Ukraine's first direct presidential election, held alongside an independence referendum, marked the country's formal break from Soviet rule.
Key Facts
- Election date
- 1 December 1991
- Winner
- Leonid Kravchuk
- Vote share (Kravchuk)
- 62%
- Independence referendum result
- 92% voted to secede from USSR
- Presidential term length
- 5 years
- Number of candidates
- 6
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The dissolution of Soviet authority and Ukraine's declaration of independence in August 1991 created the conditions for the country's first direct presidential election. Leonid Kravchuk, serving as Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and de facto acting president, sought a popular mandate to lead the newly independent state.
On 1 December 1991, Ukrainian voters participated in the country's first direct presidential election alongside an independence referendum. All six candidates backed independence. Kravchuk won decisively with 62% of the vote, securing a five-year presidential term, while 92% of voters simultaneously chose to secede from the Soviet Union.
Kravchuk's election and the overwhelming independence vote gave Ukraine a democratically chosen head of state and an unambiguous popular mandate for sovereignty. The results accelerated the collapse of the Soviet Union, which formally dissolved later in December 1991, and established Ukraine as an independent nation on the international stage.
Political Outcome
Leonid Kravchuk elected president with 62% of the vote; independence referendum passed with 92% in favour of secession from the Soviet Union.
Kravchuk as Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and de facto acting president within the Soviet Union
Kravchuk as elected President of independent Ukraine