01 December 2025
December 1 Marks the Anniversary of the All-Ukrainian Referendum that Confirmed Ukraine’s Independence
Today marks another anniversary of a historic event that determined the future course of our state. On December 1, 1991, Ukrainian citizens confirmed the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on August 24, through a nationwide referendum. The ballot contained a single question:
“Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?”
The result was unequivocal: 90.32% of voters supported independence. More than 31.8 million citizens took part in the vote — over 84% of the population. The referendum was held across all regions of the country, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Kyiv, and Sevastopol.
It is essential to recall that Crimea and Sevastopol also said “Yes” to the restoration of Ukraine’s independence. Despite decades of targeted Soviet Russification, 54.19% of voters in Crimea and 57.07% in Sevastopol supported independence, clearly demonstrating the political will of the peninsula’s residents, who at that time saw their future as part of Ukraine.
The nationwide confirmation of sovereignty became the starting point for Ukraine’s international recognition. As early as December 2, Poland and Canada announced their recognition, followed later by Hungary, the Baltic States, the United States, and other countries. On December 8, 1991, the Belovezha Accords were signed, formally marking the dissolution of the USSR.
December 1, 1991, became the moment when Ukrainians — from Uzhhorod to Kerch, from Lviv to Sevastopol — unanimously declared to the world that Ukraine is an independent state, created by the will of its people.
Today, when Crimea is under Russian occupation, this date serves as a reminder that the choice made by Ukrainian citizens throughout the entire territory of Ukraine remains unchanged and valid. For us, Crimea has always been and remains not merely a territory, but an integral part of our shared history and future.