🚀FELLAS! STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! In honour of the launching of #NAFOSpaceDivision, today I wanted to do a thread that is truly out of this world (yes, I hear the boos for the terrible pun). Today we talk about - UKRAINIANS IN SPACE! 1/15
For today's charity, please all consider donating to @Azov_one. The legendary defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal need our support. So send some love, support and funds to help them take down the muscovite horde. 2/15
Ukrainians have a long and proud history with space endeavours - a history that Russia has misappropriated for decades. Most of the Space Race during the Cold War was actually lead by Ukrainian scientists, cosmonauts and pilots. Below is a mural to Gagarin in Kharkiv. 3/15
After World War II, the city of Dnipro became a focus of industry. In particular, it became a city for the space industry. Due to its importance to the Soviet Space program, Dnipro would be know as "Rocket City". 4/15
One of the earliest pioneers in aeronautics and space flight was Yuri Kondratyuk. Born in Poltava in 1897 to a Jewish-Ukrainian family, Yuri would develop the first lunar orbit rendezvous process - an integral model used by the first moon landings in history. 5/15
Valentin Glushko, an Odesa native and Jules Verne enthusiast was one of the key engineers in the Soviet Space Program during the height of the cold war. Important Soviet rockets, such as the R-7 Semyorka would use his engine designs. 6/15
The most famous Ukrainian scientist is Sergei Korolev, the father of the Soviet Space program. Born in Zhytomyr, he is a central figure in the Soviet Space program. Responsible for the R-7 Rocket with Glushko, he is also credited for the greatest feats of the Space Race. 7/15
In addition to developing the R-7 Rocket, Korolev is also was a key figure for the program launching Laika (the dog) into space, the Sputnik program (yes, Sputnik is Ukrainian), and launching the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space. 8/15
Ukraine's contribution to space exploration is not just limited to scientists, but to pilots and cosmonauts as well. Pavel Popovich callsign Berkut was the first Ukrainian in space and the sixth person in orbit flying on Vostok 3 in 1962. 9/15
After the break up of the Soviet Union, Leonid Kadeniuk has the honour of being the first astronaut of independent Ukraine. Representing his homeland, this hero of Ukraine flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. In 2002 he was also elected to Ukrainian parliament. 10/15
Yaroslav Pustovyi was selected as one of the first Ukrainian astronauts in 1996. He was part of the space shuttle mission STS-87 as a back up payload specialist AND a member of the Canadian Arrow team competing in the Ansari X Prize challenge of 2003 (lets go Canada eh?) 11/15
Ukraine's connection to the "final frontier" extend beyond history and into fiction. The crew of the starship enterprise is also well represented by Ukrainians. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are both proud Jewish-Ukrainians. Coincidence in the uniform colour? 12/15
The great Steven Spielberg also has Ukrainian roots. Steven's family has their origins in the village of Sudylkiv and Kamianets-Podilskyi. David Duchovny is also a vocal supporter of Ukraine and of Ukrainian heritage. 13/15
Now this is my opinion, but I think there is a clear link between the the Rebel Alliance symbol and the Tryzub. Both are used by freedom fighters and both represent a falcon or bird. 14/15
Regardless of fiction or history, Ukraine's contribution to space and aeronautics are immeasurable. After Ukraine wins the war, our contribution to space exploration will continue to reach new heights. Moon Sich is coming soon. SLAVA UKRAINI! 15/15
PS 1 - my grandfather in law was a test pilot for the Soviet Space Program from 1950-1960. He knew Gagarin personally (and hated him) and flew many planes that would lead to missions in outer-space. He is a great pilot and patriot of Ukraine. I dedicate this thread to him.
PS 2 - a bit of a conspiracy theory from my Dido (grandfather). But according to him, Yuri Gagarin is Ukrainian. I have no evidence to back this up, but my Dido swore to his last breath that this is true. If anyone can back this up, please contact me to vindicate my Dido lol.
