History of Russia: How USSR was disintegrated, Ukraine gained independence in 1991

History of Russia: Ukraine was a part of Russia from 1922 to 1991 when Moscow was the capital of the USSR or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It was also known as the Soviet Union (SU). Not only Ukraine but other countries, including Leningrad (Russian SFSR or Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), Minsk (Byelorussian SSR or Soviet Socialist Republic), Tashkent (Uzbek SSR), Alma-Ata (Kazakh SSR), and Novosibirsk (Russian SFSR) were a part of the USSR.

The USSR was the largest country in the world during that phase, covering over 22,402,200 square kilometers (8,649,500 sq mi) and spanning eleven time zones. The Soviet Union was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party.

List of countries part of USSR: 15 Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR’s)

Armenia,

Azerbaijan,

Belorussia (now Belarus),

Estonia,

Georgia,

Kazakhstan,

Kirgiziya (now Kyrgyzstan),

Latvia,

Lithuania,

Moldavia (now Moldova),

Russia,

Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan,

Ukraine,

Uzbekistan.

History of USSR

On December 28, 1922, the Treaty of Creation of the USSR was approved during a conference of plenipotentiary delegations from the Russian SFSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, and the Byelorussian SSR. The announcement was made at the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.

On February 1, 1924, the United Kingdom recognised the USSR as a country.

The constitution of the USSR was approved in December 1922.

On April 3, 1922, Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was appointed. Lenin had appointed Stalin the head of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate, which gave Stalin considerable power.

In 1928, Stalin introduced the first five-year plan for building a socialist economy. The five-year plans were designed following the communist ideology and giving an equal share to everyone in the economy.

In September 1934, the country joined the League of Nations, which was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation set up to maintain world peace.

On December 14, 1939, the Soviet Union was expelled from League of Nations for invading Finland.

Inception of Cold War

The USSR was in good relations with the United States of America and the United Kingdom until World War 2. However, later the USA and UK distanced themselves from the USSR, fearing its ambitions.

Nikita Khrushchev, who was the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, denounced the strategies of Joseph Stalin.

In 1956, he introduced de-Stalinization by proceeding to ease control over the party and society.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the USSR built the science and technology sector in an attempt to show rivalry to the US.

Dis-integration of USSR

In 1990, Latvia and Estonia declared the restoration of their full independence.

Gorbachev, who was the general secretary, could not control territories beyond Moscow.

By December 1990, all republics had disintegrated from the USSR, while Russia and Kazakhstan didn't.

Ukraine, the second-largest republic of the USSR, announced its independence in 1991.

Read: Understanding the Cold War: Know the allies who later became adversaries