Ukrainian SSR (TheodoresTomfooleries)

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Українська Радянська Соціалістична Республіка (Ukrainian) Украинская Советская Социалистическая Республика (Russian)
Flag State Emblem
Motto: "Пролетарі всіх країн, єднайтеся!" "Workers of the world, unite!"
Anthem: State Anthem of the Ukrainian SSR
Status	Constituent republic of the Soviet Union
Capital and largest city	Кiev
Official languages	Ukrainian Russian
Recognised languages	Belarusian, Crimean Tatar, Hungarian, Moldovan/Romanian, Polish
Ethnic groups (2019)	Slavic: 96.03% Turkics: 1.12% Other: 2.84%
Religion (2022)	74% Christianity 25% no religion 1% other
Demonym(s)	Ukrainian
Government	Unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party soviet socialist republic
• First Secretary and State Chairman	Petro Symonenko
• Premier	Igor Alekseyev
Legislature	Supreme Soviet
Area
• total	603,700 km2 (233,100 sq mi)
Population
• 2024 estimate	52,730,365
• 2019 census	52,727,758
• Density	87.34/km2 (226.2/sq mi)
Currency	Soviet Ruble (SUR)
Date format	CE, mm dd yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+7
ISO 3166 code	UA
Internet TLD	.su

Ukraine, officially the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, is a constituent republic of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. It is the Soviet Union's third largest republic by land area and the second most populous. It shares a border with Moldavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania to the west, Byelorussia to the north and is surrounded by Russia to the east and has a 2,700 kilometer long coastline on the Black Sea to the south. Its largest city and capital is Kiev, while other major cities include Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa and Donetsk.

Ukraine, especially its capital, Kiev, was a centre of the East Slavic state of Kievan Rus', from which Russia and Byelorussia formed. Following the Mongol invasion and the destruction of the Kievan Rus', the territory of Ukraine was divided and contested by various powers, most notably Poland-Lithuania, Russia and Austria. Most of Ukraine fell under the control of Russia from the late 18th century onwards. Ukrainian nationalism and a Ukrainian national identity began to take form in the 19th century, culminating with Ukraine's declaration of independence from Russia as the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1917. Following victory in the Ukrainian Civil War, the Bolsheviks founded the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and later joined with Russia, Byelorussia and Transcaucasia to found the Soviet Union in 1922. Following World War II, Ukraine became a founding member of the United Nations alongside Byelorussia.

By population and area, Ukraine is the second and third largest in the Soviet Union. Its abundance of fertile soil and land results in its extensive use as an agricultural center of the Soviet Union: it is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and exporters and has been called "the breadbasket of Europe".

Etymology

The origin and meaning of Ukraine's name is disputed, but it is commonly thought to come from the Old East Slavic term оукраина, which is usually translated as "borderland", in reference to Ukraine's status as a frontier of the Kievan Rus'. Another theory posits that the term means "region", "country", or "the land around (Kiev)".

Historically and especially in the Russian Empire, Ukraine was referred to as Little Russia, with southern Ukraine forming Novorossiya. The Ukrainian state that emerged from Russia following the Russian Revolution in 1917 proclaimed itself Ukraine, which was adopted by the succeeding Bolshevik state.

Ukraine is sometimes used with the definite article "the", giving "the Ukraine".