The first independence of the modern Ukrainian republic was declared on January 22, 1918, when the Fourth Universal of the Central Rada proclaimed the independence of the Ukrainian People's Republic. However, it was not possible to preserve it: after the war and the Bolshevik offensive, Ukrainian statehood was abolished.

Later, other attempts were made to restore Ukrainian statehood. For example, in 1939, the independence of Carpatho-Ukraine was proclaimed, and in 1941, the Act of Restoration of the Ukrainian State was proclaimed in Lviv. These attempts also proved short-lived.

However, on August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada declared Ukraine's independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. On December 1, 1991, the Ukrainian people confirmed this decision in a nationwide referendum.

This leads to an interesting point: modern independent Ukraine is 35 years old today, but Ukrainian statehood and the struggle for independence have a much longer history.

1991 wasn't the first time the idea of ​​an independent Ukraine emerged, but rather its successful restoration after decades of existence within the USSR.

That's why it's more accurate to say today: Ukraine is 35 years of modern independence, not 35 years of Ukrainian statehood.

35 years is the age of the current independent state. But the idea of ​​a Ukrainian state itself is much older.