Winning Freedom: Ukraine 1989-1991

On August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada adopted The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. A year later, August 24 became the official Independence Day of the country. The declaration indeed was a fundamental step on Ukraine’s long journey toward freedom and democracy, but it was not the only one.

Our documentary project dedicated to Ukraine explores three years of struggle for independence, presenting key events in this process: glasnost, social movements, student hunger strikes, political transformations, economic collapse, mass strikes and rallies, and much more.

About

On August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada adopted The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. A year later, August 24 became the official Independence Day of the country. The declaration indeed was a fundamental step on Ukraine’s long journey toward freedom and democracy, but it was not the only one.

Our documentary project dedicated to Ukraine explores three years of struggle for independence, presenting key events in this process: glasnost, social movements, student hunger strikes, political transformations, economic collapse, mass strikes and rallies, and much more.

The Blinken OSA Archivum preserves a vast array of documents related to the post-Communist transition in Ukraine. We have selected a diverse, yet representative, fraction from the collection of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Research Institute to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of what kind of documents make up our collection.

Records are arranged in chronological order and displayed on two lines—time and event. The time period spans from the beginning of 1989 (when the Narodnyi Rukh movement was formed, which played a huge role in the struggle for independence) until the end of 1991 (the first presidential elections of independent Ukraine, and the Belovezha Accords, which put an end to the existence of the Soviet Union). A brief explanation accompanies each material, providing background information on that time and the particular event.

Unique archival documents clearly demonstrate how the political course and rhetoric changed, as the desire for Ukraine’s independence acquired a mass, nationwide character.

Many of the selected documents are unknown to the general public.

Some were distributed locally and had a limited reach at the time of the events. The collection sheds new light on the way political, ethnic, and professional communities were involved in the struggle for independence, seizing the moment gradually, day by day. This can and should also provoke additional research related to the history of Ukraine and post-Soviet transitions. The Blinken OSA Archivum holdings, without exaggeration, is a precious source for historians and political scientists dealing with the era of the collapse of the USSR.

Project staff: Curator – Katerina Belenkina Proofreading - Miklós Zsámboki Website - Károly Timári
Acknowledgements: Sándor Bejczy, Katalin Dobó, Csaba Szilágyi

The People's Movement of Ukraine

Social Organizations and Movements

Demonstrations
and
Strikes

Acts,
Laws,
Declarations

Elections
and
Voting

The first issue of the first newspaper of the Movement tells about how the Narodnyi Rukh was created. The first issue of the first newspaper of the Movement tells about how the Narodnyi Rukh was created. Visnik Rukhu. No. 1, July, 1989.
Сriticism of the People’s Movement and the Congress on the pages of the official newspaper Pravda. Сriticism of the People’s Movement and the Congress on the pages of the official newspaper Pravda.
Video clips of the human chain action, which took place throughout Ukraine on January 21, 1990. Video clips of the human chain action, which took place throughout Ukraine on January 21, 1990.
Announcement by the Second Congress of the People’s Movement of Ukraine in the independent newspaper Dosvitni vogni. Announcement by the Second Congress of the People’s Movement of Ukraine in the independent newspaper Dosvitni vogni: Narodnyi Rukh Ukrainy za perebudovu. No. 7, October, 1990.
“Ukraine! You will be ‘sovereign’ in the ‘New Union’ like this little fish in a shark's belly.” “Ukraine! You will be ‘sovereign’ in the ‘New Union’ like this little fish in a shark's belly.” Holos Tavrii, N 2, 1991.
Biography and political program of the candidate for the post of the first President of Independent Ukraine Vyacheslav Chornovil. Biography and political program of the candidate for the post of the first President of Independent Ukraine Vyacheslav Chornovil.
The Times, on February 21, 1989, about Ukraine, Gorbachev’s visit to Kyiv, the Popular Front and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The Times, on February 21, 1989, about Ukraine, Gorbachev’s visit to Kyiv, the Popular Front and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
On the registration of the Odessa Society Memorial in the official party newspaper The Banner of Communism. On the registration of the Odessa Society Memorial in the official party newspaper The Banner of Communism.
The Law on Languages in the Ukrainian SSR, published on the front page of the official newspaper Pravda. The Law on Languages in the Ukrainian SSR, published on the front page of the official newspaper Pravda on November 3, 1989.
The first issue of the Student Brotherhood newspaper Bratstvo. The first issue of the Student Brotherhood newspaper Bratstvo: vydannia students'kogo bratstva in January, 1990, announcing that the Student Brotherhood society is officially registered.
Video recording of the Constituent Congress of the Ukrainian Republican Party held on April 29–30, 1990. Video recording of the Constituent Congress of the Ukrainian Republican Party held on April 29–30, 1990.
Vozvrashchenie (Return), a documentary about the deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea, interview with Mustafa Dzhemilev, one of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar civil rights movement. Vozvrashchenie (Return), a documentary about the deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea, interview with Mustafa Dzhemilev, one of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar civil rights movement.
The Radians'ka Ukraina newspaper on strikes in Makiivka and other mines in the Donets Basin July 20, 1989. The Radians'ka Ukraina newspaper on strikes in Makiivka and other mines in the Donets Basin July 20, 1989.
>Video of the ceremony of consecrating the flag of Ukraine at St. Sophia Cathedral, July 24, 1990. Video of the ceremony of consecrating the flag of Ukraine at St. Sophia Cathedral, July 24, 1990.
The flag-raising ceremony on the flagpole in front of the City Council.
Demonstration in Kyiv in September 1990, demanding a declaration of Ukrainian independence.
Ranok Magazine (February 1991) detailing student strikes in October 1990. Ranok Magazine (February 1991) detailing student strikes in October 1990.
Mayak Radio report on April 18, 1991, about a new wave of miners’ strikes. Mayak Radio report on April 18, 1991, about a new wave of miners’ strikes.
Gorbachev takes the oath as President of the USSR. Gorbachev takes the oath as President of the USSR.
Pravda Ukrainy (August 5, 1989) featuring the resolution and drafts of the Law of the Ukrainian SSR on amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, including the election law. Pravda Ukrainy (August 5, 1989) featuring the resolution and drafts of the Law of the Ukrainian SSR on amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, including the election law.
Text of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990, published in the Rabochaia Gazeta. Text of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990, published in the Rabochaia Gazeta, July 17, 1990.
The Law on Economic Independence, published in the newspaper Radians’ka Ukraina. The Law on Economic Independence, published in the newspaper Radians’ka Ukraina (August 8, 1990).
Text of Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, signed on August 24, 1991, and published in almost all Ukrainian press. Text of Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, signed on August 24, 1991, and published in almost all Ukrainian press.
Transcript of the radio broadcast with a detailed recount of the press conference given by Leonid Kravchuk after the signing of the Belovezha Accords. Transcript of the radio broadcast with a detailed recount of the press conference given by Leonid Kravchuk after the signing of the Belovezha Accords.
Video fragment from the opening of the First Congress of People’s Deputies: greeting speech by Mikhail Gorbachev and speech by Andrei Sakharov. Video fragment from the opening of the First Congress of People’s Deputies: greeting speech by Mikhail Gorbachev and speech by Andrei Sakharov.
Election flyer of a candidate for People’s Deputy of the Ukrainian SSR. Election flyer of a candidate for People’s Deputy of the Ukrainian SSR.
The program of the Ukrainian Republican Party. The program of the Ukrainian Republican Party.
Article in the newspaper Izvestia (No. 51, February 28, 1991) about the debate in the Ukrainian parliament on holding an All-Union Referendum. Article in the newspaper Izvestia (No. 51, February 28, 1991) about the debate in the Ukrainian parliament on holding an All-Union Referendum.
Results of presidential elections in Ukraine and the referendum published in Literaturna Ukraina. Results of presidential elections in Ukraine and the referendum published in Literaturna Ukraina, December 12, 1991.
Referendum voting results map published in Ukrainian Pravda. Referendum voting results map published in Ukrainian Pravda (December 7, 1991).
1989
1990
1991

The People's Movement of Ukraine

Thanks to the policy of glasnost, first announced by Mikhail Gorbachev in February 1986 at the 27th Congress of the CPSU, alternative political and civil rights movements and associations began to appear in the USSR. The slower development of this process in Ukraine is explained, among other things, by the fact that the Ukrainian leadership resisted glasnost to a greater extent than in other republics. Significant changes in Ukraine began to appear only in 1989. The People’s Movement of Ukraine (Narodnyi Rukh Ukrayiny, Rukh) became the impetus for serious changes in the country. Initially, Rukh included a wide variety of members, sometimes with completely opposing views, and simply accumulated all independent initiatives that demanded changes in Ukrainian society.

