Orange Revolution

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Orange Revolution

Ukrainian history

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July 17, 2026

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The Orange Revolution was a series of protests in Ukraine in 2004 that challenged the results of the presidential election. The election pitted Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, against opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. Yushchenko ran on an anti-corruption platform and had previously served as prime minister.

During the campaign, Yushchenko was poisoned with dioxin, which disfigured his face. In the runoff election, Yanukovych was declared the winner, but Yushchenko's supporters alleged fraud and organized mass demonstrations, adopting orange as their campaign color. The Supreme Court of Ukraine ruled the election invalid and ordered a new runoff, which Yushchenko won. The revolution marked a significant moment in Ukraine's post-Soviet history, highlighting the country's struggle to balance its ties with Russia and its aspirations for closer relations with Europe.123

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Ukraine
The Orange Revolution and the Yushchenko presidency
The presidential election of 2004 brought Ukraine to the brink of disintegration and civil war. Cleared to seek a third term as president by the Constitutional Court, Kuchma instead endorsed the candidacy of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who was…
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The presidential election of 2004 brought Ukraine to the brink of disintegration and civil war. Cleared to seek a third term as president by the Constitutional Court, Kuchma instead endorsed the candidacy of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who was…
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Vitali Klitschko
…significant role in Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution, which ushered Pres. Viktor Yushchenko into power. Klitschko unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Kyiv twice, and in 2010 he became the leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR; its acronym in Ukrainian spelled “punch”) political party. UDAR performed admirably in the…
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…significant role in Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution, which ushered Pres. Viktor Yushchenko into power. Klitschko unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Kyiv twice, and in 2010 he became the leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR; its acronym in Ukrainian spelled “punch”) political party. UDAR performed admirably in the…
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Kyiv
Kyiv in an independent Ukraine
…that became known as the Orange Revolution. The Ukrainian Supreme Court overturned the election result, and Yushchenko was victorious in the subsequent rerun.
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…that became known as the Orange Revolution. The Ukrainian Supreme Court overturned the election result, and Yushchenko was victorious in the subsequent rerun.
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Yulia Tymoshenko
During the events of the Orange Revolution, Tymoshenko was a key figure, passionately denouncing Viktor Yanukovych’s presidential election campaign and the alleged electoral fraud that resulted in Yanukovych’s victory being overturned. After Yushchenko was installed as president, he named her prime minister in January 2005. Her cabinet was dismissed nine…
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During the events of the Orange Revolution, Tymoshenko was a key figure, passionately denouncing Viktor Yanukovych’s presidential election campaign and the alleged electoral fraud that resulted in Yanukovych’s victory being overturned. After Yushchenko was installed as president, he named her prime minister in January 2005. Her cabinet was dismissed nine…
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Viktor Yanukovych
Political career, ties to Russia, and Orange Revolution
…protests that were dubbed the Orange Revolution, and the runoff results were overturned by the Ukrainian Supreme Court. In a new runoff held on December 26, 2004, Yanukovych was soundly defeated.
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…protests that were dubbed the Orange Revolution, and the runoff results were overturned by the Ukrainian Supreme Court. In a new runoff held on December 26, 2004, Yanukovych was soundly defeated.
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Viktor Yushchenko
…which became known as the Orange Revolution, followed a runoff round in which Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, backed by Kuchma and generally considered pro-Russian and cool toward western Europe as compared with Yushchenko, had been declared the winner. The Supreme Court, after invalidating that result, ordered a second runoff, to…
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…which became known as the Orange Revolution, followed a runoff round in which Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, backed by Kuchma and generally considered pro-Russian and cool toward western Europe as compared with Yushchenko, had been declared the winner. The Supreme Court, after invalidating that result, ordered a second runoff, to…
Read More