DISINFO: There was no Ukraine before the creation of Ukraine by USSR
SUMMARY
The Soviet government created the Soviet Ukraine, this is well known. And before that, there was no Ukraine in the history of mankind. Chairman of the Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin brought the President a map drawn up in France in the 17th century, where the lands that were part of the Russian Empire, Cossackia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were marked, and stressed that Ukraine was not on this map.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative on the non-existence of Ukraine aimed at justifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In reality, on the demonstrated French 400 years old map compiled by the cartographer Guillaume Sanson, also signed by royal photographer in chief of that time Hubert Jaillot, Ukraine is mentioned, as Business Insider found out. On the lower left part of the map it is written "Vkraine, pays des cosaques", what translates as "Ukraine, cossacks´ country", also reported Le Qoutidien TF1´s programme.
In reality, like the history of many European countries, the history of Ukraine is complex. It experienced partitions by four different states, as well as periods of reunification. For example, parts of Ukraine at the same time declared independence from the Russian Empire and from Poland in 1917 and proclaimed unification. The Russian Empire and USSR tried to ban the Ukrainian language since 1622. In 1991, Ukraine became independent and was recognised as such by the international community, including by Russia. Since 2014, in the Ukrainian territories occupied and annexed by Russia, people have been persecuted for the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature and books on the history of Ukraine have been destroyed, and educational institutions have been de-Ukrainized.
The historical maps and documents are misinterpreted by Kremlin media at their convenience. Thus, Crimea is falsely portrayed as "historical Russian land".
See more disinformation cases on Ukraine.