the Ukraine-Russia conflict evolved
Russian History: A Very Short Introduction
"The Story of Ukraine." Penelope - University of Chicago
"Treaty of Pereyaslav 1654." Penelope - University of Chicago
Borderland : A Journey Through the History of Ukraine
Basic Books: Member of The Perseus Book Group
Lost Kingdom: The Question For Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation
The Frontline: Essays on Ukraine's Past and Present
"Cossacks." Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine
www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CC%5CO%5CCossacks.htm
Frank E “Seventeenth-Century Views on the Causes of the Khmel’nyts’kyi Uprising: An Examination of the ‘Discourse on the Present Cossack or Peasant War.’” Harvard Ukrainian Studies
“Recovering the Ancient and Recent Past: The Shaping of Memory and Identity in Early Modern Ukraine.” Eighteenth-Century Studies
photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York
Her focus is on reporting national politics
where she has covered the 2020 and 2022 elections
the impeachments of Donald Trump and multiple State of the Union addresses
Other topics she has reported on for Newsweek include crime
public health and the emergence of COVID-19
Aila was a freelance writer before joining Newsweek in 2019
You can get in touch with Aila by emailing a.slisco@newsweek.com
either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter
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Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content
Russia is attempting to rewrite history by invalidating a 1954 decision that officially gave Ukraine control of Crimea
which Moscow went on to illegally annex in 2014
Crimea was given to Ukraine by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev as a "gift" on the 300-year anniversary of the Pereiaslav Agreement
which saw Ukraine form a military alliance with Russia
Both Russia and Ukraine were republics of the Soviet Union at the time of the transfer
Ukraine retained control of the peninsula after declaring independence from the then-crumbling Soviet Union in 1991
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly vowed that Ukraine's ongoing war against invading Russian forces will not end until Kyiv takes back control of all of its Russian-occupied territory
A bill recently submitted in the Russian State Duma by members Konstantin Zatulin and Sergei Tsekov would declare the Soviet Union's decision to give Crimea to Ukraine illegal and unconstitutional
according to a Tuesday report from The Kyiv Post
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the bill on Tuesday
calling it an attempt to justify "gross violations of international law" and evidence of Russian "panic" over the "inevitability of de-occupation."
"Russian authorities can continue their propaganda as much as they want
in particular under the guise of legislation
but this will not change the reality recognized by the world community: Crimea is Ukraine," the statement continues
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email on Tuesday
The 1954 decree that gave Ukraine control of Crimea noted "the territorial proximity and the close economic ties between Crimea Province and the Ukraine Republic."
Russia invaded and took control of Crimea in February 2014, marking the beginning of a war that reached a new stage with Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24
Crimea was annexed after a referendum was held that Moscow claimed showed over 95 percent of residents wanted the peninsula to become a part of Russia
International observers condemned the result
claiming that the vote had been manipulated
Similar referendums were held more recently by Russian-installed governments in the occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk
Kherson and Zaporizhzhia—all four of which Putin claimed to annex in September 2022
The referendums once again had what were considered to be questionable results by international observers
claiming to show that overwhelming majorities of residents in the military-occupied regions had approved of Russian control
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground
Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair
Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter.
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and members of the monastery’s brotherhood welcomed the two Ukrainian Hierarchs with whom they celebrated the Divine Liturgy this morning at the Trikorfo Monastery
“Russian clergy and laypeople who do not recognise the Orthodox Church of Ukraine under Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv
to which our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew granted autocephaly
will no longer be welcomed within the jurisdiction of the Holy Metropolis of Fokida
The autocephaly was also recognised by the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece under Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and all Greece.”
The decision made by Metropolitan Theoktistos of Fokida is a severe countermeasure
escalating the tension with the Patriarchate of Moscow
Neither the Ecumenical Patriarchate nor the Church of Greece have stated that they would not welcome
celebrate the Divine Liturgy and offer the Holy Communion to Russian bishops
visited two women’s monasteries; the Monastery of Saint Nektarios and the Monastery Panagia Varnakova
On the occasion of the feast of the Church of Saint George the Great Martyr in Knjaževac
On the eve of the conclave that will begin on Wednesday to elect a new Pope
The annual graduation ceremony of the Patriarchal Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy (PTOTA) was held at the Cultural Centre of..
Archbishop Makarios of Australia will be conferred the title of Honorary Doctor by both the Department of Theology and..
The Vatican announced on Monday that all telephone communication within its territory will be suspended during the upcoming conclave..
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered the keynote address at the International Scientific Conference “Restarting from Nicaea:..
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When traveling through the outskirts of Kyiv, one expects to find small villages, farms and the rolling countryside of Ukraine
What most do not expect is to find an old church that is now a museum filled to the brim with Soviet space items
this is exactly what you will find here.
The museum was opened in 1979 by Mikhail Sikorsk in collaboration with the academy of sciences
The museum started as a passion project of sorts
with the people involved talking to various Soviet and post-Soviet authorities to obtain items and other material for the museum.
They were successful as now they have over 450 exhibits
all on display in five large rooms of the church
The exhibition is focused on the history of space exploration and shows various items that were really used for the programs
When visiting you can expect to find models of various spacecraft
reconstructions of satellites like Sputnik, a rocket engine
It is also the home of the first Foucault pendulum in Ukraine
The museum also shows the modern part of space exploration and focuses on the achievements of the Ukrainian space industry.
the museum was known as the Museum of World Science and Peaceful Space Exploration
a national monument that was transferred to its current location in the 1970s
displays a bunch of space debris from NASA’s Skylab
Using a massive antenna made up of five miles of wire
two scientists tuned into organic radio waves from the planet Jupiter
Visitors to the National Museum of Nepal can moon over a set of well-traveled flags
This massive monument honors the first human in space
This old medieval prison tower has been a site of astronomical research for more than 250 years
A metal ring in the middle of the road marks the exact spot where the Soviet satellite crash-landed in 1962
A one-of-a-kind sundial at the Very Large Array honors a radio astronomy pioneer
incorporating the original piers from his breakthrough radio telescope
A historic observatory now an astronomy museum beautifully situated at the moat of the Middle Age city centre
Epifaniy was elected by secret ballot at the unification council of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church held at Kyiv's St
He was nominated by the Bishops' Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate on Thursday
This day will go down in history as a sacred day
a day of the creation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
a day of final independence from the Russian Federation," President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said
He together with Metropolitan Epifaniy addressed people at the square near St
President Poroshenko stressed that ”the issue of autocephaly is an issue of our Ukrainian national security." "Finally
which can be compared with gaining political independence
We cut off the chains that bind us to the empire
We return to our God-determined path and go our own way,” the president noted
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