Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine - Tapa dura

Until the recent crisis, The Ukraine was one of the most neglected countries in the world. It has a population of 52 million - larger than Britain's - and a land mass the size of France; it also has Chernobyl, and after Russia is the largest nuclear power. The word 'Ukraine' means 'borderland' and for most of its history the lands that make up present-day Ukraine have been a collection of other countries' border regions. Prior to Stalinism and Nazism, Ukraine was ethnically extremely diverse, including Russians, Poles, Jews, Greeks and Armenians. Their ghosts linger in language, literature, and architecture, quite distinct from Russia's. Anna Reid examines how the history of the region has led to the crisis with Russia.

Anna Reid has a master's degree in Russian History and reform economics from London University's School of Slavonic and East European Studies. She was the Kiev correspondent for the ECONOMIST and the DAILY TELEGRAPH from 1993 to 1995.