Where do Ukrainians originate from?

Rusyns as an ethnos of Ukraine

   The most rich in the depiction of the ancient Rusyns is the painting by Henryk Semiradsky (1833) “The Burial of a Noble Rus”. Some Western sources call this painting “The Burial of a Scythian Prince.”
People of different classes are depicted here, from the poor to princes, including warriors. The image of clothing is typical for many regions of Rus'.
The clothes of young women have signs of Rus ornaments, which are still used in Ukraine.
The older woman's embroidered shirt is even more similar to Ukrainian embroidered shirts. In addition, her head is covered with a scarf in warm weather, which may indicate that she is married.
The kobzar (musician and singer) already has a perfect kobza (harp) with a hollow body. (Click on the photo to compare with a modern Ukrainian kobzar).
   In this picture you can see that the Rusyns as an ethnos of Ukraine, have similar features of national costumes.

Uncomfortable topic: Where do Ukrainians come from?

   The many features of ancient Rus' have been preserved in the modern history of Ukraine, which are characteristic of only one ethnic group. The mustache and “herring” of hair on the warrior’s head were very common. The following photo is from the monument to Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. (Click on the photo to compare with the Zaporozhye Cossacks).

The same features can be seen in the photo of the monument to Prince Yaroslav the Brave. (Click on the photo to compare with the Zaporozhye Cossacks).

The legendary commanders from the princely family depicted here glorified Rus' with their exploits. They, like many others, performed these feats on the territory of modern Ukraine, but it is not customary to call them Ukrainians. Most of all, this annoys Moscow, which calls it a historical fraud, since at that time Ukraine did not exist.
   Well, let's see if this strict rule applies to all nations. Using the language of the accuser (Russian), we are looking for a reference to John Winthrop. We find: an American statesman, the governor of the Massachusetts colony, died in 1649. Wait, that's 127 years before the Declaration of Independence (1776). How could he be an American statesman when there was no America yet. Why did the Ukrainians anger the historical science that there are separate, particularly strict rules for them?

Could we recognize people of ancient Rus as ethnos of Ukraine?

This is a reverse comparison of people's clothes, after reading the following photos, you can return to the picture at the beginning of the page and see the common features with modern Ukrainians.
   Since women's clothing is richer in decoration, it is most distinguished by the characteristic features of national clothing, where the Rusyns as an ethnos of Ukraine differ the most. The next three photos do not have a caption about ethnicity, so that the dear reader will try to guess where Ukrainian and Russian national clothing is presented. This is necessary to avoid the impression that the statement in this section is forced on you, and is not a logical conclusion from what you see.
(If you are not an expert in national clothing, just look for something similar in the picture about the ancient Rus in the first section of this page “Rusyns as an ethnos of Ukraine”).
   Click the following button to check if you have correctly identified the ethnicity of the clothing:

   Ukrainian women's costume is similar to the costume of the girl from the picture about the ancient Rus, given at the beginning. Women's folk costume may vary by region and age.

According to an old Ukrainian custom, a married woman should not leave her home without covering her head. This is also evident in the image of a married woman both here and in the painting of the ancient Rus at the beginning of the section.
Roman Svidersky,
31 years old, Kyiv, 2011.
Roman belongs to those soldiers who pay special attention
following the ancient traditions of Ukraine Rus.
(The statute of the modern Ukrainian army does not prohibit such hairstyles)
Modern kobzar
February 14, 2015,
“Palace of Cinema“
Ternopil, Ukraine
(Click to enlarge).

NOTES:    The usual burials of nobles of the late Scythian period have been studied from archaeological excavations. The burial took place in a boat or stone ship, where gifts and sacrifices were brought to the deceased in accordance with his earthly status and occupation. After cremation, a mound of stones was built on the remains, covered with earth and turf. The resulting mound was considered the dwelling of the deceased or killed in action.
   Traces of human sacrifice created the myth that this was an ordinary human sacrifice, like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The latest excavations of an unlooted mound have proven that the remains of people around the buried person are servants of the inner circle, who were killed and placed around the owner.
   German scientists who took part in the excavations said that this was also typical for ancient German tribes and Vikings. This method prevented the poisoning of the master by traitors from among the servants of the inner circle. Such servants knew that their life was no longer than that of their master.
   I take this opportunity to express my respect for German neatness. German scientists have determined the age of a horse's bridle from a Scythian grave. They proved that the first people to saddle a horse were the Scythians who lived on the territory of Ukraine, not the Chinese.