In the wake of the policies of glasnost, perestroika, and demokratizatsia announced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, there was ferment throughout the USSR. What follows is a timeline of events leading up to the proclamation of Ukraine’s independence on August 24, 1991, and its affirmation by a nationwide referendum on December 1, 1991.
Ukraine's 30th Year of Independence
The Ukrainian Weekly: 30th anniversary timeline
The drone picture shows an aerial view of the Independence Monument in Kyiv on Aug. 18, 2021.