I don't think there is THE MOST important historical figure in Ukrainian history. Our history have so many important historical figures that is hard to say who is THE MOST important.
We can start from long time ago:
- Prince Volodymyr the Great who brought Christianity to Ukraine, Belorus and Russia; - Prince Yaroslav the Wise, who established educational and judicial systems in Ukraine, overesaw building of many beautiful churches and cathedrals and who promote Ukranian interests all over the Europe;
- archbishop Petro Mogyla, voloh-moldovan by nationality who established first Easter European university in Ukraine;
- Roksolana = Anastasia Lisovska, born in priest family in Rogatyn became the first Great Sultana of Turkish Empire and was in charge of Foreign Affairs of this state;
- Cossak's Hetmans (leaders) Hamalia, Severyn Nalyvajko, Doroshenko, Sahajdachnyj, Bohun, Hmelnytskyj (very controversial figure, but important);
- Cossak's Hetmans Palij and Mazepa, one fought with and another against Peter the Great, Russian Tzar;
- Grygorij Skovoroda - poet, traveler and "Ukranian Socrates";
- Of course Taras Shevchenko, not only talented poet, artist and a freedom fighter but in many ways the preacher and a profet, who's words were listened to and read by many generations of Ukranians not only in schools and middle class houses but on the fields and factories by working class people;
- and one can not even count many and many historical figures starting beginning of 20th century: poets and writers who tried to promote and awaken national selfrespect killed by many years of Russian Tzars oppression; freedom fighters after 1917 revolt such as Mahno and Petljura; freedom fighters during WWII; freedom fighters after WWII, who were killed and jailed during Soviets and we probably even will not know all of their names.
As I said earlier too many to choose from!
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