On August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian parliament declared Ukraine an independent state, ending decades of Soviet rule. The declaration was confirmed by a national referendum on December 1, 1991, when more than 90 percent of voters chose independence. These photographs document the celebrations, the historic vote, and the early years of nation-building that followed.
Crowds wearing Ukraine’s national colors demonstrate in front of the Communist Party headquarters in Kyiv in August 1991.
During the Soviet era, expressions of Ukrainian linguistic, cultural, and religious identity were suppressed. Ukrainians were sometimes killed, imprisoned, or exiled for the simple reason that they were thought to be in favor of Ukraine’s independence.
Dissidents paid an especially heavy price, such as Vasyl Stus, Yuriy Lytvyn, and Oleksa Tykhyi, who were reburied (pictured) in Kyiv on November 19, 1989, with the then-banned Ukrainian flag proudly displayed.
The three died while serving time for various crimes including “anti-Soviet activity” and “anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda.”
On January 21, 1990, 3 million Ukrainians joined hands to form a human chain, the “Ukrainian Wave,” from Lviv to the capital, Kyiv (pictured), to commemorate the 71st anniversary of a short-lived Ukrainian republic established in 1919.Elections in March 1990 fractured the Communist Party’s monopoly on power in Ukraine. Months later, as Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sought to prevent the disintegration of the U.S.S.R., hundreds of thousands of people participated in protests and strikes across Ukraine calling for independence.On August 1, 1991, U.S. President George Bush delivered his “Chicken Kiev” speech, in which he warned Ukrainians about the dangers of “suicidal nationalism,” a phrase used by Gorbachev.
He further urged them to remember that “freedom is not the same as independence.” Four months later, Bush reversed course when he was forced to recognize an independent Ukraine.
An attempted putsch was launched between August 19 and August 22 by hard-line communists seeking to overthrow Gorbachev and reverse his reforms.
Their efforts faced popular resistance and quickly collapsed. In the chaotic days that followed, on August 24, the Ukrainian parliament declared the country’s independence. The declaration was made subject to popular ratification by a referendum on December 1, 1991.
Ukrainians celebrated the August 24 proclamation by tossing former political prisoner Levko Lukyanenko into the air.
Lukyanenko was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group in 1976. He was also a co-author of the 1991 independence declaration.
The first direct presidential elections in Ukraine’s history were to take place on December 1, 1991, the same day as its independence referendum.A campaign worker holds up a newspaper that says “For a Free Ukraine” in Kyiv.A supporter carries a campaign poster for former dissident Lukyanenko, now a presidential candidate, in Kyiv.Both Ukrainian and European flags are seen during a pro-independence rally in Kyiv.The historic ballot contains the question: “Do you confirm the Act of Proclamation of the Independence of Ukraine?” with two possible answers: “Yes, confirm” or “No, do not confirm.”Ukrainians cast their ballots in Kyiv on December 1, 1991.Vyacheslav Chornovil was surrounded by members of the press in Lviv as the nation voted.
Chornovil was a prominent Ukrainian politician and Soviet dissident who had founded the Popular Movement of Ukraine, which had pushed for reforms and more sovereignty. After years of political persecution and multiple arrests, he was able to run as a candidate for president.
Voters wait patiently to cast their ballots at the Kalinin mine in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.Voters in Odesa sign in to receive their ballots.Lukyanenko signs in to cast his vote.Cadets at a polling station in Kyiv.Serhiy Hodorovskiy (right) watches as his grandmother, Rosa Hordorovskaiya, 80, casts her ballot in her Kyiv home. Rosa was too old to walk to the polling station, so the ballot box was brought to her.Under the watchful gaze of Taras Shevchenko, voters cast their ballots. Shevchenko’s literary legacy is widely regarded as the bedrock of modern Ukrainian literature and, to a large extent, the modern Ukrainian language.Kravchuk casts his vote in Kyiv. Kravchuk would receive 61.6 percent of the votes and become Ukraine’s first president. He was followed by Chornovil with 23.3 percent.The turnout in the election was 84 percent and the vote was overwhelmingly for independence. More than 90 percent voted in favor. In Crimea, the pro-independence vote was 55 percent.On December 8, 1991, Ukrainian President Kravchuk (second from left), Belarusian Supreme Soviet Chairman Stanislav Shushkevich (third from left), and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (second from right) signed a declaration that “the Soviet Union as a geopolitical reality [and] a subject of international law has ceased to exist.”New Year’s party at Victor and Karitia’s flat, December 1992.A family sits in their car to keep warm on New Year’s Day in Donetsk, 1993. The temperature outside was minus 15 degrees Celsius.People dancing at a wedding reception, April 1992.Irina preparing her veil on her wedding day, June 1993.Miners drinking and dining at Victor and Karitia’s old flat after a mining shift, December 1993.Irina and Dmitri at the local Russian Orthodox