The first elections of independent Ukraine: Did Chornovil have a chance to become president?

On December 1, 1991, Ukraine held its first presidential elections, which became significant for the newly independent state. Several candidates competed in these elections, including Vyacheslav Chornovil and Leonid Kravchuk.

Historian Vladlen Maraev conducted an analysis of the voting results and public sentiments of the time, providing insights into whether Chornovil had a real chance of becoming president. In December 1991, he received approximately 7.5 million votes.

Vyacheslav Chornovil was an outspoken opponent of the Soviet regime. In 1965, he was sentenced to six years in a strict regime colony for his book about the sixties generation.

In 1990, Chornovil was elected as a people's deputy of Ukraine. He became the leader of the radical wing of the democratic opposition in the Verkhovna Rada and played a key role in proclaiming the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine in 1990 and the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991.

Election Results

Leonid Kravchuk received 61.59% of the votes, while Vyacheslav Chornovil garnered only 23.27%. Kravchuk won in all regions of Ukraine except for three western oblasts: Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Ternopil. This indicates that Ukrainian society at that time was not ready to elect Chornovil, who represented new democratic ideas.

Social Context

It is important to note that in the early 1990s, most Ukrainians still held Soviet views. Kravchuk, as the former chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and a representative of the old system, appeared to many as a more familiar and reliable candidate. In contrast, Chornovil was perceived as an unfamiliar politician who lacked sufficient support among the populace.

Alternative History

Modern surveys indicate that if the elections were held today, 74% of Ukrainians would vote for Chornovil. This reflects a shift in public sentiment and a reevaluation of Chornovil's role in Ukraine's history. However, in 1991, he had no real chance of victory due to inadequate support in most regions.

Therefore, considering the election results and the socio-political context of that time, it can be asserted that Vyacheslav Chornovil had no chance of becoming the president of Ukraine in 1991. His political activity and ideas only gained relevance later when Ukrainians began to reassess their history and values.

Earlier, "Telegraph" reported that Grushevsky was not the first president of Ukraine. This discusses the historical inaccuracy and the origins of this popular myth.