Derivation of the word Ukraine — Its Boundaries — Eastern and Western Ukraine— Its Fertility — Description of the Steppes — Their Loneliness and Danger— The Cimmerians and Khosars— Their early History — Description of Kiow — Its interesting Reminiscences— Brief Account of various Towns in the Palatinate of KVow — Towns in the Palatinate of Czernichow— Animals— Population of the Ukraine — Nuptial Ceremonies— Characteristics — Description of the Nobility — Prophecy respecting the Ukraine — Visions of the past.
The country situated between the 50th and 53rd degrees of north latitude and of which the city of K'iow has ever been, if not the central, at all events the principal place of resort; the country traversed by the foaming waters of the mighty Dnieper, and extending about five hundred English miles in length, and nearly two hundred miles in breadth, may furnish some idea of the contested locality of the Ukraine, which has, at no time, been accurately defined.
This vast extent of barren fields, rich pastures, and cultivated lands, bounded at their edges by dense forests, deep lakes, and sandy monticules, formed a province, belonging, for the most part, to the ancient palatinates of K'iow, Bratslav, and Tchernikhof (comprised at the present day under the governments, gubernies, of Kharkov, and Pultava, Zytomierz, and Kiow). This ancient Polish province, comprehending the southern part of Volhynia, the eastern part of Podolia, and some bleak districts which extend as far as the Black Sea, was called Ukraina (Oukraina), from the Polish words Kraina, u Kraiu, a country near the edge; Kraiac ukroic, to carve, to cut; a country near the limits, or towards the Hmits, or near a detached portion, near a part cut off. Some authors suppose the Ukraine derives its name from the Latin, as the Romans called this province Acheronensis. For a long period it was a mere desert, the haunt of numerous herds of wild cattle, the dwelling-place from time immemorial of some nomadic tribes, the wreck of ancient nations, and frequented by hordes of adventurers, whose origin is involved in obscurity.
The Ukraine was long the apple of discord between the Tatars, the Poles, and the Russians, by whom it was deemed a common frontier. The Greek authors have partially described this country: their description is equally appHcable, for the most part, to the main features of its appearance at the present time; they notice its wandering hordes, its immense troops of wild horses, and many of its other characteristics.
The Ukraine is divided into two parts; Eastern Ukraine and Western Ukraine, stretching eastward and westward from the banks of the Dnieper. It is also divided into the Russian, and the Polish Ukraine; the latter, the more extensive and populous of the two, contains the city of Kiow, the capital of the Ukraine; and preserves, even to our own times, its primitive name of a province. Although both Ukraines belonged formerly to Poland, as they now belong to Russia, we shall give a special description of the western Ukraine only, that is, of Polish Ukraine (Ukraina Polska.)
On the north of the Polish Ukraine are Polessia (Polesie), and Yolhynia (Volyn): on the east it is bounded by the Dnieper, on the west by Red Russia, (Czervona Rusy and Podolia (Podole); and on the south by the Black Sea (Czarne Morze.)
The political existence of the Ukraine seems to belong to the past; since, in legitimate accuracy, neither government nor province of the Ukraine at present exists. There, however, is a government of Volhynia, and likewise of Podolia, in Russian Poland. Nevertheless, every Pole who is a native of Russian Poland understands this designation better than any other; the more especially, as in every point of view, the Ukraine bears the peculiar and exclusively characteristic impress of its origin.
The armorial bearings of the Ukraine, as a province of the ancient kingdom of Poland, were an angel, with a sword in his right hand, and a halo over his head, a two-headed eagle and a crescent moon in an oval, set in a large cross. In this province there were three palatinates, those of K'iow, Bratslav, and Tchernigow. There are several bishops, both Roman catholic and catholic of the Greek united church, and also a metropolitan of the Greek faith, schismatic and not united.