Euro 2012 Ukrayna
Population: 46,000,000
Area: 603,628km²
Currency: Hryvnia (UAH)
Time zone: CET+1
The modern republic of Ukraine, home to over 46 million people, was declared in 1991 but the nation's history goes back far longer. Indeed, the state of Kyivan Rus – based around Kyiv – was the dominant regional force in the medieval period, and was converted to Orthodox Christianity by St Volodymyr in 988. However, from the Mongol sacking of Kyiv in 1240, geographical Ukraine became dominated by neighbouring powers and only achieved independence following the Russian revolution in 1917, though it was soon incorporated into the USSR. On the restoration of independence Ukraine became the largest country by area that is wholly contained in Europe, though the European part of Russia is larger.
Famous figures
The 19th-century poet and artist Taras Shevchenko was a modern Ukrainian bard, forming the foundation for the modern literature and language of the nation. Philosopher Grygoriy Skovoroda, poet Lesia Ukrainka and writer Ivan Franko were also pre-eminent in developing modern Ukrainian culture. People of Ukrainian descent have had huge impact on Russian culture, too, including composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and authors Nikolai Gogol and Mikhail Bulgakov. Many major figures in the history of the Soviet Union hailed from Ukraine, including premiers Leonid Brezhnev and Nikita Khrushchev, rocket designer Serhiy Korolyov, heart surgeon and medical inventor Mykola Amosov and composer Sergiy Prokofiev. Many members of the Ukrainian diaspora have also achieved renown, such as Kyiv-born Israeli prime minister Golda Meir and actor Jack Palance.
Food
Ukrainian cuisine has evolved with stodgy comfort in mind. Many national specialities can follow their bloodline to down-at-heel peasant dishes, with salo (salted pork fat), yushka (meat or fish soup), chicken kyiv and the porridge-like kasha – but borsht is king, typically made with beetroot, salo and herbs and served with bread. In recent years finesse has been added, with varenyky (stuffed dumplings) and kruschenyky (beef with prunes, bacon and cabbage) becoming lighter, invariably washed down with horilka (the Ukrainian name for vodka) or uzvar, a dried fruit compote. With such a history of invaders there are massive regional variations too, and food in the south of the country is spiced up by Asiatic Tatar influences.
Sport
Ukraine has a footballing reputation that goes back to Soviet days but that is not the limit of their sporting prowess. Perhaps the most famous Ukrainian sportsman is Serhiy Bubka, comfortably the greatest pole vaulter of all time. 'Man of Iron' Borys Shakhlin earned seven Olympic golds, an impressive haul though fellow gymnast Larysa Latynina won nine. Other Olympic gold medallists include 1972 100m and 200m champion Valeriy Borzov, and four-times swimming title-winner Yana Klochkova. World heavyweight boxing champions Volodymyr and Vitaliy Klytschko also hail from Ukraine.
Football
Ukraine was always a force within the Soviet Union, and in the 1970s and 1980s Valeriy Lobanovskiy's FC Dynamo Kyiv formed the backbone of the national side. Their pinnacle was reaching the 1988 UEFA European Championship final under Lobanovskiy and his revolutionary coaching methods brought on talents including Oleh Blokhin, Igor Belanov, Anatoliy Demyanenko, Volodymyr Bezsonov and Oleh Protasov. Lobanovskiy continued to coach until his death in 2002 and his statue stands outside the Dynamo stadium that now bears his name. Three of his pupils –Blokhin, Belanov and Andriy Shevchenko – were awarded the Ballon d'Or.
National team
The Football Federation of Ukraine was founded in 1991 and the independent national team made their bow against Hungary the following year. Under Blokhin, a team spearheaded by Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the last eight. UEFA EURO 2012 will be their debut in the continental finals as an independent nation, but they have competed in the equivalent events for women and in futsal. Ukraine also reached the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in Portugal and won the 2009 UEFA European U19 Championship on home soil.
Club football
The last three decades of the Soviet Supreme League were marked by Ukrainian dominance as Dynamo Kyiv won the title a record 13 times, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk twice and FC Zorya Luhansk once. SC Tavriya Simferopol lifted the first independent Ukrainian league trophy in 1992 but Dynamo then won the next nine. Dynamo have a history of continental success, winning the 1974/75 and 1985/86 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 1975 UEFA Super Cup and reaching three European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-finals. However, it was FC Shakhtar Donetsk who claimed Ukraine's first international club trophy since independence, with their 2008/09 UEFA Cup triumph.