It was Rukh that later formulated a Ukrainian plea for independence, demanded the return of national symbols, and organized hundreds of rallies.

The Program of the People’s Movement. Literaturna Ukraina.
The Program of the People’s Movement. Literaturna Ukraina. February 16, 1989.
Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
Report about the creation of the People’s Movement in Ukraine and the confrontation with Ukrainian Party authorities. February 13, 1989.
Report about the creation of the People’s Movement in Ukraine and the confrontation with Ukrainian Party authorities. February 13, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/13 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
The first issue of the first newspaper of the Movement tells about how the Narodnyi Rukh was created. Visnik Rukhu.
The first issue of the first newspaper of the Movement tells about how the Narodnyi Rukh was created. Visnik Rukhu. No. 1, July, 1989.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library

The Beginning - January, 1989

The idea of creating the Narodnyi Rukh Ukrayiny was first raised by poet Dmitry Pavlychko at an environmental rally in November 1988. And already in early 1989, initiative groups appeared within the Writers’ Union of Ukraine and the Institute of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. At a meeting of writers on January 31, 1989, the movement’s program was adopted, and then published in the Literaturnaya Gazeta of Ukraine.

01|1989

Constituent Congress of the Movement September 8–10, 1989

September 8
The first Constituent Congress of the initiative group took place on September 8–10, 1989, at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The movement was officially named People’s Movement of Ukraine for Reconstruction (Narodnyi Rukh Ukrayiny za Perebudovu). Poet Ivan Drach was elected its first chairman, and the program and aims of the movement were approved.

More than 1,100 delegates from different regions of Ukraine took part in the Congress that lasted three days. A large number of journalists, including foreign press, covered it.

Report on the first day of the Constituent Congress of the People’s Movement. September 8, 1989.
Report on the first day of the Constituent Congress of the People’s Movement. September 8, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:40/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Report on the first day of the Constituent Congress of the People’s Movement. September 8, 1989.
Report on the first day of the Constituent Congress of the People’s Movement. September 8, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:40/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Report on the results of the first Congress: selection of the chairman, the Program, comments by participants. September 10, 1989.
Report on the results of the first Congress: selection of the chairman, the Program, comments by participants. September 10, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:40/5 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
October 1989
The official Ukrainian press regularly published articles critical of Rukh. The Constituent Congress was not ignored either.

Interview with a Rada deputy from Kyiv, member of the Rukh leadership, Volodymyr Chernyak. Discussion of Rukh’s goals and the results of the Congress, as well as criticism of the official press attacking Rukh and its members. September 16, 1989.

HU OSA 297-0-1-63090 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Сriticism of the People’s Movement and the Congress on the pages of the official newspaper Pravda Ukrainy.
Сriticism of the People’s Movement and the Congress on the pages of the official newspaper Pravda Ukrainy. October 5, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/13 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Independent press reports had a completely different rhetoric, when addressing Rukh and the first Congress.

Publication in the Latvian weekly Atmoda (Awakening), the independent and opposition newspaper of the Popular Front of Latvia.

From the reports we know that the hall housing the Congress was decorated with blue and yellow flags, tridents, and ancient coats of arms of the Ukrainian lands. The delegates who attended the Congress represented a wide variety of nationalities and trade unions.

At the Congress, criticism was voiced of the USSR as a federation, its center (Moscow), and the CPSU, and demands were made to release political prisoners. The dissident and human rights activist Levko Lukianenko (who served 27 years in forced labor camps) claimed that Ukraine was de facto occupied by the USSR. Many raised the issue of Ukraine’s independence, and, most importantly, Rukh announced its program at the Congress: the creation of a sovereign Ukrainian state.

Publication about the People’s Movement Congress in the independent, opposition newspaper in the Latvian SSR Atmoda. October 16, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:40/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
08|09|1989
09|09|1989
10|09|1989
16|09|1989
16|10|1989
25|10|1989

Human Chain

January 21, 1990
Probably the largest demonstration of those years was the human chain on January 21, 1990.

The action was organized by Rukh, preparations lasted several months. People lined up in a human chain from Ivano-Frankivsk to Kyiv—the chain was about 500 kilometers long. According to official data by law enforcement officers, about 450 thousand people took part in the demonstration; unofficial estimates range from one to five million. The action was timed to coincide with the 71st anniversary of the Unification Act (Akt Zluky), signed on January 22, 1919, by the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic.

The demonstration was inspired by the Baltic Way, a human chain that had connected Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius in August 1989.

Report on the January 21, 1990 human chain in the independent newspaper Dosvitni vogni: Narodnyi Rukh Ukrainy za perebudovu.
Report on the January 21, 1990 human chain in the independent newspaper Dosvitni vogni: Narodnyi Rukh Ukrainy za perebudovu. No. 1, 1990.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
Transcript of radio broadcast of the anniversary celebration of the Unification Act, signed on January 22, 1919, by the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic.
Transcript of radio broadcast of the anniversary celebration of the Unification Act, signed on January 22, 1919, by the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic. January 18, 1990.
HU OSA 300-81-2:41/2 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Video clips of the human chain action, which took place throughout Ukraine on January 21, 1990.

HU OSA 300-81-9-125-1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

January 23, 1990

The demonstration was not left without criticism in the official press. Not only was the action itself condemned, but also the 1919 Unification Act, recalling the voluntary entry of Ukraine into the USSR in 1922.

“More than half in the chain are young people, even children of middle-school age. And after all, classes at the school were canceled due to the flu epidemic, but here it is considered that nothing will happen to these guys if they stand for an hour in the wind,” “Historical problems are not solved at rallies,” and so on.

Criticism of the human chain action in the official Ukrainian press. Pravda Ukrainy.
Criticism of the human chain action in the official Ukrainian press. Pravda Ukrainy, January 23, 1990.
HU OSA 300-81-2:41/2 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
21|01|1990
23|01|1990
Announcement by the Second Congress of the People’s Movement of Ukraine in the independent newspaper Dosvitni vogni: Narodnyi Rukh Ukrainy za perebudovu.
Announcement by the Second Congress of the People’s Movement of Ukraine in the independent newspaper Dosvitni vogni: Narodnyi Rukh Ukrainy za perebudovu. No. 7, October, 1990.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
An article about the new program adopted by the People’s Movement at its Second Congress, demanding full independence for Ukraine.
An article about the new program adopted by the People’s Movement at its Second Congress, demanding full independence for Ukraine. The Los Angeles Times, October 29, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/14 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

The Second Congress

October 1990
The Second Congress of Rukh took place on October 25–28, 1990.

Full independence of Ukraine was formulated as a goal, and the word Reconstruction, or Perestroika, was removed from the full name of Rukh, called hereafter the People’s Movement of Ukraine.

10|1990

New Union Treaty

May–June 1991
As a consequence of the crisis of the Soviet Union and the so-called “parade of sovereignties,” the authorities and Mikhail Gorbachev lobbied for a new treaty with the republics. Rukh opposed the signing of the New Union Treaty, which was scheduled for August 20, 1991.

