Ukraine entered the 2000s weighed down by corruption scandals, media crackdowns, and the infamous “Kuchmagate” tapes that exposed the dark side of President Leonid Kuchma’s rule. But out of that crisis came a showdown that would shake the country — and the world.

In this episode, Dad walks us through the late 1990s and early 2000s: Kuchma’s decline, the rise of two rival Viktors, the shocking poisoning of reformist Viktor Yushchenko, and a rigged 2004 election that pushed ordinary Ukrainians into the streets. With orange scarves, tents, and a determination to be heard, the people of Ukraine launched a peaceful revolution that overturned fraud and changed their nation’s political culture forever.

The Orange Revolution didn’t fix everything — corruption, divisions, and Moscow’s influence didn’t just disappear — but it showed that Ukrainians could stand up for their democracy, and win.

Follow History with Dadfor more stories of resilience, rebellion, and the power of people in Ukraine’slong journey through history.
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