🧵FELLAS StAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! This thread is sure to start conspiracies! Many of you know about the secret underground movements of Ukraine, but today we talk about one that is not often mentioned in the context of Ukrainian history - the history of Ukrainian Freemasons! 1/16
Freemasonry is a fraternal secret society that originated in Europe in the 14th Century. To many it is a social network with likeminded people. To others a secret cabal that controls the world. To authoritarian regimes, it was the source of dangerous liberal ideology. 2/16
Masonic Lodges were also instrumental to many anti-tsarist rerevolutionary movements in the 18th and 19th centuries. Of note, the Decembrist Movement, Polish Insurrection of 1830 and 1863, and the February Revolution of 1917 all had strong links to active Masons. 3/16
🧵FELLAS STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! Today I am proud to speak of an integral part of Ukrainian history. Today we discuss the history of the Crimean Tatars. A people who for centuries have fought for their freedom and independence from russian oppression. 1/19
The Crimean Tatars are descendants of various different peoples who inhabited the Crimean Peninsula. In particular the Cumans, Huns, Pechenegs, Greeks, Alans and Goths. But it is in the 13th century where the ethnic population became predominantly Turkic. 2/19
By the 13th century, the people of Crimea fell under Mongolian Empire. Crimea became part of the Ulug Ulus (Great State) or also known as "the Golden Horde". By 1259 it became its own functioning khanate known as Ulus of Jochi. 3/19
🧵 FELLAS! STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! Like the tales of Homer, the annals of Ukrainian history are filled with heroes, legends and civilizations of a bygone era. To that we discuss today - the Ancient Greek history of Ukraine! 1/17
The Ancient Greeks established colonies all over ancient Europe. Ukraine was also the site of several ancient Greek colonies and cities. The oldest Ionain Greek colony in Ukraine was at Berezan Island established in the 7th Century BC. 2/17
The colony was known as "Borysthenes", the Ancient Greek word for the Dnipro river and its river god. Herodotus visited a neighbouring Greek city Olbia in the 5th century BC and described Borysthenes (the river and city) as a vital for the Scythians. 3/17
🧵FELLAS! STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! Ukraine has long been a diverse land of many peoples and cultures. Today, we delve into a lesser-known chapter of Ukrainian history. Rus is often credited as the earliest Norse-Ukrainian link, today we focus on ancient on Gothic Ukraine! 1/17
From the early 1st century AD, Ukraine was inhabited by various peoples including the Scythians (I will write about in a later thread), the Sarmatians and even the Celts. By the 3rd century AD, a new Germanic people, known as the Goths came to dominate the Ukrainian Steppe. 2/17
There are many legends and origin myths of the Goths.
Many early Roman historians equated the Goths as a subset of the Scythians. While Christian scholars like Ambrose believed they descended from the biblical Gog and Magog. 3/17
🧵FELLAS! STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! An often repeated russian lie is "Ukraine didn't exist before 1991". Ukraine's state has roots going back to the early Kingdom of Rus in 1253. Today we will discuss the creation of the first modern Ukrainian state(s) in the 20th century! 1/19
The foundations of the Ukrainian state were established by the Hromada, formed in Ukraine shortly after the Crimean War. In Hapsburg ruled Ukraine, in 1848 during the Spring of Nations, Ukrainians formed the Supreme Ruthenian Council whose goal was autonomy for Ukraine. 2/19
Ukraine's independence truly took flight during the bolshevik revolution. After the February Revolution, Ukrainians took the first steps at establishing a Ukrainian State. The Fist Universal of the Central Rada proclaimed Ukrainian autonomy in the russian empire. 3/19
🧵FELLAS! STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! A key component of russian propaganda and slander is that Ukraine is not a real state. Despite being demonstrably false, this lie is used as a means to cover up russia's own stolen history - which is today's topic, Russia's stolen history. 1/16
Modern russia is a kleptocracy, not only economically and politically. Every aspect of its history has been stolen, covered up or misappropriated. Even the name "russia" is a 16th century heist of "Rus" which Ukraine is the rightful inheritor 2/16:
One of the most blatant theft of history and culture is with regards to the cossacks. As my great grandfather stated (a Kuban Cossack himself) "there is no such thing as a russian cossack". And historically, he is absolutely correct, Cossacks are Ukrainian. 3/16