Rukh published a large number of printed materials, such as the report journal of its secretariat, titled Bulletin of Movement, or the bulletins Observer, Mir, Movement-Inform, Express News, the weekly Veche, the newspapers Dawn Lights, Narodnaya Gazeta, as well as regional and local periodicals.

Political cartoons were very popular in those years; at the time of the signing of the New Union Treaty, Rukh publications were full of caricatures on this topic.

On the front page of the newspaper Dosvitni vogni, a wolf representing the USSR says to Ukraine, depicted as Little Red Riding Hood, “Only there, under the protection of my lair, will you, Little Red Riding Hood, be both sovereign and happy.” Little Red Riding Hood notes, “I asked to go home, but he did not let me go.”

On the pages of the regional edition of Rukh’s Voice of Tavria, among the many political posters and cartoons, an iconic image marked with “Ukraine! You will be ‘sovereign’ in the ‘New Union’ like this little fish in a shark's belly.”

“Ukraine! You will be ‘sovereign’ in the ‘New Union’ like this little fish in a shark's belly.”
“Ukraine! You will be ‘sovereign’ in the ‘New Union’ like this little fish in a shark's belly.” Holos Tavrii, N 2, 1991.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
“No to the New Union Treaty! All for the fight for an independent Ukraine!”
“No to the New Union Treaty! All for the fight for an independent Ukraine!” Dosvitni vogni, N 7, 1990.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
A wolf representing the USSR says to Ukraine, depicted as Little Red Riding Hood, “Only there, under the protection of my lair, will you, Little Red Riding Hood, be both sovereign and happy.” Little Red Riding Hood notes, “I asked to go home, but he did not let me go.”
A wolf representing the USSR says to Ukraine, depicted as Little Red Riding Hood, “Only there, under the protection of my lair, will you, Little Red Riding Hood, be both sovereign and happy.” Little Red Riding Hood notes, “I asked to go home, but he did not let me go.” Dosvitni vogni: Nezalezhnyi gromads'ko-politychnyi ta literaturno-khudozhnii chasopys, N 1, 1991.
HU OSA 300-85-19 - Informal Press, Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
05-06|1991

Presidential elections and a referendum for independence

October 1991
In 1991, Rukh nominated a public figure, dissident and publicist Vyacheslav Chornovil, as its candidate for the presidency of Ukraine.

Vyacheslav Chornovil, one of the leaders of the Ukrainian national democratic movement of the late 1980s–1990s and the founder of Rukh. In Soviet times, he spent 16 years in prison for “anti-Soviet activities” He published the underground magazine Ukrainian Herald.

He was a member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, later co-chairman of the UHS party (Ukrainian Helsinki Union). He played an important role in the signing first of the Declaration of Sovereignty, and then the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.

In the election campaign for presidency, he advocated radical social economic reforms and the revival of the national culture of Ukraine.

Biography and political program of the candidate for the post of the first President of Independent Ukraine Vyacheslav Chornovil.
Biography and political program of the candidate for the post of the first President of Independent Ukraine Vyacheslav Chornovil. October 19, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-2:2/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Biography of Vyacheslav Chornovil and his statement demanding to initiate criminal proceedings against the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Stanislav Gurenko.
Biography of Vyacheslav Chornovil and his statement demanding to initiate criminal proceedings against the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Stanislav Gurenko. Viche, N12-–13, September, 1991.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
10|1991

Social Organizations and Movements

The politics of glasnost, announced by Mikhail Gorbachev, contributed to the emergence of independent public organizations and movements. At the same time, compared to the Baltic republics, this process was slower in Ukraine. This was because the Ukrainian party apparatus was much more conservative. During the time of perestroika, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukrainian SSR was headed by Volodymyr Shcherbytsky, who in the 1970s pursued a tough reactionary policy and carried out repressive measures against dissidents, and in the 1980s implemented a policy of Russification.

After the Chernobyl disaster and the emergence of the first environmental protest movements, the situation started to undergo noticeable changes. The newfound freedom to express opinions and criticize the political and socio-economic situation brought the following important themes to the forefront: national self-determination, the role and place of the Ukrainian language; rethinking the past (the truth about Stalinist repression and political repressions in the Soviet Union, and about the Holodomor); criticism of the Communist Party; dissatisfaction with relations between the Ukrainian government and the Union Center.

The active involvement of the creative intelligentsia in this process and the consolidation of various social groups contributed to the rapid development of public initiatives. Many social movements in Ukraine subsequently became political parties. We introduced the People’s Movement of Ukraine—one of the main movements—in a separate chapter, since its impact on the social and political situation in the country was enormous.

In this chapter, we will focus on several organizations and movements that show the most different directions. We emphasize that public initiatives swept the whole country and covered all spheres of life.

Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

February 1989

The changes in society and the free atmosphere of the late 1980s also affected religious life and the church as an institution.

In February 1989, a group of Ukrainian Christians made an announcement regarding the formation of an Initiative Group for the Restoration of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church. In the 1920s, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church was liquidated and its members were forcefully incorporated into the Russian Orthodox Church. The 1989 statement asserted that this was an early phase of Stalinist repression in Ukraine, aimed at suppressing the national identity of the Ukrainian people. During World War II, the Soviet authorities temporarily permitted the reestablishment of the Autocephalous Church, but it was once again prohibited after the war.

One of the key figures advocating for the restoration of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was Father Bohdan Mykhailechko—the first priest who moved from the Russian Orthodox Church to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church. After Mykhailechko, Archpriest Volodymyr Yarema, Rector of Saint Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv, also left the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church together with his parish. After that, the autocephalous movement began to gain momentum.

An article about Gorbachev’s visit to Kyiv, the Popular Front and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
An article about Gorbachev’s visit to Kyiv, the Popular Front and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The Times, February 21, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

The initiative committee of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church declared in the statement:

“The hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church illegally usurped jurisdiction over the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as far back as in 1685, shortly after the so-called reunification of Ukraine with Russia, and it still does not recognize the existence of a separate Ukrainian national religious tradition as such…”

The statement further asserted that the Russian Church had yet to acknowledge the existence of the Ukrainian religious national tradition, including its language, culture, and rituals. This indicates that the Russian Church continued to uphold a chauvinistic approach toward national matters.

Historical background and report on the creation of an initiative group seeking to restore and legalize the Ukarinsky Autocephalous Church, a statement by the group, a biography of its leader Father Bohdan Mykhailechko.
Historical background and report on the creation of an initiative group seeking to restore and legalize the Ukarinsky Autocephalous Church, a statement by the group, a biography of its leader Father Bohdan Mykhailechko. February 21, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
02|1989

Memorial

March 1989
On March 4, 1989, the inaugural conference of the All-Ukrainian Historical and Educational Society Memorial took place in Kyiv. During the conference, the attendees approved the organization’s charter and passed several resolutions.

Among the demands of the Ukrainian Society Memorial, there were many important topics aimed at overcoming the Soviet past and rehabilitating the victims of mass repressions: eliminate the toponyms connected to people who participated in the repressions; start investigating the actions of participants in mass repressions in Ukraine from the 1920s to the 1980s; open the archives of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) and the Ministry of State Security (MGB); pass a new law regarding state secrets; rehabilitate people who were wrongly convicted and provide them with material compensation; release political prisoners; stop using forced psychiatric treatment for political purposes; legalize the Ukrainian Catholic and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church; honor the memory of millions of victims of the Holodomor (1932–1933) with a monument in Kharkiv; install monuments to the victims of mass repressions in places of mass graves in Ukraine, etc.

Transcript of the radio broadcast recounting the resolution of the All-Ukrainian founding conference of the historical and educational society Memorial.
Transcript of the radio broadcast recounting the resolution of the All-Ukrainian founding conference of the historical and educational society Memorial. March 10, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:48/5 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Soon, branches of Memorial were registered in Odessa, Lviv, and other Ukrainian cities.