Church on their wedding day, June 1993.Iliya, the son of Irina and Dmitri, sleeping by the window, May 1994. He was 5 days old at the time. The following week, Iliya tragically died from meningitis, a devastating shock for his parents and family. They went on to have several more children.A petty thief signing his confession at the local police station, December 1992. The arresting officer stands in the background.Miners in the changing rooms after a shift at the coal mine, December 1991.An intoxicated person in the back of a police van, December 1992.Demonstration at Soviet Headquarters in Kiev Following Ukrainian Independence, 1991Crowd Holds Demonstration Outside Soviet Headquarters in Kiev After Ukrainian Independence, 1991Public Demonstration at Soviet Headquarters in Kiev Celebrating Ukrainian Independence, 1991Pro-Independence Rally in Central Kiev with Three-Finger Salute, Emblem of Ukraine, 1991Ukrainians Celebrate Independence in Front of Communist Party Headquarters in Kiev, 1991Drawing on Lenin Monument in Kiev After Ukrainian Independence Declaration, 1991Statue Removed from Liberty Square, Formerly Lenin Square, in Central Kiev, 1991Ukrainians Remove Soviet Flag from Communist Party Headquarters in Kiev, 1991Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kravchuk Sign Economic Agreement in Moscow, 1991Joyous Ukrainians in Front of Communist Party Headquarters After Independence Announcement, 1991Election Campaign for Ukrainian Independence Referendum, 1991President Leonid Kravchuk Exits Polling Station During Ukrainian Independence Vote, 1991Woman Stands on Graffiti-Covered Lenin Monument Pedestal in Kiev, 1991Ukrainians Flash V-Sign After Independence Declaration in Kiev, 1991Demonstration to Reopen St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev Following Independence, 1991Ukrainian Australians Rally for Independence Recognition in Lidcombe, 1991Supporters Hold Effigy of Leonid Kravchuk During Pro-Independence Rally in Kiev, 1991Politicians Attend Demonstration in Kiev After Ukrainian Independence, 1991Crimean Tatars Protest for Autonomy Outside Ukrainian Parliament, 1992Ukrainians Remove Inscriptions from Lenin Monument in Kiev, 1991Candidate Kravchuk Meets with Church Leaders Before Presidential Election, 1991Folk Dancers Perform in Lvov Celebrating Ukrainian Independence, 1993Policeman Guards Lenin Monument in Kiev After Independence, 1991Ukrainian Soldiers Prepare for Independence Anniversary, 1994Released Political Prisoner in Kiev, 1991Ukrainians Surround Lenin Monument in Kiev After Independence, 1991Crimean Tatar Women Protest for Autonomy Outside Ukrainian Parliament, 1992Friends Carry Released Political Prisoner in Kiev After Independence, 1991Police Break Up Demonstrator Tussle at Lenin Monument in Kiev, 1991Juggler Entertains in Kiev with Lenin Statue in Background, 1991Economic Agreement Signed Between Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kravchuk, 1991Supporters protest in Simferopol against Russia’s claim that Crimea’s 1954 transfer was unconstitutional, 1992.Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kravchuk shake hands after Ukraine joins economic treaty, 1991.Tourist photographer’s display featuring Kodak and Polaroid in Independence Square, Kiev, 1995.People gather in Kiev to celebrate Ukraine’s declaration of independence, 1991.Clergy members demonstrate to reopen St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev following Ukrainian independence, 1991.
Kevin Clark is a historian and writer who is passionate about sharing the stories and significance behind historical photos. He loves to explore hidden histories and cultural contexts behind the images, providing a unique insight into the past.
90% voting for independence. That is quite the statement. It’s taken a while but Maiden (Revolution of Dignity) has started a movement that will well and truly separate Ukraine from Russia. Obviously the fight continues, but there is no going back.
70% of Ukrainian citizens voted in the referendum not to leave the Soviet Union. People simply wanted to live in a state that relied on and protected the interests of more than just the big capitalist class.
Here are a few mistakes in your komment. There were 90% votes, not just 70%. And we wanted to free ourselves from the big COMMUNIST class. We want to be the part of capitalism. It is more humanistic
![On December 8, 1991, Ukrainian President Kravchuk (second from left), Belarusian Supreme Soviet Chairman Stanislav Shushkevich (third from left), and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (second from right) signed a declaration that "the Soviet Union as a geopolitical reality [and] a subject of international law has ceased to exist."](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ukrainians_Celebrating_Independence_23.jpg)
90% voting for independence. That is quite the statement. It’s taken a while but Maiden (Revolution of Dignity) has started a movement that will well and truly separate Ukraine from Russia. Obviously the fight continues, but there is no going back.
Thank you for posting this series!
70% of Ukrainian citizens voted in the referendum not to leave the Soviet Union. People simply wanted to live in a state that relied on and protected the interests of more than just the big capitalist class.
Here are a few mistakes in your komment. There were 90% votes, not just 70%. And we wanted to free ourselves from the big COMMUNIST class. We want to be the part of capitalism. It is more humanistic