Historical Roots: Russia, Ukraine, and Shared History
The deep historical ties between Russia and Ukraine — from Kyivan Rus to the Soviet collapse — and why they matter for understanding today's conflict.
From Kyivan Rus to Empire
Both Russia and Ukraine trace their cultural origins to Kyivan Rus, a medieval federation of Slavic tribes centered on Kyiv from the 9th to 13th centuries. This shared origin is politically charged: Russian officials frequently cite it to argue that Russians and Ukrainians are 'one people,' while Ukrainian historians emphasize that Kyivan Rus was a distinct civilization that predates the Russian state.
After the Mongol invasion destroyed Kyivan Rus in the 1240s, the territories diverged. The lands that became Ukraine fell under Lithuanian and then Polish rule, developing distinct linguistic, religious, and cultural traditions. Meanwhile, the Duchy of Moscow rose as a separate power, eventually becoming the Russian Empire.
The Cossack Hetmanate, established in 1649 under Bohdan Khmelnytsky, is a foundational moment in Ukrainian national identity. The Treaty of Pereyaslav (1654), in which the Cossacks allied with Moscow, is interpreted entirely differently by the two sides: Russia sees it as a 'reunification,' Ukraine as a military alliance between sovereign entities that Moscow later exploited.