On the registration of the Odessa Society Memorial in the official party newspaper The Banner of Communism.
On the registration of the Odessa Society Memorial in the official party newspaper The Banner of Communism. June 15, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
03|1989

Ukrainian Language Society

October 1989
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukrainian SSR’s efforts to promote a policy of Russification did not go unnoticed. The Ukrainian language was extensively replaced by Russian in various aspects of public life, particularly in publishing and education. Russian became the dominant language of instruction in higher education, and in many cases it was the exclusive language used. This situation drew criticism from society, particularly in Western Ukraine. As a result, public movements advocating for the revitalization of the Ukrainian language and defending its status started to emerge.

In 1988, numerous pro-Ukrainian language organizations were founded: the Taras Shevchenko Native Language Society in Lviv, the Native Word Club in Poltava, the Club of Ukrainian Language Lovers under the Union of Writers of Ukraine, and more. These organizations came together to establish the national association known as the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society. In February 1989, together, they organized the All-Ukrainian founding conference in Kyiv. The conference emphasized the importance of granting the Ukrainian language the status of a state language.

All these organizations actively engaged in publishing efforts, with regional branches even publishing their own newspapers. The Blinken OSA Archivum preserves several of these, such as Slovo and Prosvita.

Report on the Inaugural Conference of Ukraine Language Society held February 11–12, 1989.
Report on the Inaugural Conference of Ukraine Language Society held February 11–12, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

The first significant result of the work of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society was that it successfully advocated for the Law on Languages in the Ukrainian SSR (adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on October 28, 1989). This law granted the Ukrainian language the status of a state language, signifying the legislative acknowledgment of bilingualism in Ukraine. The text emphasized that Ukrainian, alongside Russian, should serve as the language of interethnic communication within the republic.

Additionally, the law included provisions for establishing the necessary safeguards for the development and usage of languages spoken by other nationalities. It prohibited both privileges and civil rights violations in language use, and it condemned any form of language discrimination. As per the law, there was a five-year timeframe for Ukrainian to gradually replace Russian in the state apparatus.

Although the law represented a significant milestone in the revival of the Ukrainian language and culture, it faced criticism due to the absence of a robust monitoring mechanism for ensuring its implementation, which significantly slowed down the actual process. The law was published in Pravda Ukraine.

The Law on Languages in the Ukrainian SSR, published on the front page of the official newspaper Pravda Ukrainy.
The Law on Languages in the Ukrainian SSR, published on the front page of the official newspaper Pravda Ukrainy. November 3, 1989.
Pravda Ukrainy, Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
10|1989

Student Movements

January 1990
In the spring of 1989, Lviv State University announced the creation of the Student Brotherhood (Bratstvo) of Lviv Region, which became one of the pioneering independent student organizations in the country. Unofficially, the Brotherhood was formed already a year earlier and operated clandestinely within various universities, serving as an alternative and opposition to the Komsomol (All-Union Leninist Young Communist League). The Brotherhood collaborated with the Bratstvo Ljva (Brotherhood of lion) a well-known informal movement among Lviv’s creative youth during those years.

The primary concerns and demands of the Student Brotherhood and other student associations revolved around military service (to serve in the military only on the territory of Ukraine), the demilitarization of educational processes liberated from ideological influences, or the preservation of freedom of speech and conscience.

The first issue of the Student Brotherhood newspaper Bratstvo: vydannia students'kogo bratstva, announcing that the Student Brotherhood society is officially registered.
The first issue of the Student Brotherhood newspaper Bratstvo: vydannia students'kogo bratstva, announcing that the Student Brotherhood society is officially registered. N 1, January, 1990.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library

Later on, the students’ demands expanded and largely aligned with those of the broader opposition, including the independence of Ukraine. Originating in Western Ukraine, the youth movement rapidly gained momentum and spread throughout all regions. One notable case was the Ukrainian Student Union (USS), founded in December 1989. The USS served as an alliance of diverse youth movements, with the Student Brotherhood being one of its initiators. The association’s initial major event was the Student Unity gathering held in Kyiv in February 1990.

The popularity of student movements testified to the disappointment in the Komsomol and in Communist ideology in general.

The first issue of the Svoboda newspaper of the Kyiv branch of the Student Union with the Program of the Ukrainian Student Union.
The first issue of the Svoboda newspaper of the Kyiv branch of the Student Union with the Program of the Ukrainian Student Union. N 1, January, 1990.
Independent Press from Ukraine microfiche collection; Blinken OSA Archivum, Library
01|1990

Ukrainian Helsinki Union

April 1990
In July 1988, a rally of thousands took place in front of Lviv University, where the Ukrainian Helsinki Union (UHS) was officially established. The initiators of UHS were former members of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group (1976–1981), dissidents who served long terms for human rights activities: Levko Lukyanenko, Vyacheslav Chornovil, Mykhailo and Bohdan Horyn. The newly formed union quickly evolved into a political movement, striving to bring about changes in the state structure. At the core of the UHS’s agenda was the Ukrainian nation’s right to self-determination. The movement’s participants firmly believed that true freedom for the Ukrainian people could not be achieved without the fulfillment of this fundamental right.

In 1990, the Ukrainian Republican Party (URP) emerged from the UHS. Its program’s primary and foremost objective was the independence of Ukraine. The URP Constituent Congress voiced that this goal, along with the establishment of a democratic state and the advancement of civil society, is indispensable to the political, economic, and cultural rejuvenation of the country.

Program of the Ukrainian Republican Party, published in Narodnaya Gazeta.
Program of the Ukrainian Republican Party, published in Narodnaya Gazeta. April 29, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/25 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Video recording of the Constituent Congress of the Ukrainian Republican Party. Among the speakers are Levko Lukyanenko, Vyacheslav Chornovil, Valeria Novodvorskaya, and others. April 29–30, 1990.

HU OSA 300-81-9-126-1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
04|1990

Crimean Tatar Civil Rights Movement

July 1991
Crimean Tatars were deported from the Crimean Peninsula, their historical homeland, under the orders of Stalin, on May 18–20, 1944. They were mainly women, children, and the elderly, since almost all men were drafted into the Red Army. The Soviet authorities accused the Crimean Tatar population of collaborating with occupying German authorities, and subjected them to forced resettlement from Crimea to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Urals. Almost 40 percent of the deportees (200,000 people) died in the first year of exile.

The Fergana massacre in Uzbekistan in June 1989, an interethnic conflict between Uzbeks and Meskhetian Turks, became a catalyst for the desire of the Crimean Tatar population to return to their homeland. It was during this time that the Crimean Tatar national movement began to actively advocate for the repatriation to Crimea and the complete moral and legal restoration of the deportees and their descendants. Thanks to a large number of actions and campaigns in support of Crimean Tatars, the Soviet authorities were forced to start resolving this issue. A commission on the problems of the Crimean Tatar people was established, and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR passed resolutions and acts acknowledging the legality of the Crimean Tatars’ return to their homeland. Additionally, the deportation of the Crimean Tatars from Crimea was recognized as an illegal and criminal act.

On February 12, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Law On the Restoration of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Ukrainian SSR.

Vozvrashchenie (Return), a documentary about the deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea, interview with Mustafa Dzhemilev, one of the leaders of the Crimean Tatar civil rights movement. 1993.

HU OSA 300-81-9-462-7 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

“What is the National Movement of the Crimean Tatars trying to achieve, despite the fact that the autonomous republic has been restored?”

One of the authors of the article is Yuri Osmanov, leader of the National Movement of Crimean Tatars. At the time of its publication, the movement was split into two camps. Osmanov and his supporters believed that the restoration needed the assistance of the leadership of the USSR, their opponents (Mustafa Dzhemilev among them) were categorically against the Soviet system.

