Russian spin doctors and the ruling elites led by President Vladimir Putin spread the myth that the southern and eastern territories of Ukraine were given to the Ukrainian people as a “gift” by the Russian Tsar. However, historical evidence suggests the opposite: the first people to settlein these territories were Ukrainian Cossacks and peasants.,The courage of the Cossacks and diligence of Ukrainian peasants, as well as rich natural resources, allowed for the rapid development of the vast steppes of the Wild Fields and Sloboda Ukraine.
