Introduction
Ukraine is Europe’S second largest sovereign state. For this reason alone it has become in recent decades the subject of numerous studies, including several large-scale historical surveys.
History can best be understood when the reader has access to maps. The purpose of this book is to provide a concise historical survey of Ukraine from earliest times to the present through means of a text that has been constructed around forty-six historical maps. Therefore, the book may function for some readers as a brief introductory history, while for others it may be used as a historical atlas to supplement and assist readers of other publications about Ukraine.In contrast to most other histories of Ukraine, this book adopts what might be called the territorial, or multicultural approach. Since Ukraine is a territory which in the past and present has been inhabited by numerous peoples, the cultures and achievements of all those peoples are what comprise the Ukrainian historical process. In other words, developments connected specifically with Crimean Tatars, or Poles, or Jews are also part of Ukrainian history if they occurred at some time on territory within the present-day boundaries of Ukraine. nevertheless, it is not surprising that ethnic Ukrainians receive the most attention, since they have historically comprised the majority of Ukraine’s inhabitants.
The author is grateful to several colleagues who have helped in the production of this volume. Serhiy Bilenky (University of Toronto), Maryna Kravets (University of Toronto), Victor Ostapchuk (University of Toronto), Serhii Plokhy (University of Alberta), Murat Yaşar (University of Toronto), and Serhy Yekelchyk (Victoria University) provided invaluable critical commentary on an earlier draft of the text and maps. Of particular importance is the editorial work of Harold Otto and Kate Baltais, whose general historical knowledge and stylistic skills have markedly improved the text. The maps prepared by the author were transformed into their final form by Jane Davie of the Cartography Office at the University of Toronto’s Department of Geography.
Place names for the most part follow the principles established in Paul Robert Magocsi, Historical Atlas of Central Europe, 2nd rev. ed. (Seattle, Toronto, and London, 2002), which in turn are based on the main forms listed in Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Springfield, Mass., 1998).
Nadiya Kushko (University of Toronto) was responsible for inputting the manuscript, for factual emendations, and for help in standardizing Ukrainian proper names. Finally, the Chair of Ukrainian Studies Foundation under its President Ihor Bardyn provided the essential funding to cover cartographic costs. While all the above individuals helped to improve the book, the responsibility for any shortcomings that still exist rests entirely with the author.
Toronto, Ontario June 2005