Article in the newspaper Soyuz: “What is the National Movement of the Crimean Tatars trying to achieve, despite the fact that the autonomous republic has been restored?”
Article in the newspaper Soyuz: “What is the National Movement of the Crimean Tatars trying to achieve, despite the fact that the autonomous republic has been restored?” N 27, July, 1991.
HU OSA 300-5-180:17/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
07|1991

Demonstrations and Strikes

In 1989, protest movements emerged in Ukraine, encompassing a diverse array of social groups. The initial rallies were organized in 1988 by the Green Svit (Green World) environmental movement, which focused on investigating the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, disseminating accurate information to the public about the prevailing conditions, and criticizing the USSR’s anti-environmental policies.

During the summer of 1989, Ukraine witnessed widespread miners’ strikes that had a significant impact across the country. These strikes were driven by several factors, including a severe shortage of commodities, inadequate provision of food and essential supplies to mining regions. Additionally, the strikes were fueled by poor working conditions in the mines, notably insufficient safety measures that resulted in frequent fatalities.

Following its founding congress in September 1989, Rukh experienced a surge in popularity, garnering widespread support across Ukraine. With its emphasis on democratic values, national identity, and self-determination, the movement resonated with a broad spectrum of Ukrainian society. As a result, a multitude of rallies and actions were organized throughout the country on behalf of Rukh.

In the fall of 1990, students began a separate wave of protest; called the Revolution on Granite, they launched a hunger strike, setting up camps in public areas.

These rallies, and society as a whole, had colossal impact on political decisions in Ukraine.

Miners’ Strikes

In 1989, large-scale miners’ strikes erupted in the USSR. It all began with the miners of Kuzbass in western Siberia initiating a strike that was later joined by the miners of Donbass in eastern Ukraine, and, on July 15, the Yasinovataya-Glubokaya mine in Makiivka. Tens of thousands of workers in numerous mines ceased their operations on a daily basis, held rallies, and established strike committees, showcasing impressive self-organization skills.

Report on the miners’ strikes in the Donets (Donbass) Basin.
Report on the miners’ strikes in the Donets (Donbass) Basin. July 18, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:55/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
The Radians'ka Ukraina newspaper on strikes in Makiivka and other mines in the Donets Basin.
The Radians'ka Ukraina newspaper on strikes in Makiivka and other mines in the Donets Basin. July 20, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:55/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

After a week of continuous strikes and protests in the Donetsk region, a commission from the Council of Ministers of the USSR arrived and began working to resolve the situation. Dialogue started between the commission representatives and authorized members of the strike committees. Almost all the requirements of the miners were satisfied.

Report on the miners’ strikes, negotiations between the delegates of the miners and the authorities, a review of the Ukrainian press covering the strikes.
Report on the miners’ strikes, negotiations between the delegates of the miners and the authorities, a review of the Ukrainian press covering the strikes. July 24, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:55/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

The Protocol on Coordinated Measures between the Miners’ Strike Committee of Donetsk and the Commission of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions included 47 points of the workers’ demand. The first was the requirement “to grant labor collectives full economic and legal independence to mines, enterprises, and organizations of the coal industry of Donbass in accordance with the USSR Law on State Enterprise,” meaning, in fact, the transition of enterprises to cost accounting, with the right to dispose of wages.

The remaining points focused on improving the working conditions of miners. They included various aspects such as wage increases, vacation provisions, a decrease in the retirement age, the establishment of safer work environments, developments in mining communities, and the well-being of miners’ families. Additionally, there was a stipulation demanding a reduction in the administrative apparatus that held control over economic resources and finances. This provision aimed to address the concentration of power and resources in the hands of the administrative body.

The agreement protocol between the miners of Donetsk and the commission of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Vecherniy Donetsk.
The agreement protocol between the miners of Donetsk and the commission of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Vecherniy Donetsk. July 23, 1989.
HU OSA 300-85-12:55/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

On July 24, it was reported that the meeting between N. Ryzhkov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, with representatives of the strike committees of Donbass and deputies of the Supreme Council took place in the Kremlin in order to resolve the issue of how to legally enforce the provisions of the agreement adopted by the miners and the government commission.

Brief report on the results of the negotiations, the agreement between the authorities and the miners, the resumption of work of the mines.
Brief report on the results of the negotiations, the agreement between the authorities and the miners, the resumption of work of the mines. July 24, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:55/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
07|1989

Raising the Ukrainian Blue-and-Yellow Flag

(Mass protests organized by Rukh and other opposition groups)

On July 24, 1990, on Khreshchatyk Street, near the building of the Kyiv City Council, the Ukrainian blue-and-yellow flag was raised on the flagpole, for the first time in 70 years.

A few days prior to this, the presidium of the Kyiv Council initiated discussions on the matter of “Ukrainian national symbols and their use in Kyiv.” However, before a decision could be reached, the people of Kyiv took matters into their own hands and organized a flag-raising event. The ceremony began at the St. Sophia Cathedral, where Autocephalous Bishop Vladimir and other priests unfurled a flag measuring 3x6 meters.

Video of the ceremony of consecrating the flag of Ukraine at St. Sophia Cathedral, July 24, 1990.

HU OSA 300-81-9-125-1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Following a special prayer service, all participants made their way toward the City Council, where a meeting was taking place at that moment. Despite the lack of quorum, the council legitimized the flag-raising ceremony; it was A. Mosiyuk, Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv City Council, who raised the flag on the flagpole. People sang

“Ukraine has not yet died”

and chanted

“Glory!”

The flag-raising ceremony on the flagpole in front of the City Council. July 24, 1989.

HU OSA 300-81-9-125-1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

The state media denounced the event, accusing it with arbitrariness and a provocation.

“Such actions do not lead to a constructive dialogue. Supporters of the blue-and-yellow flag clearly heated up passions. Another provocative action has been committed, an abuse of democracy has been committed.”

Pravda Ukrainy, July 27, 1990.

Article in the official Ukrainian press calling the action a provocation and an abuse of democracy.
Article in the official Ukrainian press calling the action a provocation and an abuse of democracy. Pravda Ukrainy, July 27, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:54/8 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Throughout autumn 1990, rallies were held almost every day across Ukraine. From late September to early October, in parallel with the sessions of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine, spontaneous rallies and processions were organized on Khreshchatyk Street, the main street of Kyiv, with 100 thousand participants. People travelled to Kyiv from other regions of Ukraine to take part in the protest. They objected to the New Union Treaty, and demanded a declaration of Ukrainian independence, the dissolution of the Supreme Council of Ukraine, the resignation of the government, and the liquidation of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

The main speech:

“Ukraine – freedom!”

Demonstration in Kyiv, demanding a declaration of Ukrainian independence. In the video, students carry a coffin symbolizing the USSR, with the inscription. September 1990.

“Unbreakable union forever goodbye!”

HU OSA 300-81-9-125-1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
07|1990
An article describing the student strikes in October 1990 in detail.
An article describing the student strikes in October 1990 in detail. Ranok Magazine, N 2, February, 1991.
Ranok: gromads'ko-politychnyi i literaturno-khudozhnii iliustrovanyi zhurnal dlia molodi, Blinken OSA Archivum, Library

Student Strikes, or the Revolution on Granite

Students became a separate driving force of the opposition in Ukraine in the fall of 1990. It was a colossal phenomenon in terms of scale and organization. Student communities spread their political agenda. The Ukrainian Student Union and the Student Brotherhood served as primary hubs and main accumulators for the youth protest movement. Student strikes and protests were staged primarily in Kyiv and Western Ukraine.

The series of student strikes and hunger strikes was dubbed the Revolution on Granite, as the press repeatedly mentioned the granite slabs on which the protesters set up camp. On October 2, 1990, students erected tents on October Revolution Square in Kiev, which is now known as Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square.

