This week in history

January 22: 1918. The Ukrainian Central Rada adopted its Fourth Universal proclaiming the Ukrainian People’s Republic sovereign and independent.

1919. The Dyrektoriya of the Ukrainian People’s Republic proclaimed the unification of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic in Kyiv’s St. Sophia Square. This is now celebrated as the Day of Ukraine’s Unity.

1950. The Democratic Association of the Ukrainians Formerly Repressed by the Soviets [DOBRUS] was founded in the USA.

January 23: 1681. Muscovy, Turkey, and the Crimean Khanate signed the Bakhchysarai Peace Treaty, according to which the Left Bank Ukraine became part of Russia and Podillia was left under Turkey.

1992. An exchange of notes took place between Ukraine and the United States in Kyiv on establishing full diplomatic relations.

January 24: 1861. The first issue of Osnova [Foundation] magazine in Ukrainian was published in St. Petersburg.

1933: The All-Union Communist Party denounced its counterpart in Ukraine for not seizing enough bread and took de facto direct control of the country.

1944. The Korsun-Shevchenko offensive operation of the troops of the First and Second Ukrainian Fronts began.

January 25: 1919. The (Soviet) Provisional Workers’ and Peasants’ Government of Ukraine approved a declaration on the need to unite Ukraine and Russia on the basis of a socialist federation.

January 26: 1923. The Hart [Tempering] Union of Proletarian Writers was created in Kharkiv.

1993. The Ministry of Justice registered the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists.

January 27: 1929. A congress opened in Vienna creating the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).

January 28: 1930. An extraordinary church congress inspired by the Bolsheviks began in Kyiv, liquidating the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

1992. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified the national blue-and-yellow flag as the State Flag of Ukraine.