The official press describing with skepticism the oppositional phenomena in Ukraine: People’s Movement, Democrats in Parliament, student strikes.
The official press describing with skepticism the oppositional phenomena in Ukraine: People’s Movement, Democrats in Parliament, student strikes. Sovetskaya Kultura, November 10, 1990.
HU OSA 205-4-201:29/3, Records of the Open Media Research Institute
Transcript of a radio report about student strikes in Ukraine.
Transcript of a radio report about student strikes in Ukraine. October 4, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:54/2 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

The students initiated a hunger strike, vowing to end it only if authorities satisfied all their demands. These included the resignation of V. Masol, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, the nationalization of the property belonging to the CPSU and the Komsomol (All-Union Leninist Young Communist League), the rejection of the New Union Treaty, and the stipulation that Ukrainian conscripts serve exclusively on Ukrainian territory.

The students had tremendous support, even from The Komsomol of Ukraine.

Statement of the Komsomol of Ukraine expressing support for the striking students.
Statement of the Komsomol of Ukraine expressing support for the striking students. October 24, 1990.
HU OSA 300-81-2:20/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Initially, the authorities did not attribute much significance to the student strikes, but as the situation escalated, the protest began to attract widespread public attention. The movement gained momentum, prompting large numbers of people to take to the streets in solidarity. Eventually, on October 17, 1990, the Supreme Council of Ukraine passed a resolution On Consideration of the Demands of Students Who Have Been on Hunger Strike in Kiev since October 2, 1990. This resolution accepted many of the students’ demands, including the resignation of V. Masol.

Report on the results of student strikes—the resolution passed by the Supreme Council of Ukraine accepted many of the students’ demands, including the resignation of V. Masol.
Report on the results of student strikes—the resolution passed by the Supreme Council of Ukraine accepted many of the students’ demands, including the resignation of V. Masol. October 18, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:55/8 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
10|1990

Trade Unions Protests

In the spring of 1991, the miners’ strikes resumed with increased intensity. Their demands became more politically-oriented, encompassing the rejection of the New Union Treaty, urging the immediate establishment of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Alongside the miners, transportation workers in Kyiv and various other trade unions joined the strike actions.

Mayak Radio report about a new wave of miners’ strikes.
Mayak Radio report about a new wave of miners’ strikes. April 18, 1991.
HU OSA 205-4-201:24/3 Records of the Open Media Research Institute
Report on the strike of transport workers in Kyiv demanding the resignation of the government and the cancellation of the signing of the union agreement.
Report on the strike of transport workers in Kyiv demanding the resignation of the government and the cancellation of the signing of the union agreement. April 16, 1991.
HU OSA 205-4-201:24/3 Records of the Open Media Research Institute
04|1991

August 24, 1991

An audio report for Radio Liberty which, from the roof of the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, followed how the red flag was removed from a 10-meter flagpole, and how the office of the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Stanislav Gurenko was sealed. With this act, the implementation of an August 25 decision on taking control of the property of the CPSU and the Communist Party of Ukraine began. August 25, 1991.

HU OSA 297-0-1-93970 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
25|08|1991

Acts, Laws, Declarations

Since the formation of the Soviet Union in 1922, its union republics were considered sovereign states. The Constitution of the USSR reserved for the republics the right to secede from the USSR, but there were no legal norms regulating this procedure, that is, there was no mechanism for seceding. In the late 1980s, the so-called Parade of Sovereignties began; with no legal mechanism for secession, the republics chose to act independently. The first republic to sign a declaration of state sovereignty was the Estonian SSR in 1988. This document established the priority of the republic’s laws over those of the Soviet Union. Soon, similar declarations were signed by the supreme councils of Latvia and Lithuania.

On August 23, 1989, a peaceful action was held in the Baltic republics of the USSR, called the Baltic Way. More than two million people have formed a human chain connecting Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact—which included the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states—was to demonstrate to the whole world the desire for freedom, for the correction of historical injustice, and for the restoration of state independence. This action provided a significant impetus to other republics across the USSR. Thus, for example, the Ukrainian Narodnyi Rukh, inspired by the event in the Baltics, organized a human chain in Ukraine in 1990.

By the end of 1990, declarations of sovereignty were adopted by the Supreme Soviets of all the union republics of the USSR, including Ukraine and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

To save the collapsing Soviet Union, the leadership of the Communist Party and Mikhail Gorbachev personally pressed for a New Union Treaty. This agreement meant the preservation of the USSR, but in a renewed, reformed status, in the form of a federation of equal sovereign republics. After extensive debates, the wording of the document, and referendums , the signing of the New Union Treaty was scheduled for August 20, 1991. However, the day before, a coup d’état known as the August Coup took place in Moscow, disrupting the signing of the treaty. Finally, on August 24, 1991, the Supreme Council of Ukraine signed the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.

In this chapter, we will explore the key documents revealing Ukraine’s path to independence.

Cancellation of Article 6 of the Constitution

May 1989
One of the most important events of perestroika, which fundamentally changed society’s attitude to political life, was the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Soviet Union (May 25–June 9, 1989). Before the Congress, in March 1989, elections were held for deputies.

These were the first partially free elections in the Soviet Union, representatives of democratic forces were elected as deputies, along with the Communist nomenklatura. Of the 321 deputies from Ukraine, 50 were supporters of democratic reforms.

The pulpit of the Congress of People’s Deputies, in Moscow, served as platform for extremely bold criticisms of the authorities even for the time of glasnost, as well as for proposals on the renewal of the political system. All sessions of the Congress of People’s Deputies were broadcast live on state TV. Academician Andrei Sakharov delivered his speech Decree on Power here, in June 1989, urging the abolition of Article 6 (on the leading role of the CPSU) of the Soviet Constitution. This speech was interrupted personally by Gorbachev. But as soon as early February 1990, before the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Mikhail Gorbachev announced the need to introduce the post of President of the USSR, and to cancel Article 6. On March 14, 1990, the Law On the Establishment of the Post of President of the USSR and the Introduction of Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the USSR was adopted. With Article 6 removed, the Communist Party lost its monopoly on power, and a multiparty system became possible.

Transcript of the radio broadcast of Radio Kyiv with the results of the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the abolition of Article 6. February 7, 1990.
Transcript of the radio broadcast of Radio Kyiv with the results of the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the abolition of Article 6. February 7, 1990.
HU OSA 300-81-4:13/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

Mikhail Gorbachev takes the oath as President of the USSR. March 14, 1990.

HU OSA 300-81-9-131-1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
05|1989

Electoral law

October 1989
In addition to the first partially free elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies of the Soviet Union, in alternative elections people’s deputies were elected to republican parliaments across the USSR.

In October 1989, the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Law on Elections, which introduced crucial changes in the electoral system of the republic. The law concerned the election of deputies at all levels, including deputies of local Soviets. By that time, there were already movements and political parties that opposed the Communist state apparatus. Based on the new law, they could nominate themselves and fight communists for a seat in parliament. Of course, the state had control over the state press and television, but a big step was taken toward democracy.

The resolution and drafts of the Law of the Ukrainian SSR on amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, including the election law.
The resolution and drafts of the Law of the Ukrainian SSR on amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, including the election law. Pravda Ukrainy, August 5, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:2/1 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute

As a result of the elections held in March 1990, the vast majority of seats were occupied by the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU), but the Democratic Bloc—the opposition, which consisted of representatives of Rukh, the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, the Green Svit, and others—managed to represent the interests of a huge electorate. It was this parliament that later would adopt the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, and then the Act of Declaration of Independence.

Report on the results of the elections to the Supreme Council of Ukraine (parliament).
Report on the results of the elections to the Supreme Council of Ukraine (parliament). March 12, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:54/6 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
10|1989
03|1990

Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine

July 1990
In June 1990, a working group was formed within the Verkhovna Rada to draft the text of the Declaration on State Sovereignty. By this time, six union republics of the USSR had already signed a similar declaration (three Baltic republics, the Georgian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR, and the RSFSR).

In the Verkhovna Rada, various drafts of the document were debated for weeks. The key difference between the positions of the CPU and the Democratic Bloc stemmed from their conflicting goals. For the Communist Party, the future document was to serve as basis for the New Union Treaty; for the opposition, it was the next step toward independence, hence they argued for an independent economy, army, etc.

On July 16, 1990, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine by a majority of votes: 355 in favor, 4 against, with one abstention.

In the preamble, the Declaration proclaimed “the state sovereignty of Ukraine—the supremacy, independence, plenariness, and indivisibility of the republic’s authority within the boundaries of its territory, and its independence and equality in external relations.” The Declaration consisted of 10 points, which declared the right to independence in resolving any state issues within the Ukrainian SSR, the rights of Ukraine to its citizenship, its own currency, customs, and tax systems, the state budget, the armed forces, state security agencies, environmental protection, the use of natural resources, etc.

Almost all provisions of the Declaration contradicted the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR in force at that time. The final paragraph of the Declaration noted that,

“The Declaration is the foundation for a new Constitution and laws of Ukraine that defines the position of the republic in concluding international accords. The principles of the Declaration on the Sovereignty of Ukraine are to be used in the preparation of a new Union treaty.”

Text of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990, published in the Rabochaia Gazeta.
Text of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990, published in the Rabochaia Gazeta, July 17, 1990.
HU OSA 205-4-201:23/6 Records of the Open Media Research Institute
16|07|1990

Law on Economic independence

August 1990
The global economic crisis, characterized by inflation, budget deficits, declining national income, reductions in industrial and agricultural production, lower living standards, and a growing domestic and foreign debt, affected the entire economy of the USSR, including Ukraine. On August 3, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Law on Economic Independence.

This law proclaimed the economic independence of Ukraine and identified conditions necessary for market reforms. In many ways, it was adopted as a result of the ongoing strikes of Donbass miners and workers in other industries.

The law secured the right of Ukraine to independently determine socio-economic strategies in the interest of the people of Ukraine, the structure of the national economy, the right to its own currency, banking system, and much more.

The Law on Economic Independence.
The Law on Economic Independence. Radians’ka Ukraina, August 8, 1990.
HU OSA 300-81-2:12/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
03|08|1990

Declaration of Independence of Ukraine

August 1991
On August 24, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR adopted a historic document: the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. An absolute majority of deputies voted in favor.

Three days after the failed August Coup in Moscow (August 19–21), an extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet was convened. After the speech of Leonid Kravchuk and stormy debates, the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted. Before that, Kravchuk was ready to go to Moscow to sign the New Union Treaty.

The text of the Act was composed mainly by Levko Lukyanenko, a famous dissident and prisoner, at that time already a people’s deputy. In the early 1960s, Lukyanenko created the Ukrainian Workers’ and Peasants’ Union, which advocated the constitutional separation of Ukraine from the USSR. For this, he was sentenced to death, but later the punishment was replaced by 15 years in prison.

Text of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine:

“In view of the mortal danger surrounding Ukraine in connection with the state coup in the USSR on August 19, 1991,
– Continuing the thousand-year tradition of state development in Ukraine,
– Proceeding from the right of a nation to self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal documents. and
– Implementing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine,
the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic solemnly declares the Independence of Ukraine and the creation of an independent Ukrainian state – UKRAINE. The territory of Ukraine is indivisible and inviolable. From this day forward, only the Constitution and laws of Ukraine are valid on the territory of Ukraine. This act becomes effective at the moment of its approval.”

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, August 24, 1991

Text of Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, signed on August 24, 1991, and published in almost all Ukrainian press.
Text of Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, signed on August 24, 1991, and published in almost all Ukrainian press.
HU OSA 300-81-2:5/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
24|08|1991

Belovezha Accords

December 1991
On December 8, 1991, an agreement was signed in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (the territory of Belarus), stating the end of the existence of the USSR. The document was signed by the first president of independent Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, the president of the RSFSR, Boris Yeltsin, and the president of Belarus, Stanislav Shushkevich.

“We, the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, as the founding states of the USSR, who signed the Union Treaty of 1922, state that the USSR, as a subject of international law and a geopolitical reality, is ceasing its existence.”

At the same time, the leaders of the three states signed a document on the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Leonid Kravchuk, returning to Kyiv, gave a press conference. Here, journalists asked whether what measures Gorbachev could take in response to the meeting in Minsk? How did President Bush react? What was the fate of nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine? Why was the decision to form the CIS made without the consent of the Ukrainian parliament?

Transcript of the radio broadcast with a detailed recount of the press conference given by Leonid Kravchuk after the signing of the Belovezha Accords.
Transcript of the radio broadcast with a detailed recount of the press conference given by Leonid Kravchuk after the signing of the Belovezha Accords. December 12, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-4:25/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
12|1991

Elections and Voting

The Soviet Union was a one-party state, where elections were non-competitive. One of the turning points of the perestroika era was the political reform announced by Gorbachev at the CPSU conference in 1988. The reform declared the formation of the Congress of People’s Deputies and the organization of a democratic election procedure with the participation of a large number of candidates, allowing for their free competition and a wide-reaching public discussion.

The first alternative elections for the First Congress of People’s Deputies marked the most significant events on the path toward democratizing not only the political system but also society as a whole. These elections held immense importance, as voters saw real candidates for government, nominated directly by the people. The elections of deputies became the prologue for the formation of a real multi-party system in Ukraine.

Political marketing, although in its infancy, also appeared in 1989, with the competition between oppositional candidates and the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU). The primary means of disseminating information about and promoting alternative movements and their leaders were rallies, meetings in labor collectives, wall newspapers, and leaflets; television, however, remained under the control of the CPU for some time.

Alternative parties were registered in the country, almost all of which supported the independence of Ukraine.

Elections for the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR

March 1989
As part of the perestroika course, Gorbachev proposed political reform and, among other things, announced elections for the Congress of People’s Deupites, which are considered the first partially free elections in the USSR.

At the end of 1988, a law was passed, according to which it became possible to nominate candidates independent of the CPSU to the new supreme body of the state, the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR. Elections were held from March 26 to May 21, 1989. The election procedure was quite complicated, and most of the mandates for the Congress were reserved to representatives of the Communist Party or public organizations under the control of the CPSU. Some deputies were, nevertheless, elected directly by citizens, from a list of alternative (non-CPSU) candidates. It was this innovation in the electoral procedure that became the most influential.

From Ukraine, 262 deputies were elected, including independent candidates. In total, 2,250 people took part in the first Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR.

The first Congress began its at the end of May of the same year, which was broadcast on central television. The population of the USSR, literally from young to old, followed all news from the Congress with great, unprecedented interest. Together with the preceding elections—with its loud debates, unexpected démarches, and open criticism of the authorities—these events transformed the general public’s perception of politics.

Video fragment from the opening of the First Congress of People’s Deputies: greeting speech by Mikhail Gorbachev and speech by Andrei Sakharov. May 25, 1989.

HU OSA 300-81-9-119-2; Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
List of candidates for People’s Deputies of the USSR in the Kyiv District published in Vecherniy Kyiv.
List of candidates for People’s Deputies of the USSR in the Kyiv District published in Vecherniy Kyiv. May 4, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:29/7 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Radio broadcast transcript with an analysis of election results of the People’s Deputies in Ukraine.
Radio broadcast transcript with an analysis of election results of the People’s Deputies in Ukraine. May 22, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:29/6 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Report from Moscow for Ukrainian press about the first day of the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR.
Report from Moscow for Ukrainian press about the first day of the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR. May 28, 1989.
HU OSA 300-81-2:29/6 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
03|1989

Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine in 1990

March 1990
The amendment of the Soviet constitution and the first alternative elections were followed by changes in the republics’ legislative and political electoral systems. The law on elections, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR in October 1989, made it possible to hold elections to the parliament of the republic and to local councils, with participation open to different political parties. Opposition candidates formed the Democratic Bloc, which included representatives of the People’s Rukh, the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, the Green Suite, and other parties that advocated radical reforms.

Elections were held in March 1990. Most of the seats in parliament were won by the CPU, which retained its control over the media; yet, more than 120 candidates from the Democratic Bloc managed to get in as well. Democratic deputies who opposed the Communist Party formed the parliamentary group Narodna Rada (People’s council); the conservative-communist faction was named Group of 239, after the number of deputies included in it.

At local elections throughout Ukraine, a great many CPU members—including former secretaries of city committees or regional committees—experienced defeat.

List of candidates from the Democratic Bloc to the Verkhovna Rada.
List of candidates from the Democratic Bloc to the Verkhovna Rada. March 6, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:2/15 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Appeal to the soldiers of the city of Zhytomyr to vote for an opposition candidate.
Appeal to the soldiers of the city of Zhytomyr to vote for an opposition candidate.
HU OSA 300-85-37:3/53 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Statement from the Democratic Bloc on the formation of the Narodna Rada in parliament, and solid opposition to the CPU.
Statement from the Democratic Bloc on the formation of the Narodna Rada in parliament, and solid opposition to the CPU. June, 14, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:6/38 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
List of deputies in the Narodna Rada.
List of deputies in the Narodna Rada. Literaturna gazeta, N 24, June 14, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:6/38 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Election flyer of a candidate for People’s Deputy of the Ukrainian SSR.
Election flyer of a candidate for People’s Deputy of the Ukrainian SSR. February 6, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:6/38 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
03|1990

Political Parties

April–December 1990
Changes in the electoral legislation of the republic facilitated the establishment of various political parties. Previously, these entities were often referred to as movements or associations, but the revised electoral laws legitimized the formation of political parties. Starting in the spring of 1990, a series of party congresses were held, leading to the revival of a multi-party system in Ukraine. This marked a significant shift in the country’s political landscape and provided citizens with more diverse options and choices in the political arena.

In April 1990, the founding congress of the Ukrainian Republican Party (URP) took place. The party was created in the place of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union, which, previously, had stemmed from the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, a well-known dissident movement (1976–1981). The main goal of the party was to seek the independence of Ukraine.

At the end of September 1990, the Zeleny Svit (Green Party) party held its founding conference, emerging from the environmental movement of the same name, which had played a major role in highlighting the Chernobyl disaster and criticizing the Communist regime. The party advocated the independence of Ukraine, and opposed the signing of the New Union Treaty. The main idea of the party was to prioritize ecology over the economy, politics, or ideology, as well as to protect cultural and historical values.

In December 1990, the Democratic Party of Ukraine was founded, closely associated with the Narodnyi Rukh movement, many of whose members—renowned writers and public figures—joined the party. The party urged the independence of Ukraine and democratic reforms. In 1991, after the victory of Leonid Kravchuk in the presidential elections, the Democratic Party supported his political program, leading to conflict and a split within the party. Representatives of the Narodnyi Rukh movement, which supported the candidacy of Vyacheslav Chornovil, dissociated themselves from the Democratic Bloc.

“Prospects for a Multi-Party System in Ukraine,” published in the independent and opposition weekly of the Popular Front of Latvia, Atmoda.
“Prospects for a Multi-Party System in Ukraine,” published in the independent and opposition weekly of the Popular Front of Latvia, Atmoda. April 29, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/10 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Report on the constituent congresses of the Party of Democratic Accord and the Ukrainian Democratic Party.
Report on the constituent congresses of the Party of Democratic Accord and the Ukrainian Democratic Party. December, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:81/28 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
The program of the Ukrainian Republican Party.
The program of the Ukrainian Republican Party. Narodnaya gazeta, April 29, 1990.
HU OSA 300-85-12:82/25 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
04-12|1990

Referendum on the Safekeeping of the Soviet Union

March 1991
In March 1991, the first and last national referendum was held in the Soviet Union. The question posed went as follows: “Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of an individual of any nationality will be fully guaranteed?” Months of debate raged around this wording. Six out of the 15 republics refused to hold a referendum (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova).

The Ukrainian SSR held a referendum, but added an additional question: “Do you agree that Ukraine should be part of a union of soviet sovereign states on the principles of the declaration on the state sovereignty of Ukraine?”

Citizens of Ukraine answered in the affirmative both to the first question (70.2%) and to the second (80.2%).

After the referendum, the results of which legitimized the desire of the CPSU to preserve the Union, Mikhail Gorbachev initiated the Novoogarevsky process; a discussion with the leaders of nine republics, including Ukraine, on the New Union Treaty, which was supposed to save the USSR from collapse. The signing of the treaty, scheduled for August 20, 1991, was disrupted by a coup d’état in Moscow.

List of additional questions for the All-Union Referendum of March 17, 1991 on the preservation of the Soviet Union by republics and some regions. M
List of additional questions for the All-Union Referendum of March 17, 1991 on the preservation of the Soviet Union by republics and some regions. March 14, 1991.
HU OSA 300-85-12:2/18 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Article about the debate in the Ukrainian parliament on holding an All-Union Referendum.
Article about the debate in the Ukrainian parliament on holding an All-Union Referendum. Izvestia, No. 51, February 28, 1991.
HU OSA 300-5-180:56/2 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
03|1991

Elections of the President of Ukraine

December 1990
After the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Law On the Elections of the President of Ukraine. Elections were scheduled for December 1, 1991. These were the first presidential elections in independent Ukraine.

Six candidates took part in the campaign. Among the main contenders were Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Leonid Kravchuk, the chairman of the Lviv Regional Council, and one of the leaders of the Narodnyi Rukh, Vyacheslav Chornovil, as well as the leader of the Ukrainian Republican Party Levko Lukianenko.

During the election campaign, the democratic coalition in the parliament practically fell apart, as the opposition parties supported different candidates for the post of head of state and thus turned into competitors.

Leonid Kravchuk received more than 60% of the votes and won in almost all regions, with the exception of several regions of Western Ukraine, where Vyacheslav Chornovil collected the majority of votes (23% in total).

Apparently, the former party ideologist and Head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the Central Committee of the CPU, a critic of nationalist tendencies, Leonid Kravchuk became a supporter of Ukraine’s independence and its first president.

List of candidates for the post of the first President of Independent Ukraine.
List of candidates for the post of the first President of Independent Ukraine. Pravda Ukrainy, November 2, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-2:2/5 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Сommentary on the presidential elections in Ukraine and the referendum with a forecast of the outcome of the vote.
Сommentary on the presidential elections in Ukraine and the referendum with a forecast of the outcome of the vote. December 1, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-2:2/5 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Results of presidential elections in Ukraine and the referendum published in Literaturna Ukraina
Results of presidential elections in Ukraine and the referendum published in Literaturna Ukraina, December 12, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-2:2/5 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
12|1990

Ukrainian Independence Referendum

December 1991
After the signing of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991, an All-Ukrainian referendum was announced with the question, “Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?” It was decided to combine the date of the referendum with the presidential elections on December 1, 1991.

Various movements and political parties undertook a widespread campaign across all regions of Ukraine.

Of the entire population of Ukraine, 84% of the population took part in the referendum, of which 90% voted “yes.” The fewest votes in favor were cast in the Crimea: 54%. In all other regions, the figure ranged from 83% to 95%.

After the results of the All-Ukrainian referendum, Ukraine’s independence gained international recognition.

Campaign leaflet from Narodnyi Rukh with an appeal to the citizens of Donbass to vote for the independence of Ukraine.
Campaign leaflet from Narodnyi Rukh with an appeal to the citizens of Donbass to vote for the independence of Ukraine.
HU OSA 300-85-37:9/39 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Appeal from Kharkiv residents to Russian citizens of Ukraine with a call to vote for the independence of Ukraine.
Appeal from Kharkiv residents to Russian citizens of Ukraine with a call to vote for the independence of Ukraine.Literaturna Ukraina, N 27, November 21, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-4:25/3 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
Referendum voting results map.
Referendum voting results map. Pravda Ukrainy, December 7, 1991.
HU OSA 300-81-2:5/4 Records of RFE/RL Research Institute
